2024 Self Care New Year's Resolutions for Runners

Whether you’re a new runner or a seasoned vet, you need running goals to maximize your growth and keep you motivated. Whenever the new year approaches, many runners set resolutions to hit new personal records, such as cutting down their mile time or running farther. While these resolutions can be great motivators, it’s also important to take care of yourself—physically and mentally—so you can be as healthy as possible and enjoy running all year long. 

As you try to stay on track with your running goals, take a moment to review our top ten self-care New Year’s resolutions for athletes and runners in 2024.

1. Start Meditating Regularly

When you’re running a long race, having the strength and endurance to finish it is only part of the battle. It’s also essential to quiet your mind and develop self-control over your thoughts, especially negative ones, to run consistently and complete difficult runs. Meditation is proven to help manage pain, reduce stress, and enhance mental resilience, so regularly meditating is the ultimate self-care practice for a runner. Like when you first started running, begin slowly and find a meditation plan you can commit to over a few months. 

2. Make Consistency a Goal

If you’ve struggled to stick with a running schedule in the past, make a resolution to become more consistent. One of the best ways to become a more consistent runner is to create a running schedule you can stick to over the first three months of the new year. 

Set a reasonable goal for you to complete in that timeframe and chart your progress in a journal for additional encouragement. Once you see your progress, you won’t want to stop.

3. Take Care of Your Feet

Taking care of your feet takes just a few minutes out of your day. Meanwhile, foot injuries and issues can set you back on your running progress and goals. Here is a quick look at three common issues for your feet and how you can prevent them in five minutes or less:

• Wearing moisture-wicking socks can help prevent athlete's foot. 
• Stretching your feet can help avoid injury and muscle strain. 
• Investing in blister-free socks can help prevent painful, infection-prone blisters. 

4. Join a Running Group

Another great self-care practice is to join a running group, as it can increase your motivation and connect you with other runners. If you’re looking for new friends with similar interests, a running group is a great place to start. Alongside the chance to make friends, a running group will help you run with other people who can give you extra encouragement to reach your goals. In 2024, give a running group a try and reap the benefits of other runners motivating you to be your best.

5. Commit to Stretching Every Day

While most runners know they should stretch after a run, many don’t make time to stretch every day, particularly when they haven’t gone on a run. A great daily stretching routine can help you stay injury-free and increase your overall flexibility. 

As a result, it’s essential you make stretching a priority during the new year. You can find tons of stretching routines online designed for runners, and you might even want to pop into a virtual yoga session on your day off to really upgrade your stretching game.

6. Try Trail Running

If you’re always running on a treadmill or around your neighborhood, you might want to switch it up every once in a while by adding trail running into your routine. Since trail running gets you out in nature and gives you a fresh environment, it can be incredibly refreshing, especially when you’re bored with your current route. 

The American Psychological Association has found that spending time in nature can reduce stress, improve concentration, and promote happiness. Due to all the benefits of nature, make a resolution to try trail running for the first time in 2024. Getting out into nature for your runs can also help you conquer any boredom that comes from always running the same loop around your neighborhood.

7. Add Strength Training to Your Exercise Routine

Another great New Year’s resolution for athletes and runners is to add strength training to their exercise plan. Even if running is your priority, strength training is essential for a well-rounded running routine, as it can help prevent muscle imbalance issues and injuries. Adding strength training to your routine can also benefit your running practice, as studies have found that strength training can cause you to use 3% to 4% less oxygen while running at your standard running pace. 

Typically, experts recommend two to three strength workouts a week that only last around 35 to 50 minutes for runners. Since strength training for runners aims to complement your normal running routine, you won’t want to try to lift the heaviest weights you can find. Instead, it’s usually best to start with lighter weights and basic movements like deadlifts or squats before adding systemic movements like plyometric exercises. Like stretching and meditation routines, you can find lots of strength training plans for runners online.

8. Sign Up for Local Running Events and Consider Volunteering for Them

Many running groups, schools, and charities host races and running events all across the country. If you haven’t already started running 5ks, 10ks, or marathons, you might want to consider it in the New Year. As a self-care running goal, races and running events are some of the best ways to meet other runners, receive encouragement, and achieve your goals.

Besides the fun of running at these events, you can also give back to them by volunteering. Whether you serve on a committee, keep time, tail walk, help with the event’s social media accounts, or take pictures of runners for the race, it can be a rewarding experience. Plus, engaging with your local community can be a great self-care practice, as focusing on others’ happiness can do wonders for your overall mental health and life satisfaction.

9. Remember to Rest

While it might not be an obvious New Year’s resolution for athletes and runners, taking rest days is absolutely essential. Many runners struggle to achieve their New Year’s resolutions because they try to run longer or more often than they should. Instead of a lack of motivation stopping them, a lot of runners train too hard, leading to injuries and burnout.

Avoiding injuries and burnout comes down to giving your body time to recover. If you keep a training log or running schedule, make sure to include rest days on it. These rest days will give your body time to adapt to the stress you’ve placed on it and heal. When you’re just starting out as a runner, it’s typically best practice to run three to four times a week with a rest day between each run.

10. Treat Yourself to High-Quality Running Gear

Instead of sticking to your old pair of running shoes or socks that are falling apart, treat yourself to some high-quality running gear in the new year. By investing in a new fitness tracker or some specialty running shoes, you’ll be committing to continue running all year long. Plus, new gear can improve your performance. For example, anti-blister running socks can help prevent blisters and make it so you don’t have to spend a few days on the couch recovering.

Take Your Running to the Next Level with Anti-Blister Socks from Wrightsock

At Wrightsock, we’re proud to help runners achieve their New Year’s resolutions by providing them with anti-blister running socks. Our socks’ unique double-layer design reduces friction and absorbs moisture, leading to a much lower chance of blisters. Since our socks provide blister relief and make runners much more comfortable, they’ll help you run more consistently and reach your goals. Besides our standard blister-free socks, we also offer trail running socks designed to help you stay comfortable and protected while you jog in the woods.

Check out our selection of anti-blister running socks today. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.