We all know the benefits of regular exercise, and yet sometimes it's difficult to fit it into our busy lives. One of the easiest ways to get your heart rate racing is to run, and if that's not motivation enough, running is one of the most effective ways to burn calories. It tones your muscles, makes your heart more efficient, helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and also increases your bone density, which is very helpful when you get older.

Running is an integral part of many sports and is one of the easiest ways to get started on the road to improved fitness. It can take many different forms - fun runs, cross-country, fell running, road races and marathons, for example - but the vast majority of runners simply run to stay fit and because they enjoy it.

There's really no difference between running and jogging, although jogging is often used to describe running at a slow pace. Whichever you choose, all you need is a good pair of running shoes and a little enthusiasm.

Any kind of running - from a slow jog to an all-out sprint - improves the heart and lungs. Sprinting is also an anaerobic exercise (without utilising oxygen) and requires a great deal of power from the muscles; long-distance running is an aerobic activity (utilising oxygen) and requires a lot of muscular endurance.

As a high-impact activity, running may maintain or increase bone density, helping to offset osteoporosis. However, it may also put more stress on the joints than lower-impact activities such as walking and cycling.

As long as you're healthy and take it easy to start with, anyone can run. If you have a history of diabetes, chest pain, angina, asthma, epilepsy, high blood pressure, have had recent surgery or are pregnant, however, consult a doctor first.

As with all exercise, you must warm up first. Start by walking at a brisk pace, swinging your arms vigorously, then gradually break into a slow jog.

We could all do with a bit of motivation when it comes to running. Many people like to have a training partner so they can be geed up by each other.

It's also a good idea to sign up for a race as soon as you feel up to it so you have a goal to work towards. Don't worry if you are not quite up to marathon stage yet - there are plenty of local fun runs to compete in.

Music is another great motivator, and now the clever bods from Nike and Apple have teamed up and created a brilliant little gadget called Nike+, which connects your iPod Nano to your running shoes via a small chip inserted underneath the trainer's innersole.

Your iPod can then tell you how far you have run, how long it took you, what pace you were going and how many calories you have burnt, which you can keep track of on screen or by audio feedback through your headphones.

You can then download that information onto your own personal profile at www.nikeplus.com to keep track of your progress - and even challenge other members of the online community to run faster or further.

For stockists of the Nike+ gear, call 0800 056 1640.