Run Run Rudolph

Lace up your sneakers, grab the family and gear up for a 5K! Take a look in your community for an upcoming 5k walk/run event and encourage your family to take part in this excellent physical challenge.  Kids are often entertained by playing video games, watching TV and posting on social media.  Helping kids find enjoyment in a family 5K event is a great way to promote exercise, social interaction and establish healthy habits.

Before you start a run, you need a good warm-up routine try walking lunges, butt kicks, and high knees.  After doing some stretching, walk briskly for five minutes, then speed up to a comfortable jogging or running pace.

A good first week of running is 20 to 30 minutes total of jogging/running/walking three times a week. Be sure to space your training days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to recover.

Don’t worry about how fast you are running.  Just increase the duration of your runs gradually. It is important that your first runs should be completed at an effort and pace that is easy and comfortable.

Don’t be afraid to walk. Walking breaks the run into smaller, more doable pieces. These breaks will allow you to run longer and faster.

When you finish your first run, don’t stop suddenly. Instead, walk for another five minutes to cool down gradually.