The signs of aging (body pains, growing waistlines, decreased energy) can be halted or rolled back through YOUR CHOICES.
The most common health problems (diabetes, heart disease, obesity, joint pain) can be arrested or improved though YOUR CHOICES.
YOUR CHOICES include: adequate exercise, better eating choices, moderation of alcohol, smoking cessation.
If you don't like the way you feel, do something about it.
The US Department of Health recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This means:
- A total of 2.5 hours that can be divided up throughout the week. Smaller chunks thorughout the day or a separate "exercise time" are both effective.
- Moderate exercise means comfortable. You don't have to bust your butt, just a nice steady effort thate elevates the heart rate and breathing. If exercise is hard, you may be at level of "intense exercise."
- If you want to complete your exercise more quickly, 75 minutes of intense exercise is equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate exercise.
The amount of time needed to train for a 5K/10K fun run perfectly fits this range. Pick an event goal (such as the DH Dash) and use this as motivation to get your exercise completed each week.
Walking / Jogging / Fun Run:
If you are new to this kind of exercise (or if it has been a while,) consider these strategies that make jogging much more comfortable.
Mindset: It is counter-productive for a beginner to try to run 1) continuously or 2) fast. That's right, if you are a beginner to fun run jogging then you should alternate between brisk walking and easy jogging. Start with 5-10 minutes of increasingly brisk walking to warm the joints and get your breathing rhythm established. Once you feel good at that speed try a very slow jogging pace.
Your jogging pace should be about the same speed as a brisk walk. Keep the pace comfortable and when you start getting out of breath (or the muscles start to burn) then shift back to walking. The goal is to stay in the moderate intensity. Do not focus on running fast. The goal is to build stamina first...speed comes later.
Other tips:
When you are jogging, focus on taking short quick steps. Do not try to "stride out" as longer strides will cause greater impact to the joints.
If you are just starting, exercise at most every other day. The body needs both exercise andrest. If you want to do more, do walking or low-impact cross training on the other days. Make sure you have appropriate footwear. Exercise shoes is not the place to skimp or try to save money. Go to a running specialty store (Team Nashville, ACME Multisport, Fleet Feet) and get fitted for the correct size and model of shoe for your feet. It will make all the difference in comfort, and save a lot of impact on the joints.
Don't compare yourself to others or a perceived "ought-to-be-able-to" standard. The important thing is to participate in a healthy activity. Perhaps you were once in great shape, or you would like to achieve a certain time/goal. Be patient and persistent and you will reach all your goals. Become too competitive, and you may loose the fun. Worse still you may get injured.
Finally, if you experience pain while exercising (joints, arches, knees, back, etc) consult with a personal trainer or running coach about designing an strength and stretch exercise program. Many people go to a doctor or surgeon for exercise-related pain, whereas these are a normal challenge associated with strengthening the body. View these not as an obstacle, but your body giving you information on how to make it more healthy. Don't EVER "run through the pain."
(And of course have a doctor's approval before you begin any exercise program.)
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