Blog post by Kylie Ross, a Family Health Clinic Nurse Practioner, CPNP, MSN, RN
Exercise has been proven again and again to be good for us—not just our physical health, but our mental health too! Exercise helps our heart, bones, muscles, and joints, and helps decrease levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Sounds great right? So why is it so hard to make it part of our routine? Here are a few running and exercising tips to get you moving!
Also, we hope you’ll consider signing up for The Family Health Clinic’s upcoming “Do It In Delphi” Dash on October 15, 2022! Learn more here.
Tips for how to start an exercise routine:
Set a goal.
What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to run a 5k, increase your flexibility, or get stronger? Lose weight? Setting a specific goal with attainable results is important when you are starting an exercise program.
Come up with a plan, and write it down.
Once you’ve set your goal, make a plan to achieve it! Your plan should be realistic and specific. For example, if your goal is to exercise 4 days a week for 30 minutes, write down exactly which days you will work out, what time, and what activity you will be doing that day. Research shows that you are more likely to follow through if you write down a specific plan and goals. Give yourself some flexibility and wiggle room, but having a plan will improve your chance of success!
Hydrate!
Be sure to drink plenty of water to help hydrate your body. Exercising causes you to lose more fluid via sweat—so it is essential to increase your water intake. You also feel more energized and decrease muscle soreness post-workout by staying hydrated.
Fuel your body.
Eating well-rounded, healthy meals and snacks is essential to your workout plan. Fueling your body with lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats energizes you and help your body perform its best during workouts. It also helps with your recovery post-workout. Exercising does burn calories- so having a healthy snack post-work that combines a protein, and a carbohydrate will help your body recover. Having a diet that is high in processed foods, sugar, and fast food can make you feel sluggish and slow your progress towards your fitness goals.
Keep track of your progress.
Keep a calendar and mark each day that you complete your workout, post on social media, and keep a journal—whatever works for you! Keeping track of your progress towards your goal can be inspiring and motivating!
Tips for how to train for a 5K:
Sign up for a 5k!
Having a set date for a race you plan to participate in is motivating! Set the date and plan your training accordingly.
Start where you are.
Never ran before? No problem! Have some experience with running but looking to get back into it- you can! Hoping to improve your time- go for it! You can train for a 5K no matter what level of fitness! There are plans for beginners, intermediate, and advanced. You can walk, run, or do a combination of both!
Increase slowly.
Start where you are and increase slowly. You can do this by increasing the amount of time you exercise, the speed, or both. It takes time to build up endurance.
Cross train.
It is helpful to use other exercise methods to cross-train while training for a 5K. For example, incorporating strength training, stretching, or core exercises can help build important muscles you use when running your 5K and keep your muscles, joints, and ligaments limber which decreases your risk for injury.
Rest days.
Remember to take days off from training- you don’t need to walk or run every day. Taking a rest day can help your muscles recover and avoid overuse injuries. Be sure to do some light stretching on your rest days!
Develop or follow a plan.
Using a plan specific to training for a 5K can help guide you on when to train, how often to train, and how far to go. You can find planning guides online, and there are even free apps you can use on your phone to help guide your training! Check out these plans:
- Couch to 5K Training Plan for People Who Don’t Run
- Couch to 5K Training Plan: 8-Weeks, for Non-Runners
- Couch to 5K Training Plan: 4 Weeks, for Active People!
Register for the “Do it in Delphi” Dash!
The Family Health Clinic has partnered with the City of Delphi, Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, and Delphi Main Street to host the Inaugural “Do It In Delphi” Dash – a 5k walk/run race through the city of Delphi.
On Saturday, October 15 at 10:00 am, the race will begin downtown on the Courthouse Square and will continue through Delphi’s historic neighborhoods, to the Bicentennial Plaza on the Monon High Bridge trail, looping around to finish back on the Courthouse Square.
The route will give participants a glimpse into the history and beautiful trail systems Carroll County has to offer. For kids up to age 10, there will be a Dinky Dash around the Courthouse Square at 9:30/before the Do It In Delphi Dash begins; starting with the Competitive racers at 10:00, followed immediately by the Non-Competitive racers.
