Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can gain some incredible health benefits. For instance, movement can improve brain health, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to perform activities of daily living. Additional benefits include reductions in short-term feelings of anxiety and facilitate better sleep - both super important as students! There are very few lifestyle choices that have as large of an impact on health and wellbeing as movement does!
Run Club wanted to provide our peers with some helpful tips and tricks to motivate you to move your body, and even try running! Running can be extremely intimidating so by following this plan we hope to mitigate some of the stress!
Guide to running your first 5km!
Step 1: Set a Goal
When do you want to run? How long do you want to run? How often do you run? Think about this carefully and create an attainable goal for yourself. We recommend SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) as they make you consider the multi-dimensional aspects of a goal.
A SMART goal for running could look like this: “I am going to run three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) at 5:15pm after my workday. I want to be able to run 5km in two months.”
This goal is timely as it provides the number of days run per week and the distance that the individual wants to achieve. Most importantly, the goal considers the schedule of the individual by recognizing how this goal will fit in with prior commitments (ex. Work hours).
Step 2: Make a plan
Having a guide that helps inform your workout will not only make showing up to your run easier but can also be a sense of accountability! There are several zero to 5km running plans available online or on apps (Nike Run Club) ranging in duration and distance but here is one that we like from Runners World!
Week | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
1 | Rest | Run 1 min, walk 1 min (x10) | Rest | Run 2 min, walk 4 min (x5) | Rest | Rest | Run 2 min, walk 4 min (x5) |
2 | Rest | Run 3 min, walk 3 min (x4) | Rest | Run 3 min, walk 3 min (x4) | Rest | Rest | Run 5 min, walk 3 min (x3) |
3 | Rest | Run 7 min, walk 2 min (x3) | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) | Rest | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) |
4 | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) | Rest | Run 10 min, walk 3 min (x2), run 5 min to finish | Rest | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) |
5 | Rest | Run 9 min, walk 1 min (x3) | Rest | Run 12 min, walk 2 min (x2) run 5 min to finish | Rest | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) |
6 | Rest | Run 15 min, walk 1 min (x2) | Rest | Run 8 min, walk 2 min (x3) | Rest | Rest | 5 km run! |
Warming up and cooling down are both extremely important to prepare your body to run. Take 5 minutes before your run to complete dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretches are when you are moving rather than standing still. These can include lunges, hip openers and hip closers, high knees, etc.
Cooling down is equally important to aid in muscle recovery through increasing blood flow to muscles that have been working during your run. These include static stretches where you are still during the stretch!
Step 3: Follow through
Here are some tips and tricks to help you carry out your plan!
Look for a running group in your area
Find a running partner that may want to complete this goal with you
Schedule your runs in your calendar so it becomes a part of your routine
Write down your goal or tell a friend about your goal to keep you accountable
Looking for a community on campus to help with your running? Run Club is for you! We are a ratified ARC club that is fully student run and caters to beginner and intermediate runners at Queen’s. Check us out at @queens_run_club for more details! We look forward to running with you.
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