5 Tips To Run Your Best 5k

Whether you are an experienced marathoner or you've recently been inspired to lace up your old sneakers for a local 5K, here are a few tips to get you started. Don’t forget that the same advice goes for walking as well. While walking is often overlooked, it is one of the easiest and safest forms of exercise for people of all ages and fitness levels. Regardless of how far you run (or walk), do so knowing that physical exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, support your immune system, and improve your overall health.

1. Build Core Strength

Core-strength training refers to the conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of your spine, pelvis, and torso. These muscles provide a foundation for all physical movement. When you increase their strength, you increase your power, speed, and stride efficiency. This training season, substitute a Pilates class for crunches. Pilates is one form of exercise that builds core strength as well as being a powerful tool for injury prevention and increasing athletic performance.

2. Make Friends with Complex Carbs

A diet incorporating foods rich in antioxidants, good fats, and complex carbohydrates is just as important as a balanced training routine. Incorporating a nutrition program customized for your fitness goals can be more challenging than completing your first 5K. Some of you will need extra complex carbohydrates, while others will need to focus on hydration, eating anti-inflammatory foods, and increasing essential fatty acids.

Sitting down with an expert can take the guess work out of what to eat at those 1,000 meals each year. Don’t forget those post-run snacks to help refuel your glycogen stores. Start with a nut butter and a banana for your muscles (and belly) will thank you. You can learn more about anti-inflammatory foods to eat while training in our Immune Boosting Foods article.

3. Stretch Yourself

You've heard the advice before but you still can’t touch your toes. Would you try stretching if it restored your muscles to their normal length so that they contract at their optimal resting potential? Would you try stretching if it increased your range of motion? You know the routine: warm-up for 15 minutes, hold each stretch for 30 seconds, do not bounce, and spend at least 15 minutes focusing on lower-body muscle groups.

Here’s the alternative that we love just as much: the foam roller. Spend 5-10 minutes rolling out various muscle groups, paying attention to trigger points. The massage and myofascial release may just help your stride whether or not you can touch your toes.

4. Discover Massage

If you’ve never had a good excuse to treat yourself to a regular massage, here’s your chance. Regular massage reduces lactic acid build-up that can cause cramping and contribute to muscle fatigue.  A great sports massage can improve your range of motion while managing aches and pains. If you can’t find the time to get regular massages during your training, schedule a session one to two weeks before your event or have a massage within seven days after your big race.

5. Get Well

Instead of waiting for the first signs of injury, schedule a "well" check-up every four to six weeks to identify signs of physical stress. Check-in with a training coach, chiropractor, or strength and conditioning specialist to help you develop a self-care routine during your training. Try acupuncture to keep levels of inflammation down and recovery times to a minimum. Do not delay seeking treatment at the first sign of pain or discomfort. Treating an acute injury optimizes your chance at recovery and minimizes the risk of long-term injury or chronic pain.

Want more training tips to get you started? Read about marathon running tips to run your best race in our other sports medicine articles.

Want to learn more about how acupuncture and nutritional counseling can benefit your fitness training? New patients can book online to schedule any telehealth or acupuncture service including a complimentary consult.