Holiday Races: Tips to Make Them Successful
By Virginia Laird
In almost every community across the nation, fitness groups plan and prepare holiday fun runs. These help to get the community excited about the holiday, as well as kick off the season. Richmond, a host of other communities, is gearing up for its annual Turkey Trot and Jingle Bell Run. While the community anxiously prepares, those who plan to participate have already begun preparing for the challenge these races can pose. Health and wellness professionals offer a few tips for preparing yourself for your impending race include:
- Plan a run with friends
- Make sure to begin hydrating today for your race
- Don’t try to do more that you are ready to
Plan to Run with Friends
Working out with friends is always more exciting than going about it alone. As you consider entering one (or both) of the holiday fun runs, it can be best to get a few friends on board to join you. Before stepping foot at the starting line, health and wellness experts advise that you and your buddies begin to prepare by participating in regular workouts and jogs each week.
Make Sure to Begin Hydrating Today for Your Race
Staying properly hydrated is vital when preparing for any workout, especially a lengthy race. Experts advise that consuming enough water should include at least half of your bodyweight in ounces each day. Research suggests that staying properly hydrated can help combat stiffness in the muscles. If you are one who prefers juice or soda to water, it may be time to give flavored water a try. This can be helpful in trying to increase your water consumption.
Don’t Try to Do More Than You are Ready to Do
Health and wellness experts advise that being in tune to your body can help prevent injury. As you prepare to tackle one of the lengthy holiday fun runs in Richmond, it is necessary to know your limits. While you may long for the ability to finish a 10K without walking, it may not be in your reality. Begin today preparing for your race. However, on race day, know your ability and take the necessary actions to prevent injury from taking over your body.
With this advice you are now ready to lace up and get started on your race today. Good luck!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Richmond, Va.