Warming up is essential prior any kind of workout.
Warming up -
- Helps in pain free movements.
- Increases oxygen delivery to muscles which helps in preventing becoming breathless too early during your run.
- Improves coordination and reaction time.
- Enhances performance.
- Prevents injury.
- Boosts your confidence.
- Avoids muscle strain.
A 2 min warm up routine is just enough for your 5k run.
A dynamic warm up includes-
- Hops on the spot
- Chest expansions
- Arm circles
- Torso rotations
- Jumping jacks
- Jumps 10x (any kind)
- Squats 5x
3 tips to keep in mind when running a 5k -
Breathe - Inhale and exhale smoothly through your nose or mouth (the objective is to bring in the maximum amount of oxygen).Developing a rhythm to your breathing helps you so that you don't end up running out of breath too early.
Pace your race - An average 5k run can last anywhere from 20 - 40 minutes.I recommend you to split it like this: - Run/jog the first 3k slow and settle into a sustainable pace. You can either run at the same pace or increase it as you feel for the last 2k. Its easier and fun to pass people in the last couple hundred yards or so.
Pre race meal - Avoid starting the race on a full stomach.Your last meal should be 2-3 hours before the start of the race.A good choice would be low volume food with high carbs combined with plenty of fluids. Oatmeal with fruit can be an effective choice.
Also, motivational music can be of great help to a large number of runners. Hence, having such a playlist may prove to be a mood lifter and confidence booster!!!