Preparing for a 5K

At the Neon Vibe we encourage people of all ages and all fitness levels to participate in our events. There's nothing better than chatting with participants and finding out our run is a stepping stone in helping that person reach his or her fitness goals. Come one, come all! We invite everybody to participate and feel the rush of neon flow through your hair...literally. Hopefully these tips for training will help some of you prepare for the next Neon Vibe 5k in a city near you.

ESTABLISH A PRE-RUN ROUTINE

We can't stress enough how important it is to stretch. Do butt kicks, high knees and really stretch out your hamstrings. As you continue to become more flexible your muscles and joints will get stronger and your risk of injury will decrease. Let's face it, the older you get the more important healthy stretching is. Take the time now to establish good habits with 5 solid minutes of getting loose. Also, drink plenty of water and avoid eating anything that spurs indigestion.

WORK ON YOUR BREATHING

Here's a few tips to help you breath easier while running:

1. Take deep breaths. Remember, your lungs are only slightly smaller than your rib cage. When you focus on breathing deep you're able to expand your lungs, press down on your diaphragm, causing your abdomen to fill with air completely. If you're able to learn to breath deeply you will avoid getting light-headed and nauseous. Breathe to your full capacity.

2. Find a breathing pattern. Try synchronizing your breaths with your footsteps. Inhale with every step with your right foot, and exhale on every step with your left foot. If this doesn't work for your, try every other step. Experiment with different patterns until you find the rhythm that's right for you.

3. Breathe freely! There are so many articles online about whether you should breath through your nose or your mouth, but honestly, it really doesn't matter. Though breathing through your nose helps warm the air more efficiently than the mouth, once you're running at a decent speed it gets very difficult to push that many liters of air through your nostrils. The only time breathing through the nose is significantly more important is when the temperature and humidity are extremely low. Nose breathing may be OK for yoga, but when you're running it is more important to be comfortable and consistent.

CREATE AN EXERCISE PLAN

Exercise plans need to be personalized to each person's athletic abilities. Focus more on the time of each workout, For those of you that are just starting your journey to get healthy, here is a simplified 8 week exercise plan to get ready for any Neon Vibe running event:

Side note: Each session is intended to be done 3 times a week. You should begin each workout with stretching and a brisk 5 minute warm up walk. 

Exercise is empowering. The time to make the change is now. We can't wait to have you at the next Neon Vibe event!