The aim is to move all the joints of the arm, leg and torso in a way that is gentle and appropriate for your level of fitness to prepare it for the activity you are about to do. We can minimise the risk of injury by doing a warm up. If we engage in exercise too quickly that is too intense, we risk injury to muscles, tendons or joints. When we exercise, our body changes to be able to perform that exercise, compared to its normal resting or sedentary state.

Spend time on Warm Up, Cool Down and Stretching.

The body likes consistency in training, this is what training plans do.

Follow the 10 percent rule – build your weekly mileage or time by no more than 10 percent per week.

Avoid the ‘terrible too’s – doing too much, too soon, too quickly!.

In the meantime, if in doubt about an injury, get it checked – early assessment and treatment of injuries speed recovery, and gets you back to exercise faster.Ībove all, enjoy your exercise, and progress at a rate that is comfortable for you. I will follow this in the next blog with advice and what to do if you are injured. I have summarised this advice here, along with links to YouTube demonstrations of some key exercises.

Much of the advice and coaching that I give to rehabilitate and prevent sports injury centre on the key skills of warm up, cool down and muscle conditioning. It is great to have a goal to increase our fitness in the spring, and the 5k and 10k distances allow those who wish to improve (or begin) running enjoy a preparing in the weeks ahead.ĭon’t be put off if you think your fitness isn’t up to it, or if running isn’t for you the 5k is walkable by most, even with no formal training, and Calcutta Run day is great fun. The Calcutta Run is a great event, accessible to all at any level of fitness.

Download 10k walk run training plan