We know that aerobic activity is good for us. It benefits our hearts, our muscles, our moods, our self-esteem, and our amount of energy. It can lower our blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, body fat, anxiety and depression, and fatigue. Yet, despite all the known benefits of exercising, it can be a challenge to work it into our busy lives.
Staying motivated is key to achieving our aerobic activity needs. One way to stay motivated is through competition, which can give us a specific and measurable goal to work toward. A short-distance race, such as the upcoming Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K race on September 11, 2016, is a good place to start.
“A new course or event restores the excitement of competition as the preparation for something new challenges both the mind and body, says Lori Chang, MS, RD, CSCS, and CHEK practitioner at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles, which is the official healthcare sponsor of the Santa Monica Classic. Training with others can also be motivating as it provides friendship and fun with others interested in the same activity.
Adding variety to a fitness program is also important. When training for a race, adding variety to our training regimen can prevent boredom and reduce the opportunity for injury. It can also help maintain balance among our various muscle groups.
“Cross-training is a great way to train for events to help reduce repetitive-use injuries. It reduces the risk of injuries because the same muscles are not being stressed in the same way during every workout,” says Michael Beckett, M.D., a sports medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles. “It’s also important to allow adequate training time to prevent injuries from ramping up too quickly and overloading the muscles, tendons or even bones in the forms of muscle pulls, tendonosis or even stress fractures.”
Kaiser Permanente Training Tips
- Consider using exercise machines. They add variety to your fitness program by working muscle groups that aren’t heavily used in your primary activity.
- Vary the activity. If your muscles are becoming sore from running, try swimming or an aerobics class.
- Vary the place. Try a new route for walking or running or even a different room for your exercises or stretching. By having several options, you can pick one that suits your mood or schedule.
- Vary the time. Do your exercises at different times and for different amounts of time. If you become bored with your evening run, try exercising in the early morning or after work or school. Instead of doing one 45-minute session, do three 15-minute sessions.
To learn more about the Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K, visit www.santamonicaclassic.com or https://www.facebook.com/santamonicaclassic/. For health and training tips, follow @KPWestLA and visit kp.org/santamonica.
