Training for a half-marathon

Be organised, start off slow and do the plank every day

FITNESS

Have a training plan :

Even a free one-size-fits-all training plan that you can do it. They help you build up your distance safely, and remind you to plan in enough rest and recovery days.

Don’t go too fast on your longer training runs :

These practice runs are about building endurance, not speed. Aim for a gentle pace where you can hold a conversation. If you struggle, you will get demotivated. Use your shorter runs for speed training. Most people do three training runs a week.

Do regular injury-proofing exercises :

Squats, lunges, planks and bridge strengthen legs and core. Do 5 to 10 minutes a day, or half an hour a few times a week.

Don’t explode out of the starting gate :

As the race day approaches, remember that you will be full of adrenaline, so it will be tempting to go off too fast. You will pay for it later as your energy levels flag. Studies show that it is best to run the first half more slowly than the second.

First off, to do a push-up you need to move your body from the top of a straight-arm plank, down to the floor and back up again—all while keeping your body in one straight line. As you do that, you’re working your chest, shoulders, back, core, and arm muscles, says Atkins. You’re also primarily working the shoulder joint, she adds, which is why it takes upper body strength to move down and back up, and your midsection fires to maintain that straight-line body position as you go.

You can also categorize almost any exercise as either a push or pull movement. The push-up (obviously) falls into the push pattern—a function we perform in daily life, says Atkins. “The push-up challenges all pushing motions, including pushing yourself out of bed in the morning, moving furniture or other items around the house, pushing a cart at the grocery store, lifting something heavy off our chest, or to the moms out there, lifting your baby overhead at 45-degree angle,” she explains. The stronger you get at the push-up exercise, the easier all these daily activities become.