The 5:5:5 Challenge
As runners we need some motivation to keep us going when we are in a rut, when we are injured, when we need to show some TLC to our body, or just for some variety. I started this 5:5:5 last year around the holiday season last year to keep me going strong through to my journey to New Orleans.
Very easy and self-explanatory. Takes about 10-15 minutes of your time every day. Here’s what you do
- 5 Sun Salutations every day.
Why Sun Salutations? – This series of poses is a great way to warm up your muscles and get your HR up. I love doing this when I wake up in the morning so I get the creakyness out of my bones. Add in some pushups to the Vinyasa flow if you want.
Don’t know how to do it and hesitant about learning from the net? No worries, just do some gentle stretching instead. I do encourage you to try it; there are a lot of ancient Indian texts that describe the benefits of Sun Salutations. - 5 minutes of Foam Rolling every day.
Amedieval torture methodself massage technique for runners. I move from moans to groans to screams as I use this. I combine it with a tennis ball (for Piriformis aka butt muscle). Calf, Hamstrings, IT band, Quads all benefit from foam rolling. You will develop a love-hate relationship with it. - 5 Planks a day.
There is a #PlankADay challenge on twitter, but I like my 5 better as it gives my non-existent core a little more of a chance to strengthen. One plank or 5, they are still beneficial.
So who is with me to join the challenge? I gave it up last year after I finished New Orleans. I do not intend to give it up this time and keep it going for a long long time. If you are in with me, leave a comment on this post and let us encourage each other!
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