Ursula Walsh has shed over 56lbs since starting her Instagram account Mom Fitness Diary to document her weight loss. The Mexican mum-of-two, who lives in Co. Offaly, has amassed thousands of followers, all eager to keep up with her daily tips and recipes.
Today, she shares the simple plan that got her on the road to the mini marathon.
" First things first: let's start out with a few positive facts about running to encourage you all to get moving and persist past the first little hurdles.
- Runners are 39 percent less likely to use high blood pressure medicines, and 34 percent less likely to need cholesterol medicines.
- Running strengthens bones better than other aerobic activities.
- Research has found that insomniacs fall asleep within 17 minutes on days they run, compared to 38 minutes on days when they don't. They also slept for an extra hour on days they exercised.
- People who exercise for an hour a day are 18 percent less likely to suffer upper respiratory tract infections than those who are inactive, according to a study from Sweden. Moderate activity boosts immunity.
- Researchers had asthmatics do two cardio workouts and one strength session a week. After three months, they reported less wheezing and shortness of breath.
- People who work out 2.5 hours a week are 19 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who don't exercise.
Now that these health facts have convinced you, here is a little programme to start running slowly and achieve 5k in 10 weeks:
• Week 1: Walk fast 4 minutes. Walk slow 1 minute (4 repetitions). 4 times a week. Total minutes: 20
• Week 2: Jog 1 minute. Walk 3 minutes. (5 repetitions). 4 times a week. Total minutes: 20
• Week 3: Jog 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. (8 repetitions). 3 times a week. Total minutes: 24
• Week 4: Jog 2 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. (5 repetitions). 4 times a week. Total minutes: 25
• Week 5: Jog 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. (5 repetitions). 3 times a week. Total minutes: 25
• Week 6: Jog 5 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. (5 repetitions). 3 times a week. Total minutes: 35
• Week 7: Jog 8 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. (2 repetitions). 4 times a week. Total minutes: 20
• Week 8: Jog 10 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. (2 repetitions). 4 times a week. Total minutes: 24
• Week 9: Jog 12 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. (2 repetitions). 3 times a week. Total minutes: 30
• Week 10: Jog 15 minutes. Walk 1 minute. (2 repetitions) 3 times a week. Total minutes: 30
The time in which you complete your run is up to you. Work first on completing the distance, then you can switch your focus to reducing the time it takes to complete it.
When I first began training, it was taking me 45 minutes to complete my 5k. However, with training, my completion time gradually began to reduce towards 30 minutes. Most recently I can complete a 5k in 28 minutes.
Make sure you warm up your muscles before each session. Also, it is as important to stretch your muscles afterwards.
Be sure to be hydrated beforehand too, but most importantly, eat some carbohydrates after each training session to replenish muscle glycogen.
Remember, don’t give up; work hard for it and run yourself happy!"
