NHS – COUCH TO 5K AND PARK RUN
It is widely proven that exercise is good for our health in many way. People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
Health benefits Given the overwhelming evidence, it seems obvious that we should all be physically active. It’s essential if you want to live a healthy and fulfilling life into old age. It’s medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have lower risk of:
- coronary heart disease and stroke
- type 2 diabetes
- bowel cancer
- breast cancer in women
- early death
- osteoarthritis
- hip fracture
- falls (among older adults)
- depression
- dementia
The Couch to 5K NHS app gives you a choice of coaches and helps you track your progress.
As well as Laura, who features on the NHS Couch to 5K podcasts, you can also be coached by celebrities Jo Whiley, Sarah Millican, Sanjeev Kohli or Michael Johnson.
The app goes through a 9 week series starting slowly allowing the opportunity to build our stamina and strength to be able to build our heart rate at a steady pace to eventually be able to run 5km without stopping! The pace of the 9 week programme has been tried and tested by 10s of thousands of new runners who have then gone on to enjoy Park Runs and, for some, running marathons. Structure and motivation are keen to continuing the course. Setting specific times of the day to do the programme will be important even in various weather conditions. In some circumstances and you even set up to do this within the home between rooms and up stairs to help build get the blood flowing and the muscle endurance building.
The app also guides you through the programme for rest times, injuries, muscle aches and other aspects of physical problems you might incur. Once, you start you will begin to see and feel the benefits.
Park Run
Parkruns are free, weekly, community events all around the world. Saturday morning events are 5k and take place in parks and open spaces. On Sunday mornings, there are 2k junior parkruns for children aged four to 14.
Parkrun is a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.
For more information and to sign up please visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk
5K LOCAL PARK RUNS
Homewood Parkrun – Ottershaw Memorial Fields. Foxhills Road, Ottershaw, KT16 0NQ
Brooklands Parkrun – Brooklands Community Park, Sopwith Drive, Brooklands, KT13 0YU
JUNIOR PARK RUNS
Savill Garden Junior Park Run – Savill Gardens, Windsor Great Park TW20 0UU.
Laleham Junior Park Run – Thames Side, Laleham, TW18 1SS