We are gearing up for our favorite Thanksgiving tradition—the Forma Gym Walnut Creek Turkey Trot! Before you settle in for dinner on Turkey Day, enjoy a little exercise with your community!
Options Abound
The Turkey Trot offers several races to choose from, including a 5k, 10k, and a selection of fun runs for the kids. Make sure to stop by the festival area and check out our costume contest so you can have fun and let your creative side shine! Thanksgiving Day will be here before we know it, so here are some tips on how to prepare—even if you have never participated in a race before! All you need to get started is some supportive running shoes and a timer or stopwatch.
Start Slowly
A training program should include a healthy mix of running, walking, and rest days, which reduces the chance of injury, stress, and wearing yourself out before the race. Starting out, you may only run for 10 seconds while walking for the rest of a minute, and that is OK, says former long-distance track Olympian and author Jeff Galloway. Over time, you’ll work your way up to more running and less walking. To help get you started, we have a free Training and Nutrition Plan available that will help keep you focused if you are not sure how to gradually increase your workout intensity.
Day of Rest
Be sure to always have one day of rest per week so your muscles can recuperate. Your body needs rest to allow you to recover and maximize your performance. Each time you run, the body breaks down a bit from tissue damage. Rest and recovery afterward is critical to allowing your body to adapt. “Rest is not a four-letter word to be ignored,” says Kevin Vincent, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Florida Running Medicine Clinic. Because we feel so strongly about proper recovery, we recently brought cryotherapy to Forma, and we also offer sports massage. We encourage everyone to try different things and to experience the recovery and health benefits each modality can offer, then decide what works best for their body.
Add Strength Training to the Mix
Strength training can address the muscle imbalances and weaknesses caused by modern sedentary lifestyles, better enabling your body to resist injury. Sports and exercise scientist and author Kenji Doma, Ph.D., at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, says that strength training decreases the energy needed for reaching the pace you want to hit during running. The brain recruits the muscles that are most resistant to tiring out, so your body needs less energy to do the same task.
Buddy Up
Running with a friend is a great way to give yourself a gentle push and help you stay on track with your training regimen. It is also much more fun to run with a friend than by yourself, and the conversation and socializing are just as good for you as the exercise. Having a similar goal and working towards that goal together is excellent for building relationships and adds a built-in support system. Join the Forma Gym Club on Strava to share your progress and cheer each other on!
Register Today
The Turkey Trot is truly a community event, supporting organizations that include the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Walnut Creek Education Foundation (WCEF), Partners for Educational Achievement (PEAK), and the Forma Kids Foundation. Forma Gym is proud to host this annual community event that celebrates health, giving, and our local community. Register, volunteer or donate today!
