How to Prepare for a 5K Run

Running a 5k with your team is a great way to build morale and team spirit. Plus it gets everyone out of the office! Quality time away from their desks can bring a team closer together and make employees more productive. If your team has never run long distances before, you may be wondering how to prepare for a 5k run. Here are a few ways to get ready before you hit the pavement.

Choosing a Charity

Deciding which cause you want to support is important. Do you have a family member who suffered from cancer or a love for animals? Maybe you want to help underprivileged children in your community or veterans of the military. Visit www.runforcharity.com to search for a charity in your city. You can also search for running events and sign up your team.

Practice Makes Perfect

A 5k is 3.1 miles, and if you’re a beginner you’ll want to prepare in advance to prevent injury and fatigue. Start with a walk/run workout, a combination of running for 15 minutes and walking for 45 seconds, repeating the cycle for 30 minutes. Doing exercises like this will build up your endurance and strengthen your muscles before the big day. Try this seven week 5k training schedule from MayoClinic to stay motivated and on track.

Represent with Custom T-shirts

Running a 5k for charity is a fun way to raise money, get fit and share your business with the local community. T-shirts are like billboards during a charity run. Take advantage of the real estate on your team t-shirts and market your brand in a fun and unique way. Add your company name and logo along with a motivating quote to build team spirit and brand awareness during the run.

Have fun!

Our number one rule is to have fun. Bring your music so you can get in the zone and have a successful run. Enjoy the moment and know that you’re raising money for charity and also supporting your team.

Give More than Thanks this Thanksgiving

For most families, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks for their health, life, friends, and family. Busy schedules can make it easy to forget about all we have to be grateful for in our lives.  We must take a moment to remind ourselves of those struggling without a job, good health, or a stable community and  give back to  those in need. Here are a three ways you can help those less fortunate this thanksgiving:

1.       Donate a Turkey. Visit Thanksgiving For All to send a turkey to hungry families in need who would otherwise not have a Thanksgiving day meal.

2.       Walk for a cause in a charity Turkey Trot. Stay fit this Thanksgiving by participating in a charity run. Make it memorable with customized t-shirts or hats for the group. Turkey Trot proceeds typically go to your local food bank or charity so it’s a great way to support the community. Find a Turkey Trot in your area at http://www.active.com/running/turkeytrot .

3.       Visit hospital patients. For sick patients who don’t have family nearby to visit them, Thanksgiving can be a sad and lonely day. Call your local hospital to find out if there are any patients who would like a visitor. Bring them a gift instead of food; most hospitals have a strict food policy.

What do you have to be thankful for this year? Share with us now.

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Promote Fitness and Teamwork by Creating a Co-Ed Company Sports Team

It’s important to build relationships with coworkers and relationship development can be done in many ways. Company sports teams can offer many advantages to both the employees and to the company, including healthier employees, while building teamwork across departments. These teams can be for a team sport like softball or bowling, or for individual competitions, like triathlons or 5-K races. You can also create non-competitive teams like walking clubs or general running teams. As you train and learn your sport together, you will create new personal bonds. These bonds will spill over into the work environment and help employees to work as a team at work, as well.

Having healthy employees positively impacts a company's bottom line. Companies that have employees that smoke, that are overweight or that are out of condition have higher rates of absenteeism and turnover than companies than those who have healthier employees. An estimated $270 billion is spent annually on treating tobacco use and related diseases, adult-onset diabetes and obesity, conditions that are preventable, according to WELCOA, or the Wellness Council of America.

How do you get started? First, poll your coworkers about their interest. Talk to everyone so you understand the overall interest in forming a team and in what capacity. You’ll have to bring up the idea with management, emphasizing that a company sponsored team is a good way to build relationships and morale. You will be able to let them know others are also interested and maybe, even get some funding.

Then get out there! Play ball! Run fast! It’s Spring, so get outside and take advantage of the weather.