Month: February 2018

Preparing For Your First Marathon

Posted by Lidon Irizarry on February 21, 2018

What a beautiful day for a run? It’s your first marathon that you have signed up for and your knowledge about marathons are limited only to the ones you have seen on TV’s or witnessed a cross country race right in your neighborhood. Piece of cake, right? How hard can it be to run 27 miles? It will be tough unless you have been practicing days before the race. You need to have the energy to keep running or you won’t be able to get up from bed the next day. If you’ve never done it before, it can seem appalling but with the right practice you will be able to ace the race. Here’s a few pointers to guide you on your first marathon.

Fuel your body

Your body is your vehicle. It needs the fuel to race for a long time. It would be impossible to keep up with the pace if you haven’t practiced your running. You can’t just expect to show up on the day of the country race and wait for your legs to do all the running. It’s important that you have enough practice before the day itself. The first question you need to ask yourself before you actually start practicing your run is, am I fit and ready? If you haven’t really thought about it, then it’s time that you start looking for a personal training in gym to help you get in shape for the big race. You can have a one on one discussion with your coach as to what to improve in you to be ready for this race. Additionally start running 5-10 miles per week and gradually increase to 10-20 miles per week and keep increasing thereafter. The more you keep your body working, the more your body will be ready to run for 27 miles or more.

Eat right

If you thought running a marathon is only going to be for one day and that you don’t have to change your diet, you will find yourself panting and crawling instead of running the first half miles only. There’s only two simple rules, don’t eat too much to the point that instead of a cross country race you will be in a bathroom marathon every few minutes and if you eat little, you will find yourself taking only few steps and falling right on your face. Maintain a balance in your food and take in food that will boost your energy levels like proteins and a lot of eggs. There will be no point in your great boot camp in Wollongong at the fitness center if you haven’t been having the right food.

Staying motivated

It’s important that you talk to yourself before beginning your race. Boost your self-esteem and not give up. Most of the people give up halfway through to the marathon but you are not going to be one of them. Talk yourself through and be ready to handle any obstacles. Keep your head clear and focused. You might get distracted and you might want to quit.

A Guide To Exercise Mats

Posted by Lidon Irizarry on February 14, 2018

Many workout routines require you to lie or kneel on the floor. Exercising on hardwood floors can be quite a task. That’s where exercise mattings come in. They’ll make the whole process a lot more comfortable and easy to get through. Let’s take a look at the different types of mattings available and what might be best suited for you.

Heavy-duty mats

Heavy-duty mattings, also known as gym mats for sale, are usually large and provide lot of cushion. They are perfect for use in martial arts classes, gymnastics, dancing and similar routines that tend to be high-impact. They are made of thick foam and are quite easy to clean since they are covered in plastic. Heavy-duty mattings are also extremely shock-absorbent, and will protect your body from injury. They are however not totally skid-proof, so it’s best to use these on a carpeted surface. Due to their large size, they may also not be foldable, so you may need to look for one that folds if you want to use it at home.

Stretching mats

Stretching mattings can be found in two different types. One for yoga and the other for Pilates. Both these tend to be thinner than the other options available, however the Pilates mat is thicker and longer than the yoga mat. Both mattings are able to grip the floor firmly and the yoga mat is also called a ‘sticky’ mat thanks to its good grip. This helps prevent the mat sliding and slipping up on a tiled or wooden floor. Thus, yoga mattings provide great balance when you practice yoga poses. They can also be rolled up and stored away easily.

All-purpose mats

This type of mat is quite basic and as its name suggests, can be used for a variety of different exercise routines. If you need a mat just for your regular exercises at home, look for all-purpose gym mats for sale. These mattings are thick and fairly large. They are also quite easy to clean, being covered in a layer of vinyl. However, though these mattings work well in most ways, they are not very shock-absorbent and should not be used for high-impact routines and exercises. Visit https://www.gymnasticsdirect.com.au/products/category/2/girls-mats for more tumbling mats.

Interlocking mats

These mattings come in separate blocks of thick foam which can be fit to each other, like a puzzle. Since they are so thick, they are highly shock-absorbent and can be used on even concrete floors. These mattings can be used in large or small spaces since you are allowed to control the size of the mat. The interlocking pieces of the mat are easy to clean and are light-weight as well as waterproof. They can also be assembled without any trouble. Since they can be taken apart, they can also be easily stored away. So there you have it. These are the four main type of mattings used for exercise.