To make your first 5 km run a success, develop a personalised and progressive training programme, which you should start about 2 months before race day. Combine running sessions with cardio and strength training. Make sure you have comfortable equipment, adapted to your physique and the nature of the terrain. Finally, sleep well and take care of your diet to obtain good performance.
After an abdominal workout, doing a few targeted stretches allows you to recover better, to optimise your muscle strengthening and to relax. Do static stretches that last for 20 seconds each for 10 to 15 minutes. Many yoga and stretching exercises are suitable for stretching the back and abdominal muscles.
Doing 10 to 15 minutes of stretching after a muscle strengthening session helps you to relax and promotes muscle recovery. Just make sure you don’t stretch after an intense session and that you do dynamic stretching before training so as not to injure yourself. Incorporate a series of static stretches held for 20 seconds at the end of your strength training session and some dynamic stretches during the warm-up.
Stretching can be of great help in limiting the appearance of aches and pains after a bike ride. Choose stretches that mainly target the lower body muscle groups and wait at least 12 hours after the bike ride: cold stretching will bring more benefits and avoid weakening the muscles after an intense workout.
If practised at the right time and without exertion, stretching can help you recover better, help improve flexibility and avoid muscle stiffness after a running session. Immediately after training, perform warm-up static stretches on the main muscles that are used during the run. Listen to your body at all times so as not to injure yourself.
Bodyweight training has many advantages: these muscle-strengthening exercises can be done anywhere. Whatever your level, your objectives or your physical condition, you’ll never run out of ideas for a motivating training circuit. Combined with other physical activities such as running or cycling, this type of training produces results quickly.
To fully enjoy winter sports, good preparation is essential. Start training at least 3 weeks before your departure with cardio, muscle strengthening exercises and flexibility exercises to improve your balance. At the same time, make sure you have equipment designed for mountain sports. Now you are ready to hit the slopes!
Fundamental exercises in building muscle, push-ups come in several variations, from push-ups with the knees placed on the ground for beginners to push-ups that are performed on one arm for more able sportsmen and women. Used to strengthen the upper body, classic push-ups are easy to integrate into all of your circuit training sessions.
The squat is a basic exercise for all-round fitness and building muscles. Easy to perform and requiring no equipment, it is very effective for strengthening the lower body and burning calories. Once you have mastered the exercise, integrate squats into your circuit training by varying the intensity and duration of each of your sets according to your level.
Intense and undoubtedly effective, burpees are muscle-building exercises that are very popular with athletes. Combined with other strength training exercises in circuit training, they engage most muscle groups while also exercising the cardio system. They will easily fit into your workout routine, whatever your goals happen to be.
Gymnastic exercises are intended to strengthen the muscles of the face which will help to delay the onset of signs of ageing and stimulate the micro-circulation of blood to reduce swelling, dark circles and puffiness. Performed daily from as young an age as possible, facial yoga, facial gymnastics or self-massage exercises will help you maintain toned skin for longer.
Playing sports as a duo with a friend, family member, colleague or spouse motivates you and helps you progress faster. Choose a partner at your level and set common goals to create your schedule. Fitness is ideal for working out as a pair: compose a circuit of exercises to be done as a duo – the possibilities are unlimited.