FITNESS GOALS

Improve General Fitness Run A 5k Race Get Better At Sport

Complete at least 10,000 steps per day (tracked via an app on your phone) for moderate exercise.

When you’ve been sitting for an hour or more, stand up and stretch your hamstrings, quads, and calves for more flexibility.

For vigorous exercise join a sports team that does two weekly training sessions, plus a match.

Work out at home or at the gym. Focus on core strength training.

Buy a pair of comfortable running shoes and join a local running club for extra support.

Do at least one session of continuous exercise in your chosen sport for one hour per week.

Target Specific Muscles

Work with a trainer and learn proper technique to progress without raising your risk of injury.

Walk or jog three times a week for 15 minutes after school or college.

Try shorter bursts of intense exercise, with short breaks. Try three sets of five minutes of exercise, with three minutes of recovery.

Begin with body weight exercises, targeting all muscle groups (e.g. sit-ups, push-ups, and squats) before using weights.

Create intervals within your jog. That’s where you up the pace to a sprint between two landmarks, like a pair of lampposts.

Investigate plyometric training. These are jumping exercises designed to train the power muscles in your legs such as box jumps.

Work one day on a specific muscle group (e.g. back/shoulder), then rest the next day before you target another group (e.g. legs).

Add cross-training to the mix. Introduce cycling, swimming, or hitting up the elliptical.

Gradually increase your runs from 15 minutes to 30, to 45, to one hour.

Plan a training programme with shortterm goals, such as to cut two minutes off your 5k time in six weeks.

Cross-train for one day; do a sport that helps condition muscles without using weights, such as swimming.

Run the distance or event and keep remember that it doesn’t matter how fast you go – all that matters is that you finish.

Undertake a fitness assessment to see which areas need improvement.

Have a cold glass of chocolate milk for protein and carbs after training sessions.