How Can Your Virtual Indy Mini Training Lead to Overall Health and Wellness?

Training for 2021 OneAmerica 500 Festival Virtual Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival Virtual 5K is no easy feat. But with every step taken and every mile completed, you are taking strides toward overall health and wellness. Staying focused on and committed to your Virtual Indy Mini training can benefit both your physical and mental health. During a time when overall health is more important than ever before, maintaining healthy habits and staying committed to daily exercise such as running and walking is essential.

Mental and physical health benefits to running and walking:

  1. Routine exercise leads to overall health, which in turn leads to maintaining a healthy immune system.
  2. Running and walking can boost mood by releasing endorphins, a chemical in the body that produces a euphoric feeling or “runner’s high.”
  3. Running and walking can also reduce stress and anxiety through the secretion of endorphins.
  4. Aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem.
  5. Exercising outdoors clears your mind and keeps you active.
  6. Running and walking outdoors with exposure to the sun can also boost your Vitamin D levels, which is essential to the immune system to combat viruses. Though Vitamin D won’t prevent contracting a virus, it can help reduce the severity and benefit recovery.
  7. Running and walking benefit cardiovascular health and maintain weight control.

Helpful Tips for Training:

  1. Bring tiny movements into everyday habits: do squats during TV commercials, do lunges while doing laundry, walk up and down the stairs, etc.
  2. Stretch your muscles a couple times a week. This is essential to maintain flexibility.
  3. When running and walking outdoors, still follow social distancing guidelines: give other runners their space, maintain a 6-foot distance, and avoid physical contact.
  4. Avoid extreme workouts as they may deplete your immune system.
  5. Stick to a routine.

Though training for a half-marathon can seem daunting, knowing you are doing good for both your body and mind can give you some extra motivation and encouragement.

Achieve your fitness goals and join us for the 2021 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon or Delta Dental 500 Festival Virtual 5K? Register today!