Why should I make my kid run?
For good health, children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week but ideally, every day. This total can include a variety of activities such as participating in sports, dance or martial arts classes, biking, running, swimming, walking and even "active chores" such as raking leaves, vacuuming and dusting. In addition, for healthy muscles and bones, kids should participate in strengthening exercises twice each week. These activities include push-ups, pull-ups, gymnastics or playing on a jungle gym or other playground equipment.
Why is it important for kids to be physically active?
There are several reasons why children need plenty of physical activity every day. Being active promotes healthy bones, muscles and joints, builds endurance and muscle strength, makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight, increases energy, and even fosters self-esteem. In addition, regular physical activity helps ward off chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Encouraging your children to develop the habit of daily physical activity today lays the groundwork for a lifetime of good health.
My kids hate the idea of "exercise." How can I change their attitude and get them to be more physically active and interested in running?
We understand where your kids are coming from -- many people are turned off by the thought of "exercise" because they picture time spent being bored or sweaty. We suggest you strike "exercise" from your vocabulary and talk about physical activity in terms of "fun" and "play" instead. Adults and kids alike are more eager to get moving when it's enjoyable. The jr. gati Win5♥Lose5 Program hence encourages parents to run with their kids -- this can be the best exercise of all!
Should we encourage our children to participate in 5k runs?
Our answer would be a qualified "yes." First, kids should not compete in true middle distance runs as 8k, 10mile, Half(13mile) or Full(26mile) marathons. The longer distances involved are just too taxing for children. Kids are not miniature adults so they need to participate in events appropriate for their age and developmental level.
Running organizations and enthusiasts, however, have developed much shorter and less taxing competitions that children, when trained properly, can safely participate in and enjoy. For example, for children 4 to 6 this might involve a fun 1k run and for 7 to 12 years of age this might involve a 5k(3mile) run. Twelve to 14-year-olds might be asked to run 8k thro 10milers.
Before entering your child in a youth running competition, however, make sure he or she really wants to participate and not just you. Participating in a running event, no matter what its distance, requires a good deal of effort expenditure. Thus, your child should want to do it and not be forced to take part.
Your child should also have some training. Running 5k may not seem like much, but for someone who does not run on a regular basis it can be a long distance. A coach or personal trainer can also provide some tips about increasing endurance to go the full 5k distance. They can also recommend a good stretching program, a plan for what goals to set and ways to avoid over training and injury.
Most importantly, the experience should be fun. Emphasis should be placed on the fun of training and learning new skills, meeting other kids, competing the different legs of the event and personal improvement, not winning or beating others. Short distance runs as 1k/5k, then, when approached properly can be a great event for kids to take part.
What gear should we prepare with for the jr. gati Win5♥Lose5 Program?
A good pair of running shoes, a tee and skort (for girls) or shorts (for boys) should be the only gear you will need.
Can a 5yr old really do a 1k/5k?
Kids have a lot of energy to burn, and instinctively we're born to interval train, that is, we run fast and then drop, and get up and run fast again and then drop. Running a 5K is different, and we teach kids how to pace themselves, how to put some energy in reserve, proper form and other techniques they can use to help them run better, faster and not get injured. To start, participants should be able to walk for 20 minutes. If you can do that, you can run a 5K in nine weeks time. If we train towards 5k, we are sure that a 5yr old can at least easily muster a 1k.
What is the primary run that we will be preparing the kids to run in?
While we are training for any 5k/4m in general, some nice runs in the local area which have easy USATF certified courses are the StoneRidge 5k on Oct 16, the Goblin Gallop 5k on Oct 31 and the Freeze your Gizzard 5k on Nov 20. All these runs also have an associated 1K Fun-Run, which are very popular as well. These easy and fast courses appeal to novices and experts alike.
I do not have young children, but would like to join your practice sessions to get back in shape -- are adult runners allowed to participate?
Yes, we have now added a new category -- "Adult Runner(with no kid registered)". Please register under this category to join our program.
Is your Online Payment on the Registration Page Secure?
Yes, JrRun.com/JrGati.com is pleased to announce that we have now opted to use the PayPal payment option to our website. Please note your payment is being accepted at Wish2Excel.com Paypal payment page. Wish2Excel is our sister web-site and is a Niwara educational initiative. Feel free to shop our site and use your PayPal account to securely pay for your runners! Paypal is completely safe to use. PayPal protects your financial information with industry-leading security and fraud prevention systems. When you use PayPal, your financial information is not shared with the merchant. Once your payment is complete, you will be emailed a receipt for this transaction.