Plasker Family Chiropractic Blog

As with most things in life, training for a 5k takes some planning. No matter your experience with running, a little bit of forethought in developing a training schedule will help you stay strong and healthy until you cross the finish line.

First off, allow at least 12 weeks to train for a 5k, and allow at least 3 rest days per week. This will allow you to build up your strength and stamina while also allowing for your body to get the regular days off it needs to stay healthy and injury-free.

So now you know that you need 12 weeks at 4 days a week. I have found that a schedule of training on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday works well, but really it’s up to you.

The next thing to consider is allowing walk breaks in each training session you accomplish. Here is where experience matters. If this is your first time training for an event, you’ll want to plan on running for no more than 10 minutes in each session to start. Run for 1 minute followed by 2 minutes walking and then repeat for half an hour training session.

If you have experience with competitive running and want to bump it up a little at the start, that’s great - but don’t go over 20 minutes running. Break down your training session to small increments of 2 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking for your half hour session.

Another way in which experience will matter is whether you should rest on the 3 off days per week or cross train. If this is your first time running an event, definitely take the rest days off to build your stamina. If you are already used to this pace of training, some of your rest days can be used for cross training.

No matter your experience, always start off running slower than you think you can! This is the number one way to prevent an injury while training. As you build confidence and want to go faster, remember not to increase your running time or intensity by more than 10% each week to prevent fatigue.

Lastly, remember to give yourself a recovery week every 4 weeks. A recovery week is a training week where your training continues but time, distance or intensity gets reduced back to a former weeks schedule.  This recovery week is as essential as your recovery days to prevent injury.  I have also found that it is an active way to show how my endurance has improved. I remember when I began training in 2005, the rest days and recovery weeks were essential to me. I did not even want to think about cross training back then but you can decide depending on your current fitness and endurance level to add these cross training efforts.

So, to summarize, if you are ready to  take on that 5k event:

• Choose a race date that allows you time to train properly

• Allow 12 weeks for a 5k, regardless of your experience level.

• schedule your running days and rest days in advance

• Start off running slower than you think you can

• Don’t be afraid to take walk breaks

• Never increase time distance or intensity greater than 10% week over week

• Give yourself a recovery week every 4 weeks  

If the schedule seems a little overwhelming, I have published a good template that you are free to use on my website.

Good luck, and I hope to see you out there!

Winning Your Age Category in a 5k or In The Activities of Life You Love

Richard's Run, a 5k in Hohokus, New Jersey, had a great field of athletes turn out Sunday October 5th. More than 35 of them were 100 Year Lifestyle team members.  The team is made up of people who utilize Plasker Chiropractic, a 100 Year Lifestyle affiliate health care facility in Montvale and Paramus, New Jersey.  Their office helps elite and recreational athletes alike to be at peak performance.  The age of team members ranged from 9-76 years old, all of whom are living the 100 Year Lifestyle.  Some of our members walked the 3.1 mile course and others like Efriam Shaw and Evan Flach finished 1st in their respective age category. 

Because movement is essential to life and keeping your ESS (Endurance, Strength and Structure) in shape is part of the health care plan at Plasker Chiropractic, athletes can anticipate participating at their full genetic potential.  Dr. Plasker is an Ironman tri-athlete himself and understands the importance of getting you back into the game with a healthy, natural, non invasive approach as quickly as possible.  He is an expert in getting you back to the activities you enjoy most and keeping you there. 

Whether you are an elite athlete, a recreational athlete, or a mother running after your family, Plasker Chiropractic in Montvale and Paramus, New Jersey is a great place to keep you active in sports and in the life activities you love!

Often people will mention to me that they are doing exercises to help their back.  I think that is great!  Movement is essential to life.  However, most people mistakenly confuse exercise with removing nerve pressure.  It is not the same.   It is important people understand that exercise will not correct their subluxations (misalignments causing interference to your nerve system).  When you are examined and nerve interference (subluxation) is found in your spine it will need to be addressed at some point in order for you to have 100% nerve function. 

Let me show you what I mean……

Take a moment and find a rubberband.  Wind that rubber band around your index finger several times until it is tight.  Do you feel the circulation being cut off?  Now, bend your fingers to make a fist and then straighten them out and do this 5-10 times.  Does it make the circulation slightly better?  It might, but the problem still remains; and that is the effect of exercise on a subluxation.  Now REMOVE THE RUBBERBAND.  That is like getting a chiropractic adjustment to remove and fix your subluxation. 

Whenever you are ready to go through the critical transition of rehabilitating and regenerating your spine to remove the interference, chiropractic care is the answer.   

Join our 100 Year Lifestyle Team

  At Richards Run in Hohokus on Sunday September 30, 2012. 

Please let me know how many you may have to be part of the team. 

The distance is 5k (3.1 miles) and you can either walk or run it is up to you. 

Here is the link to Richards Run:  http://tinyurl.com/8aqy2ou

Once you have registered for the RACE at the above website...Let us know so we can make sure you are part

of our special team and get the team benefits!

We hope to see you at the race.  We will be doing 100 Year LIfestyle nerve assessments. 

And making sure all are participants are well adjusted before and after the event!

“Sick Insurance” or “Health Ensurance”

We accept all patients; you decide why.

 “Do you take my insurance?” “Is the doctor a participating provider on my plan?”  “What insurance do you accept?”  Potential practice members often ask our staff these questions.  This phenomenon is quite baffling to me.  I understand that people think that going to the doctor is expensive, and they want to try and share the cost with their insurance company, but at what cost are you really being price conscious? 

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.  Without this knowledge, most people think that going to a fast food establishment is not only fast, but also less expensive than eating fresh fruits and vegetables – more expensive than eating well.  With further investigation, we find out that families are paying for diabetes medications and cholesterol lowering medications that are recommended to them by their medical doctors because their poor diets are causing these conditions.    Are these fast food meals really less expensive?  Do you think if these people changed their diet to healthy fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats, became involved in an exercise plan, and had their spine and nerve system clear, it might change their medication needs?  You bet it would. I see it every day in my office. 

Living well, having a good attitude, eating healthy, maintaining healthy relationships, exercising regularly and getting the proper rest are all forms of “Health Ensurance”.  Insurance is something you buy in case of emergencies.  Your auto insurance does not cover car washes, oil changes, new filters, tire rotations, battery replacement, etc.  But should you get hit by another vehicle, it will replace the entire vehicle.  Homeowners insurance doesn’t pay for cleaning your home, maintaining its systems, painting, or replacing your filters. However, by doing these things to maintain the quality of your home, you “ensure” a better experience, fewer problems, and you maintain its value.  But if a tree falls on your house or a fire breaks out, your “insurance” will provide some financial relief to you and your family.  Today, many people mix up “sick insurance” with “health ensurance.”  They are actually two completely different things.

How can you ensure a better experience in your body?  Do not wait for the “tree falling” accident or the “fire” to break out.  Be proactive, participate in self care practices and health care practices that will help you live the life you were born to live!

We will be holding a program on Monday January 30^th at 6:30 PM in our office entitled “New You 2012,” to discuss ways to participate in self care and health care.  You will learn the many ways doing so does not cost more, but actually pays you back in miraculous ways!  I hope you will join us!

***Special Veiwing of the movie Food Inc. Tuesday March 6^th 7 PM***

Our office along with the Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center of Hohokus NJ will be fielding a team at Richard's Run on Saturday October 2, 2011 to help raise funds for children's cancer awareness.  Our team is called the 100 Year Lifestyle team.  Our goal is to help this worthy cause and promote a healthy lifestyle for extended life spans. Living healthy to 100 years is a reality, and we are getting the advanced warning of our potentially extended lives that our ancestors never received.  Since movement and exercise are key components to a 100 year lifestyle, we would like to invite you to participate with us.

Below is a link to a 5K training regimen for beginners and is based on Olympian/author/coach Jeff Galloway's walk/ run method of training.   I have used the Galloway method myself to train for the NYC Marathon and Steamtown marathon in the past and Susan from our office found this link and thought it was a great idea to share it with you.  

Follow these 3 steps to participate:

1.  Please go to the website http://www.go4thegoal.org/ and register for Richard's Run

2.  Let us know that you are registered and what size shirt you will need for the 100 Year Lifestyle Team Shirt

3.  Print out the training schedule on the link below and begin the training program right away.

5K run: 7-week training schedule for beginners
5K run — This training schedule can help you make it to race day.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/5k-run/SM00061

I would be honored to support your healthy 100 year lifestyle and to participate with you for this worthy cause!

It is amazing to me to see change in people.  What change am I speaking about?  The change you notice when you see someone for the first time that you have not seen in a long time and notice they actually look much better, even younger than the last time you saw them.  How can that be even though a substantial amount of time has gone by and they are chronologically older?

Well it may start with a simple act of deciding to not live in pain or discomfort anymore.  You visit the chiropractor, and all of a sudden the pain you were suffering from for years goes away.  You begin to sleep better, and gain more energy.  Not just because of better sleep, but because your body is no longer fighting to survive through daily pain.  Also, your body is not working overtime to detoxify itself of the inordinate amount of chemicals you were ingesting to abate and deal with the pain.  As a result of this new found energy you decide to embark on an exercise regime.   You know the type of exercise, the type designed to improve your endurance and strength by walking, running, biking, swimming or circuit weight training.

At this point you are moving more than you were previously and find that the law of inertia from your high school physics class is so true.  Inertia states that a body at rest stays at rest unless an outside force acts on it.  It’s much harder to start moving than continue moving.  For example if you are sitting on the couch eating a snack watching TV it is much harder to get up and re-fill the popcorn bowl than to ask someone else to do it.  But if you are standing putting dishes away or unpacking groceries and someone asks you to fill the bowl of popcorn, it  takes much less effort because you are up moving already.   When you commit to exercise make a point to do it at times you are already up and moving, it takes much more effort to get up once you have parked yourself on the couch, than to move once you are moving.  So exercise when you get up in the morning or when you get home from work, you are already moving. 

Once you start moving and burning more calories daily, you may notice the unhealthy foods that you have been consuming don't taste as good or give you only small amount of energy.  Instead of putting regular unleaded fuel in your tank, you decide to put plus or super.  What do I mean by plus or super fuel?  Whole natural foods as found in nature, like organic fruits, vegetables or whole grain breads.  These foods not only contain the energy your body needs but fiber which allows for a slower assimilation of the foods energy as it passes through cleansing your intestinal tract.  Jack Lalane fitness icon, health guru and chiropractor use to say "if man makes it, don't eat it".  He lived, I mean really lived not just survived for 96 healthy years.  I think it is great advice. 

So with one simple act of going to the chiropractor, to get your nerve system working better, to free yourself from pain and  express yourself better, you become better rested, have more energy, start an exercise program, improve the foods that you consume and then all of a sudden, you run into someone you haven't seen in quite sometime.  You have a nice conversation and part ways.  You know what I think they are saying to themselves if they did not say it to your face?  Probably something like "wow he/she looks great, I can't believe how young and vivacious he/she looks, I wonder what he/she is using?"  And even though you are actually chronologically older than the last time you met, you are perceived as younger?  It is amazing to me to see the changes in people when they decide to commit to one simple act. 

We have a FREE walking and running program on Tuesday evenings at 6 PM with 1.5 to 3 mile courses plotted leaving from our office. I would love to have all of you join us.  It can be used to help you start your one simple act that can change your life or added to your current 100 Year lifestyle regiment!

Did you ever think that movement was essential to life?  Living to your full potential will require you to be active and vital throughout your lifetime.  Participating in a 5k walk or run is a great way to be active and improve your ESS - Endurance, Strength and Structure as is discussed in the 100 Year lifestyle or the 100 Year Lifestyle workout books.  I hated running in the past and in fact thought of it as a chore.  And I would avoid it as a form of exercise and activity.  However, there were two events that always caught my attention and in fact gave me butterflies in my stomach every time I watched it on TV.  These events were the NYC Marathon and the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.  The stories behind the personal triumph, watching people getting more from their body than they ever thought possible became an inspiration to me. 

One day in November 2005 after I had watched the NYC Marathon, I got a book from a practice member who had just ran it.  The title of the book was "Marathon, You Can Do It", by Jeff Galloway.  The practice member made an inscription on the inside front cover, "Let's make your dream a reality and run one together".  The challenge got butterflies going in my stomach again and I decided this was the year.  On black friday I went to the mall and bought a pair of running shoes.  My family and I  stopped to see a matinee in Westwood, on the way home.  The theatre was about 4-5 miles from my house.  When the movie was over I said to my wife, "hey Deb, I am going to run home, see you when I get there", she thought I was crazy.  Well over an hour later after walking and running, I got home, it wasn't  a pretty 4-5 miles but it was 4-5 miles!   I was so psyched that I had started.   I was completely sore and tired.  I don't recommend that  you start this way, but never the less I had begun my journey.  I mapped out a training program over the next year and in November 2006, I had done my first marathon. 

Showing up to train was the biggest challenge, but the training taught me so much about myself, commitment, dedication, discipline and perseverance.  It taught me many of life's necessary lessons.  So, I invite you to share your story.  Your goals and why you may want to do a 5k, 10k, half marathon or marathon.  And I invite you to participate with the 100 Year Lifestyle team at Plasker Family Chiropractic Center.  Over the next 6 months we will work on improving our ESS.  We have scheduled to be at 3 events, a 5k in Park Ridge on May 15, a 5k or 10K in Woodcliff Lake on June 18, and a 5k in Ho ho kus on October 2, all in 2011.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and for you to join us to get your ESS in shape!  Oh yeah, I just thought I would tell you, I actually enjoy running now, go figure???