The community hospital's first 5K will be at 9 a.m. Oct. 15 at
Edward R. Madigan State Park. The 5K will be timed and results will
be posted online after the event, but no prizes will be given. This
unique race is designed to help the community reach personal health
goals and help educate about the benefits of exercise. For
first-time runners or walkers, there are a variety of training
schedules available online from organizations such as Mayo Clinic,
Marathonrookie.com and coolrunning.com's Couch-to-5K program.
"We invite everyone to challenge themselves with a goal of
completing the 5K," said Elise Anderson, a physical therapy
assistant at ALMH and co-coordinator of Moving Forward. "Whether
running for the first time, improving their running time or
finishing the course by walking, every one of us can improve our
physical activity."
Todd Mourning, manager of rehabilitation services at ALMH,
suggests seeking the advice of your physician before starting a
running program. For those who are able to run, he said the benefits
are numerous.
"You're going to have more energy throughout the day. You're
going to feel better once you get past the initial soreness,"
Mourning said. "If you exercise before you eat, it can significantly
reduce your appetite at the next meal."
He suggests proper shoes, warming up and cooling down the muscles
during a workout, as well as learning proper stretching and form.
Walkers and runners will sign in for the 5K beginning at 7:30
a.m., and the race will start at 9 a.m.
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To register, call 605-5012. The fee is $15 in advance and $20 the
day of the event, and all participants will receive a T-shirt.
Healthy snacks and drinks will be provided afterward.
"October is also National Physical Therapy Month -- a time when
we traditionally recognize the role our professionals play in
helping people improve their health by staying fit, active and
independent," Mourning said. "Our commitment to healthy living
extends throughout the year, and we should be moving forward in
every season of life."
ALMH is a critical-access hospital that has served the community
since 1902. Now located on Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, the hospital
employs more than 290 in a wide variety of job functions and is
affiliated with Memorial Health System in Springfield.
[Text from file received
from Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital]
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