dna Ican Women's Half Marathon: Make a difference

The dna ICan Women’s Half Marathon is back with its third edition. An ideal platform for women to make a difference by supporting a cause, it celebrates the spirit of achievement.

As more women take up running as a sport, the marathon is very encouraging. Running does have its health benefits that extend well beyond any pill a doctor could prescribe.

Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers and a host of other diseases. Scientists have also proved that running improves the quality of your life, and even helps you live longer.

Running a marathon requires both mental and physical strength. People associate fitness with stamina alone, but fitness includes strength, stamina and flexibility, along with controlling your diet and ensuring that you get sufficient hours of sleep. I strongly recommend that women should take up running as a hobby because it will work wonders; it is your anti-ageing pill. Both over and under training amounts to abusing your body and this should be avoided.

It is always a good idea to consult your doctor before starting anything as strenuous as training for a half marathon, especially if you are over 35 years of age. Every run should start with a warm-up, and a good stretching session post run is an absolute must. A yoga and meditation session once a week is recommended to condition the mind.

Suchita Varadkar is one of the two coaches of TopGear MIG Fitness Group. She is a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher who has participated in several half marathons since 2004. She will also be running the dna ICan Women’s Half Marathon this year.

TopGear MIG fitness group currently has 25 full marathoners, 47 half marathoners and 11 Comrade finishers.