Training & Exercise

YOU Are the Master of Your Fitness Mind

Renew Your Body

It doesn’t matter how you choose to exercise. Whether you prefer walking, running, or biking, the goal is simply to view exercise as a natural part of your daily life.

If you are just getting started, it is better to exercise a little bit on a regular basis than to exercise a lot only occasionally. This is because continuity, when combined with determination and passion, is an important aspect to improving your performance and level of fitness.

Before you start a new exercise routine, please check in with your doctor to make sure you are physically able to increase your level of activity. Then you can set a goal that is challenging yet achievable. Knowing that you can succeed may help you relax and enjoy the journey.

By creating small goals and progressing from one to the next, the process of getting stronger will become easier with each day. If you can just imagine being more fit, you are likely to be more inspired to take the small steps that eventually will help you achieve your ultimate goal!

Run Your First 5K

Start on the road to better fitness and health by preparing for your first 5K run. Uta’s six-week training schedule with a combination of walking and running will guide you—step by step—to an enjoyable and successful race day.

Periods of Training for Your Marathon Preparation and Distance Progression for Your Long Runs

By following the principles of training you will not only enjoy your progress more, you will give yourself a better chance of achieving a good result in your marathon. Please, plan a proper distance progression for your long runs as well.

Tapering: Maximizing the Remaining Weeks of Training Before Your Marathon

You are finally in your “tapering” period and counting down to the marathon. It is time now to build your “cool focus” by running shorter distances faster. Tapering allows your body and mind to recover properly so that you are the best you can be on YOUR Marathon Day.

Keeping A Cool Focus: Just A Few More Days Until Your Marathon Celebration

You have prepared well for your marathon! Now you can look forward to rewarding yourself with an unforgettable “Day of Celebration.” I wish you not only a wonderful race, but also one of the most memorable experiences of your life.

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part II—Proper Hydration and Summer Nutrition

Summer is the time for delicious new nutritional treats that can help you achieve optimum fitness. Plus, knowing how to stay healthy and stress free while you exercise during the hottest time of the year can make your fitness routine even more effective & fun.

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part I—Favorite Workouts and Summer Goals

The warmest time of the year brings wonderful new fitness opportunities as well as seasonally-based challenges. There are simple, fun ways to adjust your workouts to help you achieve peak condition for autumn events while enjoying those longer hours of daylight.

After the Marathon: A Guide to Quick Recovery

Congratulations, fellow marathoner! You can return to full physical and mental strength quickest with some all-important recovery steps you can take from the moment you cross the finish line. There also are ways how to beat the Post-Marathon Blues. (Hint: Do you like cheesecake?)

Two Days Before the Marathon

Now that you have done all the hard training for your marathon, it is time to relax, treat yourself to a soothing massage, and try to rein in some of your nervousness! The right combination of light training, proper nutrition, sound sleep, and tried and true gear will play a big role in how well you run on race day.

Are You Ready and Well-Prepared for Your Race?

Dear Runners! Good luck to all of you who are in the final stages of your race preparation. Some of the following suggestions can help you to be “TOP-FIT” for your running adventure.

Benefits of Exercise for Children

Physical fitness, confidence, stronger self-esteem, more energy, and better memory are only some of the benefits that exercise can have on children—and they are surprisingly easy to achieve.

Training Advice for the Second Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

You are almost there—and the upcoming weeks are important in determining how well you run in your race. I hope you can stay focused and take advantage of your training during this second build-up period, with the highest mileage and your longest runs, so you can be best prepared for your marathon.

Key Training Principles for the First Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

Continuing to improve your form during your first build-up period will ensure that you will be well-prepared for the second build-up period—and give you the best chance of reaching your full potential in your marathon. I also have included information on the signs of overtraining.

General Guidelines for Your Marathon Preparation—Enjoy Your Training

Running with joy can lift you up to maximize your energy you need for your exciting marathon journey. It is part of the secret along with a good overall approach to your physical and mental training to fulfill your dream.

Taming the Treadmill

Getting a treadmill involved in your training is a wonderful strategy. When Mother Nature is preventing you from your run, the steady hum and rhythmic impact of footsteps on the belt can be very satisfying…knowing you will be able to continue your training.

Marathon: Training Advice for Your Recovery Weeks

Proper recovery is essential for your successful training and an important component of your marathon preparation. I have included specific mileage for your Recovery Weeks and suggestions for the intensities of various running sessions during these easier phases of training.

Would You Like To Run Better? Relax!

Being relaxed from the inside out is the basic key to running with joy and staying injury-free. I invite you to use relaxation as one of the tools to fine-tune your running style.

Run a Marathon in One Year: A Long-term Training Schedule for Beginners

You are capable of running a marathon! Equipped with motivation and a proper regimen, you can run 26.2 miles. Broken into four phases, this schedule and training process involve creating small goals, and moving from one to another. Together, these achievements add up to the desired goal: running a marathon to the best of your ability.

Cross-Country Skiing: A Great Option for Winter Fun and Fitness

With its beauty and peace, winter is a special time to improve your fitness. I prepared for spring marathons with a few weeks of cross-country skiing. You, too, can use this enjoyable sport to build a foundation of strength and endurance.

Skiing and Snowboarding: Risks—But Many Rewards

It is a special world of fun and thrills that can also help maintain your fitness during the snowy winter months. Plus, it is the perfect sport for the entire family. Skiing and snowboarding are not without their risks, but they can be minimized by sensible planning.

The World Marathon Majors—From the Ground Up

No matter what your training level or your running capabilities, you can take advantage of a marathon course’s geography and topography to run your best time possible on a particular day. Sean Hartnett discusses the terrain of the WMM’s, Uta added a few practical tips to each event.

New Year’s Runs—An Exhilarating Tradition

They have a long tradition and are popular all over the world: New Year’s Eve runs. Amongst them are classics like the one in São Paulo or Madrid, the spectacular race in New York or the run with a biblical atmosphere in Egypt. They all are a fun and active way of saying goodbye to the old year.

Uta’s Favorite Exercises to Improve Your Fitness and Running Technique

Uta Pippig has designed an at-home fitness program which only uses your own body weight, steps, and a Theraband. They are eight exercises that Uta often does herself.

Periods of Training for Your Marathon Preparation and Distance Progression for Your Long Runs

Training Advice for the Second Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

Key Training Principles for the First Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

Tapering: Maximizing the Remaining Weeks of Training Before Your Marathon

Take Advantage of Safe Running in the Cold Winter Months

Maintaining a running program through the coldest times of the year can be difficult, but Uta illustrates the kind of “wintry behaviors” necessary to make it safe and rewarding.

Would You Like To Run Better? Relax!

Being relaxed from the inside out is the basic key to running with joy and staying injury-free. I invite you to use relaxation as one of the tools to fine-tune your running style.

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part I—Favorite Workouts and Summer Goals

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part II—Proper Hydration and Summer Nutrition

After the Marathon: A Guide to Quick Recovery

Two Days Before the Marathon

Now that you have done all the hard training for your marathon, it is time to relax, treat yourself to a soothing massage, and try to rein in some of your nervousness! The best combination of light training, proper nutrition, sound sleep, and tried and true gear will play a big role in how well you run on race day.

Are You Ready and Well-Prepared for Your Race Day?

Dear Runners! Good luck to all of you who are in the final stages of your race preparation. Some of the following suggestions can help you to be “TOP-FIT” for your running adventure.

Marathon: Training Advice for Your Recovery Weeks

Taming the Treadmill

General Guidelines for Your Marathon Preparation—Enjoy Your Training

Run a Half Marathon in Ten Weeks

Would you like to move up in distance but aren’t quite ready to tackle the marathon yet? With the right half marathon training schedule, you could be ready in less than three months to run your best. The information is suited for both beginning and experienced runners alike.

Cross-Country Skiing: A Great Option for Winter Fun and Fitness

Run and Row: A Comparison of Endurance

Rowing crews gliding gracefully over the water make a beautiful picture in cities where the sport is popular. Runners can appreciate the fitness and dedication demonstrated by these water-borne athletes—while respecting the differences in preparation for two demanding endurance sports.

Soccer at the highest level is impossible without Running in Training

Soccer’s World Cup has been very successful with the final in Germany on one Sunday back in 2006. The tournament has shown that every team needs a high degree of fitness to achieve any level of success in the competition.

Why Soccer Players Have to be Good Runners

Soccer is an international and classic team sport, which is exciting, tactical, and fast. Players run about 6-8 miles, mostly in bursts of speed, which requires endurance while needing to keep their coordination, speed, and skillfulness. They are in great shape!

Getting Your Children Excited about Running

Children naturally like to move and play. Running can be an activity that they can embrace and lead to a life of fitness and health. Uta shares her thoughts on how you can get your child excited about running.

Benefits of Exercise for Children

Physical fitness, confidence, stronger self-esteem, more energy, and better memory are only some of the benefits that exercise can have on children—and they are surprisingly easy to achieve.

Tapering: Maximizing the Remaining Weeks of Training Before Your Marathon

Two Days Before the Marathon

After the Marathon: A Guide to Quick Recovery

Training Advice for the Second Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

Periods of Training for Your Marathon Preparation and Distance Progression for Your Long Runs

Gymnastics—The “Mother” of All Sports

If you saw your child’s eyes light up watching the gymnasts somersaulting and leaping at the Beijing Olympics, do everything you can to encourage this interest. Gymnastics training in childhood can lead to a lifetime of better coordination and gymnastics actually form the basics of many sporting activities.

Marathon: Training Advice for Your Recovery Weeks

Key Training Principles for the First Build-Up Period of Your Marathon Preparation

Would You Like To Run Better? Relax!

Being relaxed from the inside out is the basic key to running with joy and staying injury-free. I invite you to use relaxation as one of the tools to fine-tune your running style.

General Guidelines for Your Marathon Preparation—Enjoy Your Training

Childhood Soccer—A Playground Bursting With Benefits

When a child plays soccer dribbling towards the opposing team’s goal, there is more than just flying feet and a checkered ball involved. Playing soccer develops a child physically, mentally, sociologically, and even trains the brain in time-space relationships.

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part II—Proper Hydration and Summer Nutrition

Enjoy Your Summertime Fitness: Part I—Favorite Workouts and Summer Goals

Taming the Treadmill

Are You Ready and Well-Prepared for Your Race Day?

Dear Runners! Good luck to all of you who are in the final stages of your race preparation. Some of the following suggestions can help you to be “TOP-FIT” for your running adventure.

Cross-Country Skiing: A Great Option for Winter Fun and Fitness

There are No Unathletic Children!

The story of a four-year-old boy in India who has been running distances of up to 60 kilometers has led to many discussions, including among the Take The Magic Step® team. We spoke to Dr. Henning Ohlert about appropriate exercise for young children and strategies for parents to help their kids to be fit.

Skiing and Snowboarding: Risks—But Many Rewards

Take The Magic Step® Fitness and Health Program for Young People (1): Swimming

Children's squeaking and happy noises when being in the water are clear evidence that they love swimming. Water splashing and swimming have many benefits: Children experience water pressure, resistance and buoyancy, and through the activity they not only strengthen their muscles...

Run a Marathon in One Year: A Long-term Training Schedule for Beginners

Broken into four phases, this schedule and training process involve creating small goals, and moving from one to another. Together, these achievements add up to the desired goal: running a marathon to the best of your ability.