Snow? Ice? Try the mall: a Montreal fitness expert on Mark Zuckerberg's 365-mile challenge

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg announced in a Facebook post that he’s going to run 365 miles (587.4 km) this year and he’d like everyone to join him.

“This is a lot of running, but it's not a crazy amount. It's a mile (1.6 km) a day, and at a moderate pace it's less than 10 minutes of running per day,” posted the Facebook CEO, who also set up a public group called A Year of Running. His original post attracted more than 400,000 “likes,” and the group has already surpassed 95,000 members.

So what do the fitness experts at Concordia make of this challenge?

“It’s great,” says Christina Weiss, a certified exercise physiologist at Concordia’s PERFORM Centre. “It’s doable, it’s measurable and it’s inexpensive. He isn’t asking us to play five hours of golf.”

Zuckerberg’s fitness challenge carries more weight than one issued by an unknown trainer because of the Facebook founder’s stature in the technology sector and his visibility — especially with his generation, says Weiss.

“He’s putting his personal backing behind it and that means something,” she says.

“As a society, we’re becoming more and more sedentary. Zuckerberg is trying to get inactive people more active. He isn’t talking to elite athletes who already have an established fitness routine. Running one mile a day is short enough to be doable and it’s long enough to make a difference by giving the brain a boost, triggering fat loss and increasing your metabolism.”

Easy does it

The only caution Weiss issues is, don't try to go too fast, too soon.

“That can lead to injuries,” says the former triathlete, who has been a recreational runner for 25 years. “There’s nothing wrong with starting out with a walk-run combination and slowly building up speed. Ease into it.”

Discussions about Zuckerberg’s running style — one expert commented that he has a dangerous heel strike — do not interest Weiss.

“Look, that’s beside the point,” she says. “The focus should be on being active and healthy, which increases productivity at work, decreases sick leave and stimulates creativity.

“Zuckerberg’s a business owner, but he’s also a new father who recognizes the importance of life balance. The hard part is forming the fitness habit and a steady routine, but it isn’t impossible. A challenge like this can be the perfect trigger.”

Train at the ... mall?

If you’re in a snow-bound climate like Montreal, Weiss recommends heading to the nearest shopping mall and asking if they have a public leisure schedule.

Some open early to allow walkers and runners access to their long, unobstructed hallways.

“Also, explore your community for gyms with tracks. You can also run outside in the winter, but it requires more breathable gear.”

Keen to take up Marc Zuckerberg's 365-mile fitness challenge? Learn more training tips from Concordia’s PERFORM Centre.