Running is a very popular pastime, especially since Covid came onto the scene. Lots of women in Harrogate run for general fitness, to improve overall health, and get outside and into nature. They want to lose weight and get extra vitamin D from being outside and find a feel-good buzz that comes from exercising.
Some residents of Harrogate have even taken it one step further and started running in a group environment like a running club and there are some good ones to choose from in Harrogate. But what happens when you go from casual running to something a bit more serious like joining a running club?
Well, an increase in exercise volume can lead to niggling aches and pains, which if left unchecked can lead to injuries such as strained hamstrings, calf or groin muscles, and in my 20 years of training clients I have seen lots of knee injuries.
Unfortunately, serious runners, such as those competing in the Great North Run tend to neglect 3 important aspects of training. Meaning that running ends up being bad for them!
Here are the three reasons that you get injured or don’t see much improvement in your running times.
1. You don’t do any mobility work
Good Mobility is the joint’s ability to move through a specific range of motion (ROM)without pain.
So why is this important for runners?
Well, it will assist in improving posture for a start and if your posture is better, you’ll run more efficiently. This means putting less load on certain muscles. For example, the muscles of the front thigh coordinate better with muscles at the back of the leg and you’ll be able to run either further or faster. The ligaments around the joints won’t be under as much strain either and you’ll get a better overall sense of body awareness.
Regular mobility work through all the joints in the body and releases what’s called Synovial fluid. This viscous fluid reduces friction and provides nourishment for the cartilage of the synovial joints. It’s basically like engine oil and you wouldn’t let your car run without it would you?
2. You don’t do enough or the correct flexibility work
Flexibility is the range of motion (ROM) your joints can move through determined to a certain extent by the freedom of your muscles and wait for it, your nervous system.
You see, with stretching, your nervous system is more in control than you think. Scientific studies have shown that improvements in flexibility are not necessarily structural changes within your body’s muscles or tendons, but rather an increase in the stretch tolerance caused by adaptations within the nervous system.
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Can you have too much flexibility? The answer is yes. A runner doesn’t need the flexibility of a ballet dancer but just enough to avoid injury as much as possible.
3. You don’t do the correct strength training to see an improvement.
In simple terms, Strength is the body’s ability to produce force in the muscles.
Ahh, so the stronger I get the better? Well, not really and it depends on the type of strength. This is where I see most runners getting it wrong by performing lots of high repetition weight training for the following reasons.
A. Because their sport is endurance based so the conditioning should be as well.
B. Unless you’re sweating and out of breath it’s not doing anything.
Strength is important as it will make you set new PBs. Don’t believe me?
If I take 2 equal runners with the same 10k time and make one 20% stronger with no increase in body weight (that’s easy to do) they’ll beat the other runner every time.
Being stronger also injury proves you more. You see it’s not just about getting stronger for the sake of it but about balance. Making sure the muscles throughout the body are equally strong is key
That’s why all my clients go through a structural balance testing procedure first so we can build a strong foundation. Add in the mobility and sports-specific flexibility program and you’ve got a runner or any other sportsperson performing better.
If you’re fed up with being in pain and/or just not getting anywhere in either sport then call me on 07790 482484 to discuss how I can help you.
I’m currently offering a special discount on my structural balance testing protocol and a report showing where you are likely to have these imbalances.
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