After years of
neglect, I’ve finally decided to resurrect my blog, but with a few notable
modifications. Instead of the pages-long
ramblings of old, I’m trying to keep things short and sweet: a tip, a quick
note of motivation, a book review, a recipe…
My hope is that each
quick note will help you on your journey to health, wherever on that path you
might be.
After The New Year’s Resolution
The first day of the
New Year is a common time to make a positive lifestyle change. For those of you who included a fitness goal
as one of your New Year’s resolutions, great!
For those of you who, eight weeks later, are still sticking to that
goal, wonderful!
One of the most
popular fitness resolutions is to learn to run, though for someone who hates to
be cold, the idea of starting a running program in Canada in January is perplexing. To you brave souls, kudos! Running is a wonderful way to improve your
health. However, limiting your fitness
exclusively to running is an invitation for injury. By including some weight training and
flexibility training (such as yoga) in your routine, not only does your risk of
injury reduce drastically, but your running performance will also improve.
Runners are
notoriously prone to injury.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as Runner’s Knee, is one of the
most common complaints of dedicated runners.
Weakness or tightness of the hips and IT band are a frequent cause of
this knee pain. Strengthening your
glutes and increasing the flexibility of your hip flexors will go a long way
toward eliminating this pain.
Strengthening your
core will also go a long way toward reducing your risk of injury and improving
your running performance. A strong core
allows you to run with good posture and a more efficient stride. And who doesn’t want to look good while
running faster?
Finally, a stronger,
more flexible body will help you generate more force with each stride and train
harder because of your muscles’ improved endurance. In addition, strength training provides the
added health benefits of improved bone density, increased metabolism, and
elevated energy levels.
Start simple, and even
if you can only dedicate 10 minutes to strength and flexibility training
initially, you’ll be amazed at the benefits.
Healthy running!
