With summer well and truly upon us and the summer holidays looming, it’s a busy time for us Personal Trainers. Likewise, it is also a busy time for us Sports Massage Therapists, as injuries tend to be on the up. This is largely due to people trying to get fit fast and not paying attention to form or technique.
Running is often what people decide to do to get fit and this form of exercise certainly has advantages. It builds stamina and endurance , increases lung capacity and creates muscle tone in the lower body. However, people tend to don the old pair of trainers ( that are well worn) get out without any stretching or warm up and finish without any form of cool down or stretching.
A good warm up (at least five minutes) is essential to prepare the body and the muscles for the run or jog ahead. Work all of the key muscles groups,
Footwear. Decent supportive footwear is imperative (not the old trainers you use for everything!) As a PT I have 6 pairs of trainers all for very different activities. Any decent Sports shop should be able to advise and ensure the fit is correct.
Pace - After your warm up, start slow before arriving at your full rhythmic pace - this can take 5 - 10 minutes to achieve depending on terrain and distance.
Likewise, towards the end of the run the pace should become much slower for the last few minutes. This will prevent pooling of blood in the legs after running has ceased.
When we run, we can take up to four times our body weight on each foot. Each foot has 26 small bones which means if we don’t prepare for our run properly, injuries are waiting to happen!
Start small - just ten minutes, three times a week is fine. Build up to 15 minutes and then each week as stamina improves add another 5 minutes. Remember to keep hydrated too, particularly on these barmy summer nights!
