60 likes | 136 Views
New York Сity<br>Sports Physical Therapy
E N D
15 Running Tips You Need to Know Secrets to better running Hang around serious runners enough and you'll pick up a few tidbits—how to pace yourself, which routes have the cleanest bathrooms, what to wear when the weather is changing more rapidly than a Twitter feed. We asked coaches, trainers, nutritionists and veteran runners to share their strategies. Steal them to run longer, feel lighter and stay injury-free. Run every day Consistency is key to a successful program. A daily run helps improve your body's ability to burn fat, along with your biomechanics. It also teaches your mind to blast through any challenge, whether it's physical or mental.
Give yourself a reason I started as a Team in Training charity runner, having lost loved ones to cancer. When I'm struggling with my training plans, I remember those who are still fighting their battles, those who have survived in part because of the money raised and those who have been taken from us. Invest in comfort Get a good sports bra or you'll feel it with every step. Body Glide balm and socks, too. Nothing kills a run like a blister about to pop. Stay positive Finish runs feeling strong and happy, not worn-out. It'll keep you coming back for more and help you reduce injury risk. Find your sweet spot Write down your workouts, then color-code how they made you feel: yellow for amazing, orange for just OK and red for total crap. It's a visual way of seeing how your body responds and will help you pick up patterns. For example, if you're always orange or red around your period, that's a sign that you should be doing lighter workouts on those days. Get lithe Use a foam roller three times a week to improve flexibility—it helps reduce injury better than static stretching. Layer less
Always dress to run like it's 10 to 15 degrees warmer than it is. As soon as you get out there and get moving, you'll warm up and be glad you didn't put on so many layers. Put off partying Steer clear of happy hour the day or two before a race or big training session. Alcohol significantly impairs sleep quality and hydration levels, as well as recovery. Train smart In order to get stronger, your body needs time to rebuild. Mix easy days with tough, and avoid pushing when your body needs a break. Forget the speedsters Compare yourself with yourself. There will always be someone faster and leaner and who looks more like a runner than you do. Focus on the improvements you want to make for yourself. Down a cup of coffee For seasoned runners, having caffeine before running has been shown to make workouts seem easier—and help the body burn calories more efficiently. Aim for about 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight: For a 150-pound woman, that's about the amount in a 16-ounce coffee. Mind that incline Never accelerate down a hill. The braking forces on your body can destroy your knees.
Be a social runner Running can be such a solitary pursuit, but there is a real benefit to making a connection with others—and no better way to do that than by running together. Talk to others about running Tell people your goal. Post it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Call your mama. Putting yourself on blast keeps you accountable. Just race already Set a goal to complete a longer race (13.1 miles, 26.2). The crossing of the finish will change your life! 10 Bad Runner Habits (and How to Break Them) 1. Running too much too soon. Coming back from an injury? Now's the time to take things slowly to stay healthy. Follow the standard rule of upping your mileage by only 10 percent each week. 2. Refueling badly. After hard runs, grab a high-carb snack, then a meal with carbs and protein to rebuild muscle. 3. Forgoing SPF. Up to 20 minutes of sun exposure a day can be good for you—but you need sunscreen on runs longer than that (even when it's overcast). For more, check out these six essential skin care tips. 4. Ignoring your core.
Participants in a Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research who did core exercises four times a week for six weeks ran a 5K 30 seconds faster than those who didn't. Go here for 5 essential core workouts. 5. Starting a race too fast. Hold your horses! Not holding back early in a race can ruin your PR hopes. Consider using a GPS watch so you'll know your pace—and be able to adjust it—before the one-mile mark. 6. Being your own doctor. Runners tend to be hyperaware of their bodies, self-medicating with ice or ibuprofen to treat aches and pains. But minor injuries could turn into serious ones. Instead, see a doctor sooner rather than later. If the pain has lingered for three days, schedule an appointment. 7. Skipping stretching. It's okay to nix stretching before a run—in fact, static stretching when your muscles are cold is a no-no—but loosening your muscles post-run can help prevent injury. 8. Not getting enough zzzz's. Studies show logging too few hours of sleep can impair your running while compromising recovery, immunity, and mental sharpness. Because everyone requires different amounts of sleep, log your sleep time in your training journal and look for patterns specific to you. Once you figure out what works for you, shoot for that number—and try these tips to get even better sleep—as often as possible. 9. You never rest. Overtraining can lead to a host of problems, from injury and slower times to illness and a loss of motivation. Every training program should have a rest day plus two to three easy-effort days per week to balance tougher workout days. It's okay to cross train, but reward yourself with a day of total rest to give your muscles much-needed rebuilding and recovery time. 10. Fixing it all. study
There's plenty of advice on how to become a better runner, but try to focus on what's manageable. Remember: You likely started running to feel better, not to become stressed. https://nycsportsphysicaltherapy.com/running/