Staying Light on your Feet

Staying Light on your Feet

by Andrew Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com

andy@getfitnyc.com

 

A little help for running easier and faster with less effort.

 

I have been in the fitness business more on than off since 1991 when I had my first job at a Gold's Gym. I have seen a lot of changes since then; body builders, Step class, Body Pump, Power Strike, low impact, no impact, high impact, cardio, strength, high protein, low fat, ay yie yie! it is enough to make your head spin like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. 

 

The Running community is not much better. I ran my first race, a 1 miler, in 1980 when I was 7 years old in 6:48. I threw up after the finish line. I have seen shoes change, training change, and nutrition change. Stretching has come in to question. High carb diets are up for debate. Low fat is behind us (eat avocados and nuts for energy). Barefoot, neutral shoes, motion control, racing flats for training. Now my head is really spinning. There has got to be a simpler way, but then how would the magazines sell you a subscription?

 

Fitness, running, strength and conditioning for sport or just to feel better is not as complicated as we think. If you like to run, then go run. If you like to lift weights, it can be a little more complicated, but not prohibitively so. If you want to train for a sport then hire a coach to learn the basics. If you want to feel better about yourself you can begin any exercise that raises your heart rate and makes you break a sweat.  

 

I prefer trails to roads, and endurance to speed, (speedy endurance is even better). I have never really considered myself that fast but we all have our own scale. We may not all like to go fast; but we all like results in one aspect or another. Some measure their results with a pair of jeans, some measure with skin fold calipers, some measure with the bench press, some measure with how much they can eat and not gain weight. I like to be fast, strong, injury free, and look good in a suit (and a swim suit). I eat to train, not train to eat.

 

I measure my athletes by a different set of parameters: How fast do they swim now? How are they recovering? How are the old nagging injuries? How much faster can they bike 6 miles than 4 weeks ago? How much faster is their 4 mile run time? Can they run/bike/swim further than last month? 

 

One way to achieve all of the above(better strength, better muscle tone, better running/biking/swimming, fewer injuries) is to strength train. For some just being able to move their body through space is enough to strengthen their muscles while others will need an external load like weights. Yoga can build a strength and stability you never knew you had; giving you benefits as you run longer. There is enough research to support high intensity weight training as a way to make you faster, with stronger muscles being a very positive side effect. Lifting weights can make you lighter on your feet when you run and faster on the bike, even faster in the pool/open water.

 

My suggestions:

1. Incorporate 2-3 days of weight lifting into your workouts every week.

2. Create a Yoga practice that works for you. Begin by taking 1 class and then add it in to your training as often as you can.

3. Use your body in a manner that you would like it to perform. Want to go fast? Move fast for short bursts and then make those bursts longer.

4. Take time to laugh (even if you have to force it). It will boost your immune system and has cardiovascular benefits.
 

Go out and move every day. Your body will thank you.

Running Form

The New Old Way to Run.
by Andrew Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com
andy@getfitnyc.com


Since the book “Born to Run” came out there has been a lot of attention on running without shoes. The science says that it is fine…sort of. However for most people who have been running in shoes since they were toddlers, there needs to be significant adaptation. Injury rates for those who switch from shoes to barefoot have not been sufficiently tested; but as with any other skill, barefoot running takes some getting used to. I have run barefoot and it has helped my form but I DO NOT run barefoot very far, I am up to 3/4 mile in 1/4 mile bouts.
Warning: Running forward on the foot requires adaptation. Take it slow and stretch and roll your calves more than usual.

So what should the running form look like? It should look like you are running barefoot. Try this: In bare feet, raise up on to the balls of the feet. Now GENTLY sway forward and backward from the ankles until you have to move your feet forward. That forward lean is the position of efficient running. Now lift your feet off the ground quickly. Picking your feet up is the major distinction from past beliefs about running form. If you ever played a sport, you were told to drive off of the ground. Distance running is not that sport and barefoot running screams that at you. When you sprint, you try to cover a lot of ground but over a short period of time.

Endurance running requires a different posture altogether. A posture that is lighter on the feet and energy conserving. Running over the balls of the feet and lifting the feet almost before they hit the ground requires focus while running in shoes. Running without shoes or minimal shoes requires even shorter strides. The short, quick strides of a runner in shoes can help to reduce injury as well by reducing the time the foot is in contact with the ground. Less contact is ultimately less strain on the joints; but something else must be working. That something else are the muscles of the upper leg. The good news is the muscles can become more efficient much quicker than a joint can.

A few running drills that can help you run like a barefoot Kenyan:

1. Wall running. - Stand with your hands on a wall or a fence. Lean forward from the heels. Do Not Bend at The Waist. Lift one foot in the air. Your legs should make a figure 4 if viewed from the side. Now run for 3 steps, focusing on lifting the foot and not on pushing off the ground.

2. Heel to butt running - This is not the Butt Kickers where your knee points at the ground. These you lift the foot until your heel is close to your butt allowing the feet to pass each other on the way down/up.

3. Pawing the ground - Stand with your hands on your hips and "paw" the ground allowing the foot just brush the dirt. You should feel like you are pedaling with one leg.

4. Trail or off road running- Running on a soft and/or uneven surface reminds the body to pick the feet up off of the ground quickly. A faster turnover of the feet, even for slower runners, has been shown to improve running economy.

Anyone can be a runner given the desire and time to learn. Running is accessible to all and only requires a pair of shoes and a place to run.

Top 6 Stretching Exercises

Running and Breathing

Breathing While Running
by Andrew and Emma Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com

Breathe and Run Fast, but EASY

Faster leg turnover reduces stress on the body (especially the lower body), and helps develop a smoother, more efficient running style. Counting only 1 leg, you should strive for a cadence of around 90 strikes per minute (23 strikes in 15 seconds). With quicker leg speed, you will spend less time on the ground, less time in the air, and more time moving toward your finish line with less effort.

With the faster leg speed, your body will respond by rapidly elevating your heart rate. This is what your body has done in the past when you ran HARD with fast legs. However, running EASY with fast legs can allow you to keep the heart rate lower. When your heart rate starts to creep higher, you can consciously slow your breathing to bring it back down several beats per minute. The relaxed breathing can calm the exaggerated response to increased intensity. This override takes practice but it pays off in spades once it is mastered. It can be mastered with practice.

This will not be the first time I have suggested Yoga as a way to improve your running. Yoga gives you a functional and stable form of stretching that is focused and restorative to counter the compressive forces of gravity. The breathing aspect of yoga will allow the body to heal between exercise bouts as well as stay relaxed during prolonged workouts and races. Include yoga into your weekly workout schedule. Yoga will allow you to be lighter on your feet, breathe easier under stress, bring more awareness to your body, and smooth out your stride.

A few ways to breathe and run EASY:

1. Practice breathing. Meditation, yoga, or just focused relaxed breathing is a habit worth getting into.

2. Remember that running should be fun. Running for exercise should be pleasurable, not painstaking. If you are not having fun, figure out why and find someone to help you. Otherwise, find another form of exercise that you will enjoy.

3. Stop in the middle of your run just to breathe. You don't necessarily want to break the momentum of a tempo run, but in between intervals or efforts, you can stop to just breathe for recovery.

4. Wear a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor can give you some empirical feedback as to what your heart is doing inside your chest. Use this device to monitor how your breathing is moving your heart rate.

5. Smile when you run. This goes back to #2. When you smile, your body tends to respond positively. And it’s easier to make friends that way.

Go out and run. Learn to run fast and easy. But most importantly go have some fun and laugh a lot.

Stress!

The stress is not new, but the research is.
by Andrew and Emma Nelson
www.getfitnyc.com
andy@getfitnyc.com

A short piece on STRESS and the human body.

According to information put forth in advertisements for certain “fat busting” pills, cortisol is the major cause of fat retention during prolonged stress. Although cortisol may be the cause, how you deal with the stress should be the primary line of defense against the unfortunate belly bulge; as well as other health damaging effects of high stress.

Prolonged daily psychological stress has both positive and negative effects on the body. The positive effects are an adaptation to short term stress and the "fight or flight" response. The long term deleterious effects are cardiac stress, memory loss, erratic mood swings, decreased sex drive, and weight gain. However it is simple to combat these effects with regular exercise and social support. I'm sure you won't see a bunch of traders getting together on a Monday afternoon to discuss their feelings, but a few miles of running will probably work just as well.

Daily exercise for the chronically stressed can help to dull the effects of chronic stress; and
in these markets, the stress is definitely chronic. The key is making the exercise consistent. Sporadic and inconsistent exercise just becomes added stress on top of the daily work and life stresses. When the economy takes a downward turn, kids get sick, and traffic is thick, then the need for stress reduction through regular exercise becomes paramount for your daily and long term health.

Here are a few things you can do:

1. Set an appointment to exercise and keep it. Make an exercise appointment with a friend, colleague or family member and be accountable.

2. Walk to and/or from work every day. This simple, regular exercise can clear the mind.

3. Do a workout you get from a magazine or website. This can free your mind from thinking about what you should be doing. Just make sure the workout is from a reputable source.

4. Ride a stationary bike for 30-45 minutes while you read your paper or watch the news. You get a jump on the day and get some exercise.

5. Schedule an appointment with a trainer or take a class at the gym.

6. Take Yoga twice a week. The relaxed breathing will calm the body and mind.

7. Exercise can help with daily stressors; so can a vacation. Take some time to get away and recharge. Try to be active during your next vacation.

Make exercise and physical activity a pleasurable and necessary part of your life.

Please feel free to comment and ask questions.

* http://physrev.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/3/873