Staying Light on your Feet
by Andrew Nelson for www.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.
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