Home :: Abbotsford :: News & Training Tips

Abbotsford: News & Training Tips

The importance of stretching before and after physical activity

by Amanda Rykers, Langley Sports Medicine Clinic

Stretching not only improves appearance, lengthens muscles, and gives that lean, toned look but it also improves fitness and health. It is the ultimate for preventing injuries; in fact, at least 50% fewer overextension injuries are reported with athletes who use a regular stretching routine compared to those who don't! Stretching is a great warmup or cooldown and improves muscular coordination, as well as prevents soreness and promotes faster recovery.

Top

Running Posture and Pelvic Area Strength

by Jeremy Bensler, BSc.PT

Today's physio tip is about the importance of adequate muscular strength, endurance and control of the pelvic area.

Good running techniques (eg. pose running) require the runner to lean forward and use body momentum to generate speed while correctly positioning the foot under the hips at foot strike. However, if a runner leans forwards by bending at the hips, rather than leaning forwards from the ankles, injuries can occur in the calf, hamstring and low back muscles.

This incorrect running posture is seen widely and may partly be due to a lack of instruction on proper technique, but most likely it is a result of poor pelvic control because of inadequate core strength and endurance. In order to avoid potential injury, it is essential that the runner is able to control and limit excessive anterior pelvic tilt (leading to increased curvature in the low back) and increased bending at the hips as they lean forwards. If technique is correct, the body should stay straight, in good alignment, the forward lean should occur at the ankles, and the mid part of the foot should strike the ground first—in a line directly under the hips.

You can view a video showing running form that incorporates these basic running techniques and the proper body lean at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6x2cD6Y8Q

There are numerous exercises to improve core strength and help correct poor running posture. If you are unsure of your running form or if you are experiencing pain while or after you run it may be worth while visiting a physiotherapist familiar with running and safe, effective core strengthening. They will be able to assess your running style (at our clinic we like to video tape the runner and slow the tape down to see exactly what is going on) and assess your core strength and provide you with exercises that are appropriate for you.

Next time we'll discuss how 'weak glutes ruin the runner'.

Until then, run hard, stay safe, and have fun!

Top

Simple Recovery Formula

by Ryan Jobs, B.H.K.

As the miles pile up and your training intensifies you also need to ramp up your mobility work. It is not sustainable to add significant volume in a training regime and not reciprocate on the recovery/mobility side of things. So much like we aim to keep the body balanced in our strength programs from muscle group to group we would like to see the same applied here. So if you are currently doing 5-8mins of foam rolling/stretching per day that number needs to increase at the same percentage that your kms do from week to week. 8km to 10km = 20% which = 1-2 more minutes of foam rolling, simple.

For more info and ideas on how to keep you running and training pain free, contact us at info@coastalfitness.ca or visit our website at www.coastalfitness.ca.

Top

Were you born to run?

by Jeremy Bensler, BSc.PT

There are a select few for whom running comes easily and naturally, but for most of us it is something we have to work at meticulously to avoid injury.

Sadly, running injuries are not uncommon. Foot pain, knee pain, calf pain, hip pain, back pain… the list goes on. There are many different reasons these pains may develop, but perhaps the principal factor is the fact that many people will start running without any conscious thought as to HOW they should be running (ie. correct technique) and IF they are ready to run. All too often novice runners think it is as simple as putting on the right pair of shoes and off they go with hopes of catching the runners high and losing a few extra pounds. Unfortunately, it is often these runners who hobble home too sore to ever attempt running again.

As a physiotherapist, I applaud anyone willing to get out and exercise, but I do have one caveat—prepare your body appropriately for the increased stress you are about to place on it BEFORE you start, and save yourself the agony of dealing with a sidelining injury.

Over the next few months we'll discuss some of the common injuries runners suffer and give tips and hints on how to avoid them. However, today I would like to talk about a simple 7 point screen that we use at our clinic to help identify muscle weakness/tightness that may predispose runners, of all levels, to injury. Our theory is that if we can identify and correct where there is a muscle weakness or imbalance, we can limit, or quite possibly prevent the risk of injury due to the poor biomechanics that are inherent to that specific problem.

During our screening process we assess for hip, knee, and ankle mobility, stability and strength. We check hamstring length, shoulder mobility, and core strength. Any problems found provide us with information about where you may break down with injury should you engage in higher level activities. We then use this data to provide corrective exercises to strengthen what is weak and stretch what is tight.

Young or old, fit or unfit, I recommend a basic movement screen for ALL runners. Think of it as a systems check on your car before the winter comes—it would be terrible to be stuck on a cold lonely road in the middle of a snow storm because your car won't start. In the same way, it would be terrible to have to stop running because you failed to take the necessary steps to ensure your body was prepared to run. As the old adage states 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'—check the 'system'!

Establish correct fundamental movement patterns, build your skills (running technique), better your performance… and stay injury free.

Next month we'll discuss the importance of a strong core and good pelvic control in preventing running injuries.

Top

Contributor info:
Ryan Jobs is one of our Personal Trainers. He has done some talks with our run groups in the past and does an excellent job in informing people about proper core strength.

Jeremy Bensler is a physiotherapist at Pro Motion Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic in Abbotsford, BC. He has over 15 years experience treating a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries. www.promotionphysio.com