The Best Forms of Exercise
The Best Forms of Exercise To Do
And why!
We are all aware that exercise is good for you but what are the best forms of exercise? Our soft tissue therapist Emily, who is also a triathlon coach, has given us her views on the best forms of exercise that you can do and why:
1) Ones that are incorporated into your life organically
Cycling / running / walking to work / run errands, using a stand up desk, swimming, gardening, taking the stairs etc. This is how we moved before humans made life over-convenient and sedentary, so now we have to set aside time and space to exercise. We’re also more likely do stick at the fun stuff so do things you enjoy.
2) Different types = cross training
Spending all your training time doing one sport can make you good at that sport, but you won’t be challenging your brain / your neuro pathways / your muscles doing the same thing for years and you’ll be more prone to injuries. Branch out, go outside of your comfort zone and try a different genre of sport! I’ve competed in wakeboarding, judo, fencing, lacrosse, triathlon and everything in between. Fundamentally cross training gives you a more well rounded type of fitness.
3) Exercises that involves bilateral movements and ambidexterity
The majority of injuries stem from imbalanced strength in muscles and range of movement. As with no 2, we get lazy just using our dominant side, so why not try brushing your teeth with your other arm, breathing bilaterally (even rotation of the torso) in swimming, kick the ball with your other foot?
If you’d like advice on your current exercise formats or switching up your exercise routine, do get in touch with us for a virtual or face to face appointment.
Words by Emily Chong.
Getting Back To The Gym!
Getting Back To The Gym
Gyms are open! Time to get back in! I was on a roll before, time to pick it up again! All this walking and jogging over lockdown has kept me in shape so I'll be fine!
Just Be Careful
Easy there Tiger, just be careful. Whether it has been 4 months or 13 months since you last stepped through the gym doors, if you've been spending each day walking or jogging to stay in shape then your body will have adapted to that and away from what it was able to do before. You may feel like you'll be able to get back to your previous level of bench press quickly but if you've not done much upper body work in that time, you will have lost a bit of what you had.
Keep On Walking!
There is also no need to stop what you have been doing as well. Don’t lose those gains made by just stopping. Whilst there may be time constraints that could limit how much you are able to devote to some of these activities, if your body has become adapted to 60 minutes of steady lower limb work, it may not have the capacity to comfortably allow compressing that into 30 minutes of higher intensity work. It may require some reorganisation in your day but much of this good work you have been doing can be continued.
Return Steadily
This is not to say don't go back to the gym. There has been a lot of sensible advice around taking things steadily on your return which is worth heeding. It is better to feel a little frustrated that you could have done a little more whilst building your work back up during your first 3 or 4 sessions back than to go back too hard too soon and injure yourself meaning more significant change to your gym program.
And Enjoy It!
As always the key thing is to enjoy your exercise time. Any type of change within an exercise program carries an element of risk, the size of that risk is consistent with the size and volume of change within that program. There is no need to fear that change so long as it is steady and progressive rather than a great leap in one direction or other.
Have fun!
If you have any persistent niggles, aches or pains don't soldier on in silence making them worse. Get in touch with us if you need us.
Words by Paul Martin.
Top Tips On Starting Or Getting Back To Cycling
Top Tips On Starting Or Getting Back To Cycling
If you’re thinking about starting cycling or getting back to cycling, give it a go! It’s low impact and a fantastic cardiovascular cross training option which complements running and other sports very well. You can travel far and wide, local coronavirus restrictions permitting, under your own steam which is very satisfying.
Our NoviceRunnerNik, who appears to have acquired a cycling addiction over the last few years to add to her running addiction, has drawn on her own recent experiences of getting back to cycling and written up her top 10 tips:
Like many people I’ve ridden a bike from a young age (with stabilisers) on and off for years (without the stabilisers) and I’m into cycling in a big way at the moment so I thought I’d share my top tips for getting into it or back to it:
Getting back to it or getting started:
1. If you didn’t do a Cycling Proficiency course or similar at school and / or are nervous of how to cycle, you can take online cycling Bikeability courses and watch videos, which may help with your knowledge and confidence.
2. Read the current Highway Code so that you know your responsibilities as a cyclist and those of the vehicles sharing the road with you.
3. Check your bike’s tyres are in good condition and inflated to the pressure shown on the tyre, that its gears are working correctly and that the saddle and handlebars are adjusted to suit your body geometry. If it doubt have it serviced.
4. Start slowly with shorter distances and build up your mileage gradually.
5. Be safe and visible. Wear a cycling helmet for all your rides and wear a high vis top and use bike lights, front and back, even in daylight. I’ve found that drivers are generally better behaved when I have lights switched on, on my bike.
6. Ride with confidence – you have just as much right to be on the road as the other vehicles do – and look ahead for hazards such as potholes and slow traffic so you can avoid sudden changes of direction.
7. Don’t let hills put you off. Walk them if you need to. No one cares! And they are good for you!
8. If you like using a sports tracker such as Strava, use one to record your rides. You can also check out other people’s routes and see how your fitness improves over time.
9. Follow any local Covid-19 local restrictions when you ride your bike (it goes without saying really) and remember to give pedestrians next to or in the road a wide berth.
10. Make it fun so that you keep doing it. Stop to admire the views, take photos, drink coffee and eat cake and enjoy it!
Also check out our other cycling blog posts for more tips and inspiration to ride.
Next time: upping your cycling distance and becoming properly addicted to riding!
Words by NoviceRunnerNik.
Getting Back To Training!
Getting Back To It!
It's starting to get lighter in the mornings and it's getting darker later. Is it feeling a little warmer, or is it too early to say? Has dry January only taken things so far and you know you need to get back to your previous exercise routine? You might even have some races or events pencilled into your diary for this year (fingers crossed!). If it's been a while since you've been able to do what you want to do, before you strap on your Dunlop Green Flash and head out for a 20 miler as you last did in October, a little bit of planning can help avoid injuries getting in the way of your return to previous levels.
What are you aiming to do?
Are you a runner that hasn't run for 4 months? A cyclist who last saw their bike in the shed before a pile of boxes got in the way? If the usual process to return to your exercise has been disrupted, try to think about what the demands of exercise on your body will be. Problems tend to arise when the body is unable to tolerate the load applied to it, either repeatedly or over a few episodes. If you have not been able to do what you wanted to, your body may have lost some of its tolerance to the load it previously absorbed well. So, before you restart how can you prepare your body for this?
What are your sport requirements?
What is it you need your body to do? Running is a series of springs from foot to foot maintaining and then generating momentum to move forwards. For this your calf muscles will need to be able to lengthen and shorten quickly (depending on how fast you run), your hips, knees and feet will need to be in good alignment facing to the front, abs need to work to help keep the pelvis level and offer support to the trunk and body above. Do you need to work all of these things? Maybe not, but spending some time doing some calf raises or a few gentle hops in the week or two building up to your return might help prepare your body.
Cycling needs less spring through the calf and ankles than running so may need less of this type of work, so doing more work with a fixed foot might be more useful (like standing up from a chair with one leg a few times, which replicates part of the cycling action), although good alignment remains key. Train some of the essential movements so that when you are doing them repeatedly there is some tissue resilience in place.
If you use equipment like a bike, it is worth making sure it is also in good shape to be used - getting equipment serviced will ensure it is safe to start using again.
How long should I be doing this for?
Sometimes, there is nothing more useful than doing what you want to do as no amount of hops, calf raises, step ups or lunges can properly replicate doing a 5k run. Start with a sensible distance compared to what your previous levels were and break it up if you need to. After more than a month off you'll need to rebuild gradually so keep expectations low in the early stages, just get used to doing what you want to do again and enjoy it for what it is without pushing it.
Give yourself a few weeks to build back up steadily and factor in rest days too. You might feel as if you're not doing much but your body needs time to recover from the changes in exertion. If you need some help apps like Couch To 5k can offer some guidance on how to build up to a goal.
Does this mean nothing will hurt?! Yay!!!!
No, not necessarily, but it'll give you a good chance of being less affected by pain. There will likely be some discomfort when restarting, but the important consideration is differentiating what you might expect to be a normal response to returning to activity from something that might require a little more attention. Some of these are quite obvious (e.g. a sudden twang whilst exercising) or may only come to light over a couple of days after restarting exercise. In the main, providing you are sensible in what to expect on your return and expectations going forward, there is no need to resist - it's time to get back out there!
Our top tips for getting back to it:
Plan your return, don't just leap in back to last season's training levels.
Build some strength and conditioning training suited to your discipline into your weekly routine.
Start gently with low volume and come back steadily. The Couch to 5k app is great for new and returning runners.
Check all your sports kit and have it serviced / maintained as needed.
Rest and recovery is as important as actually doing your sport so incorporate recovery days into your training schedule.
And as always, if you have any persistent niggles, aches or pains don't soldier on in silence making them worse. Get in touch with us if you need us.
Words by Paul Martin and NoviceRunnerNik.
9 weeks to the London Marathon - our top tips and injuries to avoid
Always choose your running kit with care!
9 weeks to the London Marathon - our top tips and injuries to avoid
Congratulations! You are now only 9 weeks from the London Marathon (other marathons are available).
Here are a few tips on how to keep going and avoiding breaking down:
Follow a training plan that not only says run. Two short runs and a long run on a weekend. Add in strength and conditioning, plyometrics, cross training and yoga/pilates. This can help with injury prevention and potentially faster times.
Your training will hurt. The marathon will hurt. The massages will hurt, everything will hurt. You need to stay motivated and have discipline. You will have good and bad days during your training. You have to be motivated to get out and run, but to keep this up takes discipline. Remember why you are running this race.
Be realistic with your finish time especially if it’s your first marathon! Race management is essential. Don’t go off to hard and fast! You can't just double your half marathon time adding 10-15 minutes and expect to run the marathon in that time. Aim to finish your first marathon.
Race nutrition: find what works for you! Sweets and Lucozade for energy can help, but be aware of overdoing it with these, try dried fruits, nuts and electrolyte drinks.
To stretch or not to stretch! The evidence is conflicting so do what works best for you.
Tapering is essential in those last 2-3 weeks. Don’t try and squeeze in one more long run.
Here are the 7 most common injuries and how to manage them:
Runner's Knee: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), is the irritation of the cartilage on the underside of the patella (kneecap). This can flare up during or after long runs. Be aware of foot over-pronation (excessive inward foot rolling) and weakness of the quadriceps, hips, or gluteals. Introduce rest days and reduce mileage. Uphill running can be less painful. Work on strengthening of gluteals, quadriceps and hamstrings. Avoid downhill running. Introduce low impact exercise like cycling, cross trainer or swimming. Try shortening your stride.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS): the ITB lies along the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. ITB irritation occurs if you take up your mileage too quickly. It’s a stubborn nagging injury. Be aware of foot biomechanics. Hip and gluteal weakness maybe a factor. Rest days and ease off mileage can help. Use a Cross trainer. Mix up the direction of your runs. Try shortening your stride.
Achilles Tendonitis/Calf injuries: Achilles tendon connects the two major calf muscles to the back of the heel. Increasing your mileage too quickly, hill sessions and sprints can aggravate the Achilles. Be aware of tightness of your calf muscles. Stop if you have pain during or after running. You cannot run through this injury. Early diagnosis is essential. Days off will significantly increase your chances of getting back to running. Eccentric stretching and calf strengthen gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are advised.
Hamstring Issues: Muscles that run down the back of our thighs. Be aware of muscle imbalance of quadriceps (thigh) over powering the hamstrings. Sudden strong pain and bruising, significant injury, extended rest required. Less intense, chronic overuse injury, you can usually run. Running a slow, easy pace is usually less difficult than attempting intervals or hills. Cycling, pool running, and swimming helps. Strengthen and stretching your hamstrings will help avoid injuries.
Plantar Fasciitis: Small tears or inflammation of the tendons and ligaments that run from your heel to your toes. Pain is a dull ache or bruise along your arch or on the bottom of your heel, is usually worse first thing in the morning. Be aware of foot biomechanics, high or flattened arches. Avoid increasing mileage too quickly. Tight hip flexors, weakness and tight claves, weak core muscles, and a history of lower back pain can also contribute. This is a nagging injury, running is possible but can delay healing. Pool running and swimming to the keep pressure off your feet. Calf stretches and strengthening. Good fitting shoes are essential.
Shin Splints: Achy pain that results when small tears occur in the muscles around your shin bone. Prevalent in new or returning runners doing too much, too quickly, wearing the wrong shoe or a pair with too many miles, and high arches or flat feet. When pain strikes, ease off your running to a comfortable level for a few days to a week, then slowly up your mileage using the 10 percent rule (no more than 10 percent increase per week). Bike, pool run, and swim.
Stress Fracture: Stress fractures develop due to cumulative strain on the bone. Runners most often have stress fractures in their shins, feet, hips or heels. They are one of the most serious of all running injuries and are a result of over training. More common in women than men. You cannot run through this injury. Expect 8-16 weeks off from running depending on the severity of your injury.
If you suspect you have any one of the above injuries do not hesitate to make an appointment with us by calling us on 02030 12 12 22. Correct management of your injury is essential.
Deferred Entry
If you do have to withdraw from the 2019 London Marathon, you are guaranteed a place in the 2020 race – unless you had already carried your ballot entry over from 2018 or are running for a charity. You have until 20:00 on Saturday 27 April 2019 to complete the withdrawal form on the Virgin Money London Marathon Deferrals page.
Words by Nick Smith.