There was far too much useful material coming out of this week’s marathon Webinar, “How to Design and Follow a Healthy Running Plan,” part of the New York Road Runners Learning Series and hosted by the Hospital for Special Surgery. So, I decided to break it into two posts.
Here are a few more highlights, with the emphasis, of course, on injury prevention.
According to the Webinar speakers, most running injuries are from overuse (no surprise here), and most of these overuse injuries are biomechanical. These can be intrinsic, or related to the body itself, and from poor technique. Sometimes the two go hand in hand. Or foot in foot!
“There’s no one correct way to run,” said one of the speakers, Rob Maschi, a senior physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, “but there are incorect ways to run.”
Let’s start with overstriding, when the foot contacts the ground too far in front of the body. The longer the foot is in the air, the harder it strikes the ground. (A heel-striking gait will also hit the ground harder.) One way to correct overstriding, Maschi said, is to keep track of your cadence count, or the number of footfalls per minute. His recommendation: around 90 on each side. Running up hills naturally shortens the stride. I would also think that the moving belt on a treadmill could help. Or you could always bring along a metronome!
Poor body alignment, limb instability and muscle imbalance are other big culprits. One way to check alignment and stability is with “single-leg” exercises, Maschi says, like squats and step ups. The single-leg step up is probably the simplest to explain. You’ll need to secure a chair or bench, or use a step. First, place right foot on elevated surface with left foot on floor. Bring left foot up using strength of right leg so that both feet are on the elevated surface. Lower left leg back to floor. Place right foot on the floor. Repeat with legs reversed.
Core-strengthening exercises (for glutes, abs, hips, etc.) also help improve stability, alignment and balance. Some of the best exercises are done with resistance bands. (You can pick one up inexpensively at a sporting goods store.) Here are a few recommended resistance-band exercises from the Webinar:
Clam shells. Loop band around legs, bring above knees. Lie on one side with knees slightly bent and legs and ankles together. Open and close knees like a clam. Switch sides.
Bridges. Loop band around legs, also above knees. Lie on back with knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Lift up butt and pelvis, push legs outward using the resistance, bring back in, then lower body.
Lateral walk. Loop band around ankles. Walk sideways, using muscles on outside of legs to overcome the resistance of bands.
Monster walk. Loop band around ankles. Take wide step out to left then step right foot in. Then take an equal number of steps to right side. Feet and legs should be wider than hip-distance apart.
This Webinar event is expected to be reposted sometime in July, so I’ll keep you posted when to look.
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