Most runners stretch the wrong way

A common school of thought is that you should do static stretches before running. The problem with that is that running is a dynamic motion. Therefore, static stretching is actually counterproductive because it does not mimic the running motion. It will actually make you more prone to injury, as well as less effective.

Dynamic stretches mimic the running motion, and they help your body warm-up and raise your heart rate. Static stretches do none of these things. But obviously some stretches are better than others, and you should focus on ones that stretch out your legs.

Walking lunges

This is one of the best running stretches of all. For this, you simply put one foot out in front of the other like you would in a walking motion. Make sure to take a big step forward, and then drop the back knee close to the ground (but without touching it). Be certain that the forward knee does not get ahead of your front toes. Make sure your upper body stays upright and that you do not loosen up the abs. Do 20 reps of this one, 10 for each leg.

High knees

Warning: this one is tiring. It is very simple to do: just walk or run while bringing your knees as high as possible. Again, perform this for 10 times with each leg.

Leg lifts

To start out, just stand straight up. From there, start swinging one of your legs back and forth (side to side-not straight back and straight forward). Remember to bring it as far right to left as you possibly can for the best possible results. Again, do 20 reps.

Conclusion

Doing dynamic stretching is important for running. Use these 3 before working out, and you will see the best results.

A simple way to reduce the number of calories you consume is to try to fill yourself with raw fruits and vegetables. This will help you to consume fewer calories from protein and carbohydrates but will still give you the feeling of satiety. Snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables will also help you to reduce the portion sizes at your main meals. You will be taking in fewer calories, but you probably will not even miss them.

Another way to use running for weight loss is to exercise your hand. By writing down everything you eat, you will be able to track your calorie consumption and keep track of which types of food are challenging for you and what times during the day present you with the greatest challenges. Many new runners also write down how much training they plan to accomplish at the beginning of each week. This will give you a sense of satisfaction as you achieve each goal you have set and let you plan ahead to the next day and know what you have to do.

Whatever running schedule you set, it must be consistent. Running once in a while and watching what you eat every few days will not help you achieve your goals.

For those with bad joints like ankles and knees, trial training is a lot easier. The ground on a trail is firm, but the soil gives a little when you step down on it. This is much more cushioning on your hard strides, and is more gently on your joints and bones. For those who can’t see well, or have a hard time stabilizing themselves on uneven or unpredictable ground, trail training could be dangerous and cause you to get hurt. Your level of expertise, and physical capabilities will affect how you are able to run, and what surfaces work best for you.

Regardless to if you’re train running on a trail or the pavement, running is great cardiovascular exercise. You will be toning up, burning calories and building your cardiovascular strength. This is a great way to get people in shape, and to keep people in shape. Road running is great for races, but if possible try to train on the trails. This will be better for your muscles and joints, and if your clumsy warm up by walking the trail and clearing items out of the runners path. This prevents mishaps, and allows you to run without worries.

The weather that you go biking in has a whole lot to do with how your muscles will respond during or after the exercise. Humid, sunny days will greatly increase the chances of your muscles cramping, as will cold temperatures beyond what your muscles are used to. Wrapping your legs – either with some sort of wrap, with a bicycling suit or just by wearing warm pants – will help to keep your body temperature stable throughout your exercising and allow the muscles to perform more smoothly. Any rapid change in temperature is also ill-advised, so avoid splashing cold water on yourself or entering into a heavily air-conditioned room after a brisk ride.

The Amish have been using a combination of all-natural ingredients to help deal with leg cramps that occur naturally or after exercise for over 100 years. This leg cramp remedy starts working instantly, and now that it is available for online purchase you can easily take it with you on any mountain biking excursion for immediate relief. Taking this formula before exercise has also shown great success with preventing the cramping altogether, so you might want to consider taking some right before you head out.

Improper dieting and exercise habits are a great way to earn yourself some very painful cramps during or after your biking trip, so you really have to monitor your dieting and exercise habits if you ever want to rid yourself of muscle cramping. The most common cause of any sort of muscle cramp usually has to do with over-exertion or pushing your muscles beyond their capabilities. Remember to always build your way up to the lengthier or more difficult distances, and take any running cramp or pain you receive as a sign from your body to tone it down a little bit until you are ready.

Well, the reason many runners have foregone fashion and dared to venture out in the light of day with these shoes (they are called Vibram FiveFingers, by the way) is a very good one: they are preventing injury.

In the past 30 years, running shoes have become almost like boots. They are heavy, inflexible, and have highly padded heels and arch support. Every year running shoe companies come out with technologies that claim to enhance a runner’s stride and speed while protecting the foot from injury. In the past 30 years, however, the injury rate of runners has stayed at a steady 70%. That is two out of every three runners a year sidelined due to injury.

Would you be surprised to hear that not only are these shoes not helping runners, but that they are also the cause of many of these injuries? The padded heels along with a not-so-padded forefoot practically forces runners to land on their heels with straighten legs out in front of them. Every time the heel strikes the ground you stop for a moment while at the same time sending a massive shockwave through your knees and hips. Not only are you slowing yourself down but you are setting yourself up for injury with this stride.

Now, try running around barefoot for a while. You’ll find that after only a few strides, or maybe even right away, you will change your stride from the heel strike to a mid- or forefoot strike. This is because running on your heels without padding hurts. Along with this change in landing, your center of gravity will lower and your stride will quicken, becoming more efficient.

Although many will not go to the extreme of running barefoot, the best minimalist running shoes can help you strengthen the muscles in your feet and legs, while reducing your risk of injury. Make sure, however, to transition slowly if you are used to running and padded shoes with the heel strike, as you will need to build these muscles that have atrophied while not in use.

1. Don’t Rush- This is especially true on your first run. Remember that you are running over rugged ground. You need to focus on the path and make sure that you can see obstacles and objects there that can cause a problem. That means slowing down a little bit.

2. Running Incline- Running over hills can be tough physical challenge. The natural reaction of the body when going over an incline is to hunch forward. Try to keep your back straight, it is a lot harder to do but once you get used to it your lungs can get a full dose of air. When you hunch forward they are cramped. Let your ankles adjust to the inclination.

3. Downhill- You go a lot faster when running downhill so you better look ahead of you and check out the trail before you. Try to mark your path in your mind.

4. Right Gear- The shoes that you are going to wear when you go trail running should be the right one for you. You can check out the top 10 trail running shoes and take your pick from there. Your footwear should have the right cushioning and stability to keep your feet safe and comfortable.

5. Night Trail Running- Once you have mastered the route that you do trail running on, try going through it at night. Just make sure that you have a powerful lamp to illuminate your way. Night running allows you to pick up the right pace.

Home fitness equipment has never been more affordable and of a higher quality, and is the perfect solution to your winter fitness problems. There are a huge range of machines to choose from, and the best way to decide on which is the best for you is to visit your local sports store where they should have a good range on display. If you only want to buy one machine then you should concentrate on ones that will give you a great all-over body workout, so head over to where they have the crosstrainer and electric treadmills for sale as these are the two machines that will meet your needs better than any other. They’re both incredibly simple to use and will exercise all the major muscle groups in your body as well as giving you an intense cardiovascular workout. If you’re prone to weak or sore joints, then the crosstrainer is probably the better of the two machines as it has a much more controlled motion and you won’t be constantly pounding into a running track.

Once you’ve used your sports store to check out how each machine works and which one is more suited to you, unless you can negotiate a discount with the sales staff you’ll probably find that you can get a better deal by shopping online. There are loads of specialist websites with treadmills and crosstrainers for sale, and as they have none of the overheads of a high street store they can pass on the savings to you. Usually they offer a free delivery service, but check before you buy as these machines are large and heavy so will attract a premium charge if it’s not included. Most modern home gym equipment is built to last these days, but that doesn’t mean that something can’t go wrong – make sure that you’re covered by a warranty that include collection from your home if any repairs are needed, otherwise you could find yourself spending a fortune if it ever breaks down.

So with either of these great machines you will be able to keep in shape over the winter better than ever before. You’ll need a little bit of space to set the machine up, but if you can leave it up and ready for use then you’re more likely to hop on whenever the mood takes. You’ll find that they give you a workout comparable to the expensive professional kit that you use at the gym so who knows, once the winter has gone you might be happy with your home work out and not feel the need to go back to your old routine.

The core includes the abdominal muscles, as most people know, but it is not just about your six pack. Deeper muscles need to be recruited, including the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis and the external obliques. Furthermore, it is not just the lower front torso which comprises the core. You will also need to strengthen the lower back muscles and glutes, in order to get a tight and toned core which is able to translate power from your entire body into efficient forward motion through your legs.

All this is accomplished by introducing core strengthening exercises into your weekly exercise routine. It is best to start off doing core workouts on days when you do not run, or on ‘easy’ days if you run five or more times a week. The exercises can require a surprising amount of energy, so as a beginner you should not be doing them on the same day as a grueling long run, or after an interval session. As you progress, and your core muscles get stronger, you can increase the number of days you spend doing them.

Quality is always better than quantity, so it is important to make certain you execute the exercises correctly. A good one to try is the Bridge and its variations.

The Bridge

This exercise primarily works on the glutes, but should be done while bracing the core abdominals and pulling up the pelvic floor muscles, as you would do in Pilates.

Lie on your back on the floor or exercise mat. Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor a hip width apart, and make sure your spine is neutral. This means you should not flatten your lower back into the floor as this will move your pelvis upwards and out of alignment; also do not arch your back too much. There should be the slightest of gaps between your lower back and the ground.

Then activate your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine, and tighten the pelvic floor muscles. Now gently squeeze your glutes (otherwise known as your butt), and lift your hips off the floor slowly until you form a straight line from your knees through your hips to your torso. Do not squeeze the glutes too hard, or push too high; this will mean you are using the lower back and hip flexor muscles instead of the core.

Hold the position for 10 seconds and then lower slowly back to the ground and repeat. Aim for three sets of ten repeats.

Variations of the Bridge Exercise

Here are a couple of variations to make the Bridge Exercise more difficult, once you have mastered the simple version. If you exercise with a partner or a coach, get them to watch you. It is important that your pelvis remains straight and facing the front during these modified exercises. If you perform a twisting motion at the hips, it means you need to continue working on the basic Bridge until you have built up a high enough level of stability.

1. Marching Bridge – For this exercise, you perform the regular Bridge Exercise, but with your feet closer together, so start with a half-hip width. Make sure your glutes are tight and your core activated, and then slowly lift one foot a few inches off the floor.

If you still have weakness in your core muscles, you will see the right pelvis move as you lift the left foot off the ground. Remember the pelvis should remain level throughout this exercise.

2. Single Leg Pelvic Bridge – In this advanced exercise, prepare as for the regular Bridge, activate the core, and then lift and straighten one leg, leaving the other one bent at the knee and foot flat on the ground. Then perform the hip lift and hold. Again, watch out for movement of the pelvis, as it should remain level throughout. This exercise is best for adding difficulty once you have already spent time building up core stability using the basic exercise.

If you incorporate the Bridge exercise (plus others such as the Abdominal Crunch and the Plank) into your weekly run training program, you will gain a better posture and running form, as well as increasing your efficiency. And since weak core muscle groups inevitably lead to other muscles taking up the slack, you can also prevent overuse injuries in those other muscles (eg lower back, hamstrings) by having a good core workout program.

Stop Driving – most people are heavily reliant on their cars and there are obvious disadvantages in terms of health. While there might be some situations where you simply have to drive, you might surprise yourself with how often you can get away with leaving your car at home. With a bit of organization and proper timing, there’s nothing stopping you from walking a lot more. Even taking the bus is a good alternative because it forces you to walk to and from the bus stop.

Start Walking – when people try to get fit or lose weight, walking doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Maybe it’s because people are trying to burn as many calories as quickly as possible. It’s important to remember that you have to start somewhere and there is no better way to do it than walking. You can go at your own pace and it can be done in any type of environment. You don’t have to worry about stress on your joints and it will still help you to burn a few calories as you go. There are plenty of opportunities to walk, and one of the best things you can ever do is add a nice 20 minute walk just before dinner to your routine.

Go Outside – a good general rule to follow is that if you are inside, you are probably sitting down – but if you are outside, you are probably active in some way. Therefore you should try to get outside as often as possible. Figure out the amount of time you spend indoors whether it’s at home or at the office. Try to balance out your routine by more outdoor time, and don’t be afraid to make it a family event. You don’t even have to necessarily plan what you’re going to do outdoors, just pick yourself up and get outside and the rest will take care of itself.

Make it Social – there are plenty of exercises that are fun, and it’s important to remember that exercise doesn’t have to be tedious or boring. You aren’t training for a marathon or looking to become a professional athlete. You simply want a way to get up and start moving, and there are plenty of ways to incorporate your friends or family. You can take a workout class, learn to dance with your spouse, or engage in team sports. A lot of these things will seem a lot more like hobbies and recreation than exercise, and that’s means a lot more fun for you.

A Gym – some people have bad experiences with gyms while others enjoy using them thoroughly. One of the best things about a home or professional gym is the fact that you have everything you need concentrated in one place. It can be incredibly motivating and in the case of a home gym, it can be extremely convenient and time-saving. The use of quality exercise equipment will also make your exercise routine a lot more efficient, and there are plenty of machines that are affordable for your own home. Whether you have a goal of fat loss or you simply want to work up a sweat a few days a week, a gym is the perfect place to do it.

In the 1950s researcher Ancel Keys conducted what is now popularly known as the 7 Countries Study. Keys published findings that showed that the countries with the highest saturated fat consumption and cholesterol had the highest rates of heart disease. The problems with his study were two fold.

The first was that Ancel Keys omitted the data from the vast majority of the countries in his study. He only published the 7 that supported his findings, and when all countries were included, he had nothing to work with. Second, he study said nothing about causation, meaning it in no way demonstrated that either saturated fat or cholesterol caused heart disease. Despite creating a large body of evidence, subsequent studies have also failed to implicate either of these nutrients in causing heart disease, or virtually any other common disease.

One issue here is that standard low fat, low cholesterol diets are typically less healthy than whole food diets that include meat, fish, poultry and other animal products. These diets, despite being slightly higher in dietary cholesterol lower LDL cholesterol naturally, and lead to better overall health.

The bigger issue with these dietary guidelines, however, is the dangers for uninformed vegetarians and vegans who fail to get sufficient vitamin B12, which occurs almost exclusively in animal products. So what does vitamin B12 do? It helps with proper functioning of the brain, nervous system and hemoglobin formation in blood. B12 deficiency often leads to anxiety, depression, exhaustion and higher incidences of many disease, particularly those related to brain function.

To this day, studies implicating animal products as a cause of heart disease are flimsy at best and downright contradictory at worst. Meat, especially organic or pasture-raised meat, is an important part of a healthy diet, and B12 deficiency is far more detrimental to health than eating animal products will ever be.