Training Tip Tuesday!

Instead of Fitness Tip Tuesday, I'm now calling it Training Tip Tuesday because alliteration is cool.  :-)

Today's topic will be running form. I went to an outdoor recreation conference this past weekend at Wright State University. One session I attended was all about how to improve running form, increasing efficiency and decreasing the potential for injury. Combining knowledge I already had with things I learned this weekend here are some key points to having excellent running form:

  1. Have good posture. Stand up straight, looking ahead and not down at your feet and keep that position up as you run. Resist the urge to slouch when you start to get tired. Keep your shoulders from rising up (I have a really bad habit of doing this myself and it creates some painful tension in the neck).  Don't stick your butt out: make sure that your pelvis is tucked in so everything is properly aligned.

  2. Keep your arms moving straight forward, parallel to your body. Do not let your arms cross in front of you as you run: this not only makes you less efficient and slows you down, but it also causes extra stress on your spine by causing it to do extra twisting motions.

  3. Have a little bit of a bend in your knees when you land. This is a huge way to reduce the risk of knee injury. When you land on completely straight knees, a lot of force goes through them causing a greater risk for injury.

  4. If you are a heel striker (you tend to land on your heels first and then roll your feet when you run), try to land on the middle of your foot instead. I'm working on the transition myself and it's already helped me improve my running. Landing on your heels has a number of disadvantages. For one, it is inefficient: it slows you down a little bit and uses up more energy than hitting the ground further forward on your foot. It is also another knee injury risk factor, as it puts more force down your leg, through your knee.

  5. Make sure you are wearing the right kind of shoes. I highly recommend going to a running shop, where they can asses your gait and the height of your arches.

Having superb running form doesn't happen overnight, so don't give yourself a hard time if you aren't getting it right away. Just keep working on it and you will be on your way to having rocking running form!

Happy training!  :-)

Fitness Tip Thursday-since I missed Tuesday

    This week, for some reason, has gone by crazy fast! I kind of lost track of the days of the week, missing out on my Fitness Tip Tuesday post! Oops!

    My advice for this week definitely applies to fitness, but is not necessarily just about fitness.

    A tragic event happened at Ohio University Tuesday night in The Ping Recreation Center. A student collapsed while playing basketball and later passed away. But with more efficient action from bystanders (from everything I've heard), there's a chance he could have survived.

   This may seem like common sense, but as soon as you see a potential emergency it is imperative to take action. It doesn't matter if "someone else probably did". It doesn't matter if you aren't sure what's wrong. And it doesn't matter if you are trained personnel: anyone is fully capable of getting someone who is and calling 9-1-1 immediately. Tuesday night, when the student collapsed, bystanders just watched for awhile (supposedly for about 15 minutes), unsure of what to do. Via social media, I saw someone comment that he was there. His words: "I thought one of the other people around went and got someone to help". This is called the bystander effect: when there is a group of people witnessing an emergency situation, either no one takes action at all or someone takes action eventually, but not soon enough. In emergency situations, it is crucial for someone to act right away. Every minute counts. If everyone just assumes that someone else has or will do something to help, nothing will get done.

    Also, whether or not it is required by your workplace, I highly recommend becoming certified in First Aid and CPR. You never know when you may be needed to help save a life. The American Red Cross and The American Heart Association both offer the training to become certified. Go to one of their websites (or both to compare) and check it out! I am a certified instructor through the American Red Cross, so don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions. Learn how you can save a life! Nothing compares to having that knowledge and being able to act on it.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/FindaCourse/Find-a-Course_UCM_303220_SubHomePage.jsp?gclid=CI-qufuuuLwCFaZAMgodhX8AFg

    Sorry if this has come across as preachy: I just want to let you all know how important it is to act immediately if an emergency situation arises. Someone's life very well might depend on it.