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Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine: There is no off-season.
By Dr. Neil McLaughlin
November/December 2010
For the Washington Running Report
By the time you read this you will most likely be coming off your peak race for the fall season and heading into the "off season" when you allow your body to recover before the next big push toward the spring and summer racing season. During this time what can you do besides running to help improve future performances? Work on your strength!
Here is a news flash---endurance and strength are not the same thing. By improving your strength you will not only enhance your performance, but also reduce risk for injuries. I can hear the excuses already, "But I don't have time to add strength training to my already busy day!" When I was in chiropractic school in New York I had the privilege to work at the Super Runners Shop for Gary Muhrcke, winner of the first New York City Marathon in 1970. He was old school, both in his approach to running and business. Whenever I had a question about anything he always had a simple response, "Just remember the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid!" Sometimes we make things way too complicated. Below are three ways to improve strength and the quality of your running using the KISS principle.
Upper body strength - As go the arms, so go the legs. Stand in front of a mirror holding two light dumbbells in your hands (light enough that you can do 20 to 30 repetitions of the exercise). With your arms flexed near 90 degrees, you want to mimic the proper arm swing of your running motion, swinging the arms back and forth (a bit more exaggerated than your normal arm swing). The motion should be straight forward and back with your wrists passing near waist level. Do 30 repetitions with two hands, take a short break and then do 20 repetitions one hand at a time (the opposite hand still does the motion without a weight) at a quicker pace. This will help improve strength and running form over time.
Core strength - Get on the Ball! The "Swiss" ball is all the rage and exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home, no gym equipment or Pilates classes necessary. You sit on the ball and perform many of the same movements you do on the floor or with machines, normal and reverse sit ups, and many other abdominal and hip flexor moves. The added balance needed to perform the moves is a great way to improve proprioception (body awareness and balance).
It is very important to get the right size ball for your height. If the ball is too small it creates excess stress on the back, and a ball too large will cause balance issues. Either can lead to injury. I usually tell anyone 5'6" or taller to go with a 65cm ball, shorter people a 55cm ball, and if you are very tall, try a 75cm ball.
Leg strength - One leg at a time. Running is an act of balancing on one leg at a time so our strength exercise should do the same for optimal performance. Stand next to a wall on the outer leg while supporting balance with the opposite arm (standing on the left while supporting with the right arm). Raise your other leg up in front with a bent knee at 90 degrees. Perform a "mini-squat": flex the knee to about 40-45 degrees and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 12 to 15 times and then turn around and do the same with the other leg. Your foot should be pointed straight forward and the movement should be slow and controlled. When you can easily do the exercise for 3 sets you can progress to letting go of the wall and performing it while balancing on one leg. The next progression is to do the exercise balancing while holding a weight in one or both hands. Again, this will help improve running-related strength and proprioception.
So there you have it, a strength program without any fancy equipment or gym time utilizing the KISS principle! It is very time efficient and can probably be performed in the same amount of time it would take you to drive back and forth to the gym. I think if we applied the KISS principle (Keep it Simple Stupid) more in our running and daily lives we would suffer far fewer injuries and reduce the stress that we often put upon ourselves by attempting to make life more complicated than it needs to be.
Dr. Neil McLaughlin is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. He practices at Commonwealth Chiropractic Center of Reston, VA. For more information call 703-742-7856 or www.cccreston.com.