Run fat boy, run.. and girls too!

So Christmas is over and you ate too much, drunk too much, and now feeling vaguely motivated to do something about it before the Christmas over- indulgence flab becomes a permanent feature. Your New Year resolution is to start running, because that is a quick way to lose weight…

….Or – you don’t fall into that category and you have started your marathon training and just wondering how you will ever get there – without an injury!

The Golden Rule for both groups is avoid ‘too much too soon’ and don’t be tempted to say-“ I feel great, I’ll do a bit more…” . There are numerous Marathon Plans and advice on the internet (marathon-rookie.com is a good one) but many plans build up too quickly and don’t take some of the basics into consideration: (check with your GP if you are particularly unfit or have medical issues)

·         Invest in good running shoes –you may need another pair already if you have exceeded 400m in your marathon training. Get specialist advice so the shoe fits your foot-type and running style.

·         You are what you eat…and drink - to become a good running machine you need the right fuel – 60% complex carbs, 10% protein and 25% unsaturated fats is a good start and drink enough that your urine is pale yellow – too much caffeine will make this more of a challenge!

·         Plan rest days –almost every other day (if later, you begin to feel sore, ice, rest and consider a sports massage, osteopathy or physiotherapy)

·         Only now should you be starting to run –and as a beginner start with 20 mins walking, 4 times a week on week 1, building up to 35 mins walk/run at week 6.  Start ‘running only’ at week 7 for 20 mins each session and by week 10 you can be running 35-40 mins. If training for a marathon, you need to build slowly up to 20 miles until 3 weeks before your event, then taper it down. Consider the surface you are running on – tarmac only will give more impact and increase the chance of shin-splints but uneven ground off-road can also challenge joints and muscles. Treadmills are useful but are usually easier.

·         Stretching – Why would you nurture your muscles, then starve them of nutrients? Stretching enhances muscle pliability, allowing good blood flow (bringing nutrients into muscle fibres and removing toxic waste products). Pliable muscles act as effective shock-absorbers reducing injury and more joint freedom results which can enhance your running style. Each muscle needs at least 20 seconds of stretch post exercise, ensuring  it is being done correctly as different postures can alter the target muscles.

·         And if you become injured… Take it seriously, ice, rest and get professional help early from a Osteopath, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor or experienced Sports Massage Therapist as the longer you leave it, the harder it  is to treat and the less likely you are to achieve your goal.

For more information go to www.aboutbacksandbones.com

 

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What do you want..Blood?

We are conjuring up a picture, in this phrase, of someone wanting the extreme: something so precious to us, it is inconceivable that we give it. That is, of course exactly what blood is; a precious constant delivery of nutrients and oxygen and removal of waste products- rather like a superior meal-on-wheels and dustbin man at your disposal 24/7. Without it, we perish and the NHS spends a huge amount of money on heart medications and operations as wells stroke prevention and diabetes-all of which can compromise blood supply to tissues.

But what do we do to help ourselves? We may exercise, which the best way to encourage blood flow, but even that can cause problems if our choice of exercise tightens muscles making it difficult for blood to flow freely. Ongoing aching in between  exercise sessions may give a clue that muscles are not recovering well from the micro-trauma which we induce with most forms of exercise and the waste products of lactic acid may be hanging around rather than being excreated.

Effective warm-ups and cool-downs all help to prevent this, as does massage which encourages blood flow and literally feeds your tissues and encourages their good health. There are many types and variations of massage, but a good sports massage ticks most boxes, except perhaps comfort! However, a good therapist can gauge your reaction to treatment and moderate the depth of massage, as you need to feel relatively relaxed- tense muscles will limit the effect of treatment.

Of course any massage will help and especially if tension, eg at work or relationships is a feature, then a relaxing massage will be of benefit by loosening muscles which mean they stop feeding back messages to the brain saying that there is tension and therefore there must be a problem - further causing involuntary tension in the muscles. Breaking this cycle involves dealing with the initial problem, but reducing the effect and simply "giving yourself a break" is important psychologically and for your comfort.

Endophine release, helping us to feel happier and more positive, is a well-documented feature of massage and is much cheaper than a shopping spree also reputed to have the same effect!

So whether you are a sports person, a hard worker at home or at work, or would simply like to feel better, then consider a massage, which humans throughout the ages have recognised as important: In fact in many cultures you may be asked, not "Do you have massage?" But "WHO  does your massage?"

Come on Britain-keep up!

 
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