One of the most common habits runners have is the tensing and lifting of the shoulders, which includes the deltoids, trapezius, romboids, simply put it’s your shoulders and shoulder blades. The idea is to relax and release the tension in the area. I explain more in this video. This will also help you minimize running injuries related to shoulders, down the road.
Factors Leading To Running Injuries – Flexibility And Mobility
When you run your muscles contact and expand. Hundreds of times, maybe even thousands for long distance runners. Tight muscles and joints can lead to all sorts of injuries including knee pain, lower back pain, plantar fasciitis, muscle cramps.
Working on your flexibility and mobility as a runner means you will:
– run faster
– run for longer
– recover faster
– reduce the risk of injuries – including muscle cramps, pulled muscles, lower back pain, plantar fasciitis
– improve blood circulation
Furthermore the focus of you stretch and mobility exercises should be not only on lower body but also hips, AND upper body. Why? Because firstly running in a full body movement, second notice how your body moves in diagonal – left leg with right arm, right leg with left arm – there is a rotation in the body every time you step. Third, upper body muscles have to contract and expand just like the lower body, otherwise that rotation wouldn’t take place, it would be very uncomfortable, tight, and at risk on injury.
Are 10 min of stretching at the beginning and end of your run enough?
Not really. I mean come on, do you think that after running 5 km 10 min of quick stretches will release the muscles and joints? If you help every stretch for 10-15 sec, and you stretched your whole body, 10 min wouldn’t be enough.
Instead consider:
– having 2 shorter running sessions per week that begin with 10 min stretches and end with a 30 min stretch – full body
– signing up for a weekly yoga and/or pilates class
– natural movement fitness (the kind that we do here at The Merisoiu Technique Institute)
Remember, the whole body needs to be flexible, mobile and strong for a runner to be complete.
For coaching or advice email support@themtechnique.com or book a consultation
Want to know when the next running technique workshop takes place leave your details below and you will receive the updates.
Factors Leading To Running Injuries – Transition Speed
You are a long distance runner, but want to switch to interval training to get faster. I get you, it’s normal and a natural progression.
Do read the short article on Change to begin with, then come back to this one.
When you want to change your training regime, to transition from endurance to speed, you must remember:
1. Your nervous system dictates how long the transition will take. Force it and you may end up injured.
2. Your slow twitch muscles fibers – needed for endurance – are more developed while the fast twitch muscle fibers – needed for fast, explosive movements – are less developed. Give them time to develop. You can’t hurry the adaptation process.
3. Think of this new training regime as if you were starting from zero, as if you were a beginner – thus begin with easy exercises, practice a beginners routine 6-8 weeks and then go to the next routine, more difficult, more challenging.
For coaching or advice email support@themtechnique.com or book a consultation
Want to know when the next running technique workshop takes place leave your details below and you will receive the updates.
Factors Leading To Running Injuries – Posture And Body Alignment
If posture is essential to prevent lower back pain and sore shoulders, why is it an element runners seldom, if ever, think about? We, runners, all know it’s important, but we just know, it’s there, it’s important….and that’s about all the attention posture gets, from many runners.
Posture is THE first element you need to look at in all areas of your life, not least your running technique.
Well aligned runners will have fewer injuries. Why? Because your body is meant to be aligned, to move in alignment, it will always seek alignment. When we don’t give what it needs then things go downhill. Slow, it may take a few years, but we get there.
Furthermore your alignment throughout your regular daily activities will impact your running alignment. You can’t have a poor posture 90% of the time, and expect to have a good posture when you run. Sure, it’s alright to forget your posture sometimes, we all do, but not most of the time.
Poor posture and alignment in running can (and does) lead to:
– lower back pain
– knee damage
– ankle injuries – a poor posture does put a lot pressure on the feet and ankles, they are your base of support afterall
– foot injuries
– sore shoulders
– shoulder and neck injuries
– tight neck and shoulder muscles
– reduced flexibility and mobility – in legs and trunk as well – which can lead to pulled muscles
These are only some of the effects of incorrect body alignment and posture. Other include other area of your health such as digestion (yes, poor posture – poor digestion).
What is the correct alignment for running you ask? According to POSE Method Of Running there should be a straight line ear – shoulder – hip – ball of foot (which is the support and point of contact with the ground; ball of food is not toes or heel).
Alexander Technique is similar, with the only difference the straight line end just in front of the ankle. Since in Alexander Technique we look at standing and walking, alignment is a littler bit different, ever so slightly.
I will write another article on the topic.
Need coaching? Email support@themtechnique.com of click here to book a consultation.
Want to know when the next running technique workshop will take place leave your details below and you will receive the updates.
Factors Leading To Running Injuries – Change
Does running regularly mean you will end up having to pay physios for life? No, not necessarily. Although, like with virtually any sport, even swimming if you swim often and aim high, you will suffer some injuries. How bad, how often and for how long, now these are variables that can be changed.
Change is one of the causes of sport related injuries. And when we talk about running injuries we refer to:
– foot injuries – including plantar fasciitis
– ankle injuries
– shin splints
– knee injuries
– hip injuries
– lower back pain
These are very common injuries and pains in runners who run regularly and push themselves to make progress.
Change is one of the elements that can cause there types of running injuries. Change in terms of:
– speed
– distance
– running frequency, but also
– different shoes (watch out minimalist/barefoot runners when transitioning to minimalist shoes), and different technique
– training type – i.e. from endurance training to interval training
No matter how much you try to progress fast, you are directed by your NERVOUS SYSTM. Until the nervous system adapts to the change, any attempt to push beyond it’s adaptation time frame can lead to injuries.
Thus, my advice on any changes you wish to make:
– make change slow
– have patience
– make the correct changes
– make the changes correct
– get a coach to direct you so you do things the right way, especially if you are a beginner
Need coaching? Email support@themtechnique.com or click here to book a free consultation.
Want to know when the next running technique workshop takes place? Leave your details below and you will receive the updates.
Bandage For Injured Fingers
Bandage for sprained toes and fingers….small toes though, it’s designed for fingers.
Injured fingers? Try this little bandage, I think it’s really cool and could have helped me when I fractured one of my fingers in a Karate competition.
Just stay focused and remember it’s a bandage.
The Tripod, Your Shoes And Knee Pain
Since I started learning and exploring movement through natural movement, I was also coached, as well as reading and studying, I have noticed many changes in the way I use my body today. In a good way that is.
I have also realized what contributes to knee pain and knee injuries. While not everyone is the same, and not every injury is the same, everyone can benefit from The Tripod.
This repeated pressure on knees and ankles, whether you walk or run or just stand, is what, in time may lead to pain and injuries. Among other reasons.
That pressure, in many cases, comes from an incorrect body weight distribution. And unless you had an accident, injury or other such problems, this is what probably causes your knee pain. Although you should check with your doctor to get diagnosed.
In another article I wrote about Knee Pain And Body Weight Distribution. In this one I will talk about shoes and how they affect body weight distribution.
In that article we also mentioned that you have two tripods. Each is formed on your big toe, little toe and heel. That forms the base of support for your whole body.
And like your camera’s tripod, if one of the legs is not properly planted into the ground, the tripod is uneven and pressure is not evenly distributed. That tripod is unstable and weak.
Many times, knee pain comes after we consistently practice the habit of distributing our body weight more on the front of our feet.
But it is not your fault. Look at your shoes. They naturally lift your heel and automatically sends more weight on the front of the foot. Even if it’s just a little, that little adds up over the year.
It may not seem much but over 20, 30, 40 years it can change a lot. It can change your posture and the way you move your body.
The solution?
Firstly, although I believe we should walk barefoot sometimes, that we should allow our feet to develop and strengthen the muscles, this does NOT mean you need to go barefoot all the time, everywhere. However, when the weather is nice you can go barefoot in the garden, in a forest, in the house, anywhere where you feel you can.
Going barefoot, besides strengthening your foot muscles, will also help you become more aware of and correct body weight distribution. Feeling your toes and heel on the ground enables you to make changes.
“Allow your feet to take their natural shape and your skin to breathe.”
Second, barefoot or not, be aware of how you distribute your weight (from left to right and from back to front) every time you step, go up the stairs, when you stand, and run. At some point while you walk or run, you will go through a position where your foot is on the ground and you can feel The Tripod. Consider that a “check-point” and ensure your big toe, little toe and heel are on the ground, rooted into the ground for just a second or fraction of a second before coming off the ground again.
For example when you run with a forefoot strike, after the ball of the foot touches the ground the heel comes down as well, and that’s The Tripod right there.
Try it now. If you don’t try it now, you will never try it and forget about it.
Please note I am not a doctor or a therapist. It is important to consult your doctor if you have an injury or experience any pain.
Something’s Wrong With Your Shoes
I keep picking on running shoes, and, when possible, my clients and I walk and train barefoot. We take off our running shoes and go barefoot for some really good reasons. These are just a few of them:
Sensory Perception
There is a network of nerves on the bottom of your feet which sent information to the brain about the ground underneath your feet: . This triggers reflexes that help you avoid injuries when you sense something sharp or uneven. The thick soles of your running shoes limit sensory perception, and limit the key reflexes your body is intelligently equipped with to avoid injury, whether skeletal or muscular.
Flat Foot
Flat foot essentially means the arch of the foot doesn’t develop properly or it collapses. This can lead to other injuries.
There are people who are genetically predisposed to getting flat feet, but in many, many cases the problem is caused my weak foot muscles. These muscles help create and maintain the shape of the arch. Like any other arch you see in construction, they support your weight as it bounces up and down.
Your running shoes have arch support and cushioning so your muscles work less. Like any other muscles, if the muscles in the arch of your foot are not trained they weaken.
So I ask you this: if weak muscles in the arch leads to flat feet, are shoes that make those muscles work less the best choice?
Stiff soles are there to make the foot muscles work less as well. The less the muscles work, the weaker they become.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is that sharp pain you may have felt in the sole of your feet after a run or when you wake up in the morning.
The plantar fascia is a tendonlike sheet of tissue at the base of your foot. It works with he muscles in your arch. That sharp pain comes from inflammation of the plantar fascia.
If the arch muscles are weak then the plantar fascia has to work more, to compensate for those weak muscles. More stress on the plantar fascia eventually leads to inflammation.
Thus weak foot muscles contribute to plantar fasciitis as well. Padded shoes, created to help the foot work less, contribute to weak foot muscles. Weak foot muscles then need support, we give them support, they stay weak or get worse, and on, and on we go. A vicious circle.
One way I alleviate plantar fasciitis pain is by using a golf ball. Walking can also help the recovery process.
Uneven terrain
Among the things I love most in the outdoors is the uneven terrain. The flat, shiny gym or home floor does little to develop foot muscles. It does help but not as much as when you walk, run , crawl and balance on uneven terrain.
Uneven doesn’t mean holes in the ground. Your foot muscles will react to the slightest drop, even if it’s 1mm.
That is one of the many reasons why I choose the outdoors for myself and also for my clients.
Should you throw away your shoes?
There is no doubt that shoes protect us in many situations, such as when we step on a sharp object. They also protect us during the winter. There is nothing wrong in wearing shoes.
However, there is the downside of wearing shoes which has been the topic of this article. Thus, the solution is to balance it out. Wear shoes, wear minimalist shoes and go barefoot as well, indoors but more importantly outdoors where you have uneven terrain.
Now, I am not a podiatrist, but I do know this: strong and flexible feet are healthy feet. Strong, flexible and healthy fit make good foundations for a strong, flexible and healthy body.
A great book to read is The Story Of The Human Body by Daniel Lieberman.
If you do need advice, or maybe have questions about minimalist shoes contact me.
Three Elements Of Healthier And Stronger Joints
This passion for body mechanics started many years ago after I struggled with knee and ankle pain for years, to the point where I was struggling to walk. It became an obsession, which later on lead to learning more, coaching and writing on the topic.
Many of my clients come to me with lower back pain, knee pain and ankle pain. Probably because this is what I am most passionate about.
Having strong joints means we have a strong body. There is less rick of injuries, if we do injure ourselves we recover faster, we have more control over our bodies and, in general, a healthier body and movement.
Strength
As human beings we have been designed to move, and not just walk. For millions of year we have ran, carried, lifted and thrown, jumped and much more. Shoes were simple, no gels and excessive padding, sometimes there were no shoes at all. Chairs were simple four legged stools which required us to engage our muscle to stand upright, thus making those muscles stronger.
Today’s society encourages comfort at the expense of weaker muscles. And with more comfort, less physical activity and weaker muscles, joints and bones weaken as well. They also weaken because of aging, we just makes it sooner.
I often ask my clients what drew then towards me. Some of then say that the system, The Merisoiu Technique, is more complete.
Indeed it is. We learn how to walk, run, jump, lift, throw, carry, crawl, hang, and move if various ways. We get fit and strong with correct alignment. We don’t just exercise, we study movement and we strive to master it.
Thus, for stronger and healthier joints address as many forms of movement as you can:
- walking
- running
- balancing
- crawling
- lifting, carrying, throwing, catching
- squatting
- crawling
- mobility and flexibility
If you have injuries you must be careful. If you don’t have injuries you should also be careful, because a correct form of movement involves alignment.
Alignment
Whether moving or standing there is a degree of pressure on the joints. The problem is the angle at which the pressure falls.
Movements is not only about picking up limbs and put them in another place. Performing a movement safely requires muscle activation with the correct joint alignment.
This is where we, as fitness industry, go wrong. We educate our clients on the amount of calories and fat they burn by running and jumping up/down, left/right. Not many take the time and have the patient to educate about alignment. It takes work and commitment from the client as well.
Alignment is not something I can talk about in general, besides the general, standing and sitting body alignment. In movement, depending on the movement, alignment changes, although the basics (what I call foundations) of body alignment are still the same.
I will discuss body alignment in more detail in future articles. Until then remember this one thing:
If you draw a line (on the side of the body) from your ear, through the middle of your shoulder, through the hip and ending slightly in front of the ankle, you have a correct body alignment.
There is not perfect alignment, there is a range. I have an mp3 recording for my clients, which takes them through a body alignment visualization. I am happy to share this recording, for free, with the first 7 people who contact me. Not more than 7. To do this we must talk first. I like to know who you are and why you want this recording. Mention this article when you contact me. Simply book a call, it’s free by the way, clicking here.
Micronutrients and Macronutrients
I talk a lot about the mechanical side of joint strength. But we also need to ensure we have enough vitamins and mineral (micronutrients), and fasts, carbohydrates and protein (macronutrients).
The body takes what it needs for bone and joint health from the food we eat.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking health is about what you do this month or this year. The impact of good and bad habits surface later on, 2-3-4 years down the road, or maybe more. Inside the body the effects take place sooner. Just because we don’t see them on the skin doesn’t mean they are not there, good or not.
Being consistent with your diet is the key to a healthy body. To check where you stand do blood tests. They change from year to year.
Besides these 3 we also have Flexibility and mobility, but I will talk about that in another article.
If you have any questions you know how to contact me.
Lower Back Pain – Should You Exercise Or Not
When you are in pain the last thing you want to do is move.
Lower back pain doesn’t necessarily mean the back is damaged, it’s not always the case. But because we feel the pain we stop exercising, thinking that’s the right thing to do. In some cases it is, but not always. If the back is not damaged then you can move and exercise. Why should exercise even with lower back pain?
De-conditioning happens very fast. If you don’t move for a few days, when you resume you feel weaker. Even without lower back pain, if you don’t exercise, stretch and move (not only walk) for a few days you feel stiff and weak when you do move. If you do suffer from lower back pain, doing nothing will only add to the pain rather than solve the problem.
Pills helps manage, and calm down if the pain is really bad. But that fixes the symptoms, and not the cause. There can be many causes for lower back pain. Very often core strength and general a weak body can cause lower back pain and, in time, even more serious damage.
Besides being strong, your body also need to be mobile (ease of movement of the whole body) and flexible (related to muscle length).
Preventing and managing lower back pain
Preventing and managing lower back pain requires commitments from the person suffering from back pain.
Going to the gym or taking classes only for this purpose, because you have to and you were told to, thinking you will like them in the end, will only make you unhappy and not commit long term.
Choosing a sport, or type of exercise you enjoy doing increases the chances of committing for a longer time and reap the benefits. Learning about lower back pain and how the body functions, like you do now, little by little, will increases the chances of commitment.
This is what we do at The Merisoiu Technique Institute. We have the solution and we help you, but we also explain how things work. Understanding why you are in pain, how the body and muscles work and how you can prevent further pain and injuries, makes our clients enjoy their training and reap the benefits.
If you are in need of advice contact us.
Sports you can try
Here are some ideas of sports, besides gym, swimming, classes, yoga and pilates, running and cycling, you could try to prevent and manage lower back pain. Training for and practicing the sport you choose will strenghten and mobilize the body, and reduce pain and risk of other injuries.
- Indoor/outdoor rock climbing
- Squash
- Tennis
- Cross-fit
- Obstacle Racing
- Martial arts (Karate, Taekwondo, Aikido, Jujitsu etc)
- Even gardening (although not a sport)
Remember it is important to also train for these sports, not just throw yourself into them. For any sport you practice the best thing to do is to have a coach. They will turn your weaknesses into strengths. You want to optimize your body for your sports, nut just throw a ball around.
Movement is more than stepping left and right, back and forth. Movement involved correct joint alignment and muscles must activate in the correct sequence. “Don’t just exercise, learn, develop and master. “
More on lower back pain and exercise for lower back pain in future articles. For now remember that not moving is not the solution.