Sorry a bit late this month!
You all have been training hard this summer. Hopefully you are also working on your core and posture. One purpose of our ‘core corner’ is to help you to develop a stretch regime that will form an effective posture, with the strength to sustain it, to maintain efficient body bio-mechanics for injury free running.
September Core exercise – the press up
(NB: This month, Joggers Tipple is optional Chris!)
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Place hands under shoulders Make your body straight; from head, through shoulders, through upper back and hips, all the way to your ankles. Use your abdominals to not let your lower back sag at any time. Keep your back straight and flat. |
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Lower face to floor, by pushing elbows backwards, keeping upper arms close to your body. Breathe in on the descent and breathe out on the push up |
Repeat 30 times for a strong core. (Obviously do more if you want guns like Richard Whitehead!)
Note: If, like you me, you cannot manage 30 reps, do a ¾ press up instead. Place hands under shoulders, resting on your knees. Make your body straight; from head, through shoulders, through upper back and hips, all the way to your knees. Lower and lift from this position. I can manage 30 reps like this (just!)
August 2013 stretch – the ITB (iliotibial band)
Anatomy lesson: Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners. It occurs when the iliotibial band (ITB), the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, is tight or inflamed. The ITB is a thick fibrous band that runs from the iliac crest (your pelvis) down the outside of the leg and across the knee joint, connecting to the outside of the patella on it’s route. It crosses both the hip and the knee joint and has a role in stabilising both. When the ITB isn’t working properly, movement of the knee (and, therefore, running) becomes painful
The Stretch:
Stand tall – posture, posture, posture.
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Relax the shoulders and cross one foot in front of the other. |
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Reach forward to your front foot. You should feel the stretch in the back leg |
Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other foot in front.
NB: The ITB attaches to the muscles Gluteus Maximus (GM) and the Tensor Facia Latae (TFL) at the top. You may feel the stretch here or down the side of your leg, or by your knee. It all depends where your tissues are tightest.
Advanced stretch:
For a more advanced stretch, you can cross your feet further apart and reach to the inside of your back foot, making your back hip lean further out.
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you can cross your feet further apart |
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reach to the inside of your back foot
making your back hip lean further out |
Again, hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other foot in front.
That’s thirsty work .. time for a little sip.