Running is one of the most publicly used aerobic activity. It's integrated in our brain because we see it practically every day almost everywhere and spring is always that period of time when we want to start working out and it feels that the running can be the best option. Since we can combine it with a fresh air and nature. .. the feeling is really great indeed, but what does your body has to say? Here are just a few of the facts, we should reconsider and pay attention to before put those running shoes on...
Let me start with a fact that sitting position about which we are talking about for so long already, but I need to use it one more time. Sitting position is making our body changing in a way of our posture, muscle tension pressure on our joints.... It make some of our muscles parts shorter and stiffer (front hip area, hamstring muscles, ankle area), some of our parts longer but in both cases WEAKER. And this is the first problem, caused because of sitting, our body is weak and unstable.
When we run, because we move, we use more or less dynamic muscles (these are the muscles we use to move from point A to point B, bigger muscles), but let us don't forget about our inner, smaller muscles, which gave our joints stability and hold appropriate distance between joint surfaces, to prevent injuries such as arthritis, or cartilage damage These muscles are not responsible for big movement and to train those muscles there are special exercises, such as Pilates tehnique and other. Learn how to activate them properly, requare another approach. We cannot see activaton of those muscles and it's very hard for an individual to learn to activate those muscles by themself, but these are the muscles that play crutial role by prevent or lead you to a doctor becasue of your knee, hip ankle pain or even a lower back pain.
Another fact which is also very important is that our body works in so-called diagonal patterns. The fact is that right-handed person will automatically, during a movement, put 5-7% more pressure on his left knee, because of body asimetric rule.
To sum up and to make it a little bit clear, let's take an example which I see practicaly every day. I live in Brussels and work part-time in one of the European Organisation. When I got a chance, a take a walk during my lunch break. There is a big park behind our building so I almost always go there to chill and rest. During my 30min break, I see around 50 people running and as a my profession deformtion I look at peoples posture and performance and it just makes me really sad. People are running, thinking how they care about their health, but they are doing totaly opposite. Why? Let's take a look:
Running, even slower running is very strenuous activity. It demands stable joints, appropriate tension in our both, inner and dinamic muscles, and it puts load to our posture and it's overall very complex movement. Now, as I spoke before, we have weak and unstable body, because of our everyday lifestyle. Most of people doesn't now where inner muscles are, and I am 100% sure, they do not know how to activate those muscles too. So, those people basically jump of their office chair and go run. Even if they warm up, they usually do not target inner muscles, which would protect their joints and inner connective tissue. Do you see, where I am heading? There is nothing wrong with running. In fact for me it's one of the good choice to train your heart if that is your goal. But before that, you need to ask yourself, is my body ready? Because when I see people with round shoulders, almost running like something pulling them to the ground, it's sad. When I see a woman in her 40's running without any of gluteus muscles, which means that all of her support in this activity is on her hip and back, she is asking for a broken hip in her 60's because of osteoporosis and arthritis and it's sad. When I see a younger men running with his knees looking like X, he is asking for an surgery in a few years, because of meniscus use or soft tissue damage. . . So guys,
What you want is not necessarily what your body needs!
I want you to ask yourself these 4 question before you go running:
- Are your posture in appropriate position for the run, so you won't put any extra pressure on special parts/ joints, which could cause muscle imbalance and lead to injury?
- Do you have your inner muscles and global muscles train for the load they will have to carry?
- Do you know how to warm up, to get your inner muscles ready for the support they will have to provide you through the running, specifically for your body?
- Do you absolutely sure that you know how to activate your inner stabilization muscles and actually do that during your run, so you will protect your joints and soft tissues from damage?
I hope that this would be useful and encourage at least some of you, to think whether your body is ready for specific kind of physical activity.
Stay strong!
V.