Knee Pain Relief : Get Support From a Running Knee Brace While You are on the Trails

What should you do if you really enjoy running but are experiencing problems with your knees, that is threatening your ability to exercise?

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise and is enjoyed by many people, young and old. It is a great sport, but it does present unique problems for your knees, and these can not be overlooked.

Knee supports are a very inexpensive way to help support your knees while you have these painful issues. Running knee supports are designed to allow ease of movement, while still helping to protect and stabilize your knee against the repetitive movements that are involved in running.

Wearing a knee brace while you run can help stabilizes the entire knee including the surrounding knee ligaments. If you have an ACL tear, or MCL tear, or even a meniscus tear,knee suports may be the answer you have been searching for.

Some runners fear that wearing a brace will make them alter their strides, but this is not true. Depending on the kind of knee brace that you find and wear, it can allow you to conduct your same stride lengths and movements as before you wore one. The only difference is that your knee will now have added protection from the constant stress that is placed on them during a run.

It is easy for some people to underestimate the amount of stress that running has on the joints in your lower extremities, espcially the knees. When you consider how much force is used in each stride that a runner takes and multiply that by the number of strides it takes to run for a few miles, the knees are forced to absorb the entire weight of the body plus the additional force of adding speed to the stride.

This stress is repetitive and can build up over time and eventually cause damage to the knee, tears to the ligaments, or even result in a meniscus tear. Many knee injuries and ligament tears can cause a great deal of discomfort and instability for runners; both physically and mentally. Some great advice is to consider the use of a well designed knee brace when you first start feeling that knee pain or instability. If your knees stay healthy, then you will be able to continue to enjoy the sport for a long time to come and still be able to log your miles without missing a beat or a stride on the trails.

YOGA, SITTING POSES.

This is a YOGA routine that follows the previous video”party ‘s over”. These two videos combined makes a nice YOGA EXERCISE that will help you to stay fit and flexible.

Sharp Knee Pain When Running Can be a Serious Problem – a Brace Can Help You Out

Running and jogging are a great form of exercise. Sure, running can be great for your heart, but what about your knees!?

Whether you love running, or like to occasionally go for a jog, sharp knee pain can take you out of the race almost immediately. If you have been sidelined by sharp knee pain when running or jogging, you may be tempted to throw in the towel on the sport. But you may not have to do that!

While simply not running or jogging may be one way to avoid sharp knee pain, you may have other options that can keep you in the race.

Whether from injury or overuse, at some point, most runners experience sharp knee pain when running. The knee discomfort problems you are having can subside with rest and various training improvements (i.e. better running shoes, cutting back on downhill running, changing the surface you run on, etc.). Some athletes find that icing the knees after a run helps to reduce the pain. However, if the sharp pain persists, worsens, or recurs whenever you are running, it is important to have the problem evaluated by a qualified medical specialist.

The area of the knee where the sharp pain occurs can serve as a good indication of the possible cause of the pain when running. For instance, if the sharp pain is more localized within the joint line (interior) knee, the cause of the pain may be the menisci. However, if the sharp pain is primarily in the front of the knee, the cause may be related to the patella (kneecap). Either way, even if training improvements, rest and the application of ice do alleviate the pain, chances are, if you continue running, the pain will return.

So does that mean that to save your knees, you must give up running or jogging?

Not necessarily. Something as simple and affordable as a knee brace may help reduce or even eliminate the sharp pain and help keep you on the trails.

Knee supports are not difficult at all to use, and they come in a variety of styles. Some are firm and rigid, while others are soft and flexible. However, whatever the style or type, a knee brace is designed to help support the knee, helping to reduce the stress and impact on the muscles and ligaments caused by running. – They do not have to be big and bulky either. There are many options available for runners.

A knee brace can also be helpful in keeping the knee and knee cap properly aligned, which in turn can also help reduce or eliminate sharp pain in the knee when running. Helping the knee joint to remain in proper alignment and stay supported when running can really help reduce injury levels.

Yoga for Lower Back Pain : Cat Cow Yoga Pose for Lower Back Pain

Learn how to do the cat cow progression pose when using yoga poses for lower back pain relief in this free exercise video from a hatha yoga instructor. Expert: Elizabeth Rose Contact: www.artanayoga.com Bio: Elizabeth Rose is a registered Hatha yoga teacher with a background in modern dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and circus arts. Filmmaker: randy primm
 

 

 

Hatha Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain – 57 minutes

yogayak.com presents Michael Riel leading you through a one hour yoga flow designed to release those hard-working neck and shoulder muscles as well as loosening the related muscles and joints through the whole body. This class is designed to decrease headache and shoulder pain as well as increase awareness of how the whole body interrelates. Using twists, strength building postures and backbends, this class will help you bring circulation to your body after a long day. Duration 57 min…

Weight Gain Myths

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The vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly passed down from
“gym talk” and so-called experts who know nothing about the body’s workings.

Myths that lead to wasted time, frustration and if are taken blindly as truth, can really set back your progress in the gym. Don’t believe everything you hear in the gym when it comes to exercise and weight gain, do the research yourself.

Simple, basic principles apply to all weight and muscle gain such as progressive overload, variable frequency of reps and high intensity workouts. Lets take a look at some of the most common weight gain myths.

High repetitions burn fat while low repetitions build muscle.

Progressive overload is needed to make muscles bigger.
Meaning that you need to perform more reps than you did
for your last workout for that particular exercise.
If you perform the same amount of reps at each workout nothing
will change on you, also if the weight doesn’t changes on the bar nothing
will change on you. You need to become stronger.

Definition has two characteristics, muscle size and a low
incidence of body fat. To reduce body fat you will have to
reduce your calories; the high repetition exercise will burn
some calories, but wouldn’t it be better to fast walk to burn these off?
Better still; use the low reps to build muscle, which will
elevate your metabolism and burn more calories (less fat).

Vegetarians can’t build muscle.

Yes they can! Strength training with supplementation of
soy Protein Isolate has shown to increase solid bodyweight.
Studies have shown that athletic performance is not impaired
by following a meat free diet, and people strength training
and consuming only soy protein isolate as a protein source
were able to gain lean muscle mass.

Strength Training will make you look masculine.

If it is not you’re intention to bulk up from strength training
you won’t. Putting on muscle is a long hard slow process.
Your strength-training regime coupled with quality food will
determine how much you will bulk up. To bulk up you also require
more food. Women don’t produce enough testosterone to allow
for muscular growth as large as men.

By working out you can eat what ever you want to.

Of course you can eat whatever you want, if you don’t care
how you want to look. Working out does not give you an open license
to consume as many calories as you want. Although you will
burn more calories if you workout than someone who doesn’t,
you still need to balance your energy intake with you energy
expenditure.

If you take a week off you will lose most of your gains.

Taking one or two weeks off occasionally will not harm your
training. By taking this time off every eight to ten weeks
in between strength training cycles it has the habit of refreshing you and
to heal those small niggling injuries. By having longer layoffs
you do not actually lose muscle fibres, just volume
through not training, any size loss will be quickly re-gained.

By eating more protein I can build bigger muscles.

Building muscle mass involves two things, progressive overload
to stimulate muscles beyond their normal levels of resistance
and eating more calories than you can burn off. With all the
hype about high protein diets lately and because muscle is made
of protein, it’s easy to believe that protein is the best fuel
for building muscle, however muscles work on calories which
should predominately be derived from carbohydrates.

If I’m not sore after a workout, I didn’t work out hard enough.

Post workout soreness is not an indication of how good the
exercise or strength training session was for you. The fitter
you are at a certain activity, the less soreness you will
experience after. As soon as you change an exercise, use a
heavier weight or do a few more reps you place extra stress
on that body part and this will cause soreness.

Resistance training doesn’t burn fat.

Nothing could not be further from the truth. Muscle is a
metabolically active tissue and has a role in increasing
the metabolism. The faster metabolism we have the quicker
we can burn fat. Cardio exercise enables us to burn
calories whilst exercising but does little else for
fat loss afterwards.

Weight training enables us to burn calories whilst
exercising but also helps us to burn calories whilst
at rest. Weight training encourages muscle growth
and the more lean muscle mass we possess, the more
fat we burn though an increased and elevated metabolism.

No pain no gain.

This is one myth that hangs on and on. Pain is your body
signalling that something is wrong. If you feel real
pain during a workout, stop your workout and rest.
To develop muscle and increase endurance you may need
to have a slight level of discomfort, but that’s not
actual pain.

Taking steroids will make me huge.

Not true, strength training and correct nutrition will
grow muscle. Taking steroids without training will not
make you muscular.

Most steroids allow faster muscle growth through greater
recovery, while others help increase strength which
allows for greater stress to be put onto a muscle.
Without food to build the muscle or training to stimulate
it nothing will happen. Most of the weight gain seen
with the use of some steroids is due to water
retention and is not actual muscle.

Strength training won’t work your heart.

Wrong!! Strength training with short rest periods will
increase your heartbeat well over a hundred beats
per minute. For example, performing a set of breathing
squats and you can be guaranteed that your heart will
be working overtime and that your entire cardiovascular
system will be given a great overall body workout.

Any intensive weightlifting routine that lasts for
20 minutes or more is a great workout for your heart
and the muscles involved.

I can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Wrong. Only a few gifted people with superb genetics
can increase muscle size while not putting on body fat.
But for the average hard gainer, they have to increase
their muscle mass to its maximum potential and then cut
down their body fat percentage to achieve the desired shape.

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Read timely suggestions to how to loose weight – this is your individual knowledge base.

Runners who don’t train well can have marathon of miseries

By Judy Foreman

Study after study has shown that moderate, regular exercise can indeed reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hip fracture, and some kinds of cancer.

But exercising moderately takes patience and persistence. If you have not been exercising regularly, you should work up over several weeks to walking 45 minutes a day at least five days a week, said exercise physiologist Kerry Stewart at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

At first you may have to stop every few minutes and rest, he said. That's fine — just start up again. If you get chest pains or severe shortness of breath, of course, stop and call your doctor. If you have heart disease or have had a heart attack, check with your doctor before starting or substantially increasing your workouts.

You shouldn't underdo exercise, but you shouldn't overdo it, either. Chronic fatigue, trouble sleeping, muscle tiredness, nagging congestion or sore throat, persistent aches and pains, and depression are common signs that you may be working out too hard, said Siegel. To avoid this, try not to increase your exercise duration or intensity by more than 10 percent over any two-week period.

The easiest way to gauge whether you're working hard enough is to use the ''sing/talk test": Work hard enough that you can't sing but can talk.

Experienced athletes ''know how delicate the balance is between training to obtain optimal performance and overtraining to the point where muscle function begins to deteriorate," said Dr. Christopher Cooper, an exercise physiologist at UCLA. But for amateurs, finding that balance point can be hard.

As for marathoners, Wood and her Mass. General colleagues have found that running 26.2 miles can lead to clear signs of cardiac stress. They have found that cardiac troponin, a chemical that shows up in blood tests only when heart muscle is damaged, rises in 60 percent of runners, and in some, it rises so high that ''if you had just looked at these scores, these people would have been admitted to the hospital for heart attacks," Wood said.

They've found that another chemical, BNP, or brain natriuretic peptide, another red flag for cardiac dysfunction, goes up after a marathon in 60 percent of runners. Platelets also become activated and more likely to form the clots that can trigger heart attacks, according to a just-published paper by Siegel and Alexander Kratz, director of the hematology lab at Mass. General. And, as shown on echocardiograms, the heart's ability to relax after each beat remains impaired for at least several weeks in most marathoners.

Bottom line? You don't have to run a marathon to get into good shape. Just put on comfortable shoes, get out, and walk. Moderately. And consistently.

Preventing and Treating Running Injuries

By: Seamus Kennedy, BEng (Mech), CPed

Running has been referred to as the king of all workouts. It is an activity that has been embraced at varying levels of competence by nearly 11 million adults in the United States alone, according to the American Running Association. Running doesn't require the purchase or use of expensive equipment; it is possible to do it indoors or outdoors, usually year round. Not only does running provide a fantastic cardiovascular workout, it allows you to burn calories and clear your mind, leaving you with that relaxed, feel-good sense for many hours afterward. However, to reap these benefits on an ongoing basis, it is important to take precautions to prevent debilitating injuries.

For all the benefits of this great activity, there is no doubt that the repetitive nature of the stress it places on key joints can lead to breakdown. While there is some debate about what constitutes an injury, it has been estimated that up to 70 percent of runners will sustain some form of overuse injury during any one-year period. Anyone working in the orthotics, biomechanics, or sports medicine professions will see his or her fair share of running injuries. These injuries can be broadly classified as acute or chronic. Acute injuries are those due to sudden motions or twisting, such as an ankle sprain, which lead to soft tissue and/or osseous injury. These need to be treated immediately and allowed to heal.

Chronic injuries develop over time and are the result of repetitive stress that eventually leads to breakdown; e.g., patellofemoral syndrome. Chronic injuries account for well over 80 percent of running injuries, and they can develop from either an anatomical cause or a biomechanical issueand sometimes a combination of both. Because of its impact forces on the body, running greatly magnifies the extent of these anomalies. When experienced runners develop a chronic injury, it is often necessary to investigate what they have changed in their training practices.

To get a clear picture of any injury, it is necessary to do a full biomechanical exam. Evaluate the patient in stance and motion, non-weight bearing and weight bearing, in shoes and out of shoes. It is vital to follow the entire kinetic chainnot just treat the symptomto investigate the root cause of the problem. John Connors, DPM, a New York-based sports-medicine specialist, insists on watching his patients function in order to determine underlying causes. He will even run with his world-class patients in order to diagnose their etiology.

Common Running Injuries

Heel pain: Heel pain is a common complaint among runners. This is hardly surprising, given that the majority of runners who train on level ground at low to moderate speeds are heelstrikers. This running style produces an impact-force peak early in the stance phase, which can range from one-and-a-half to five times the runner's body weight. These impact forces are considered a primary cause of overuse injuries.

The classic sign of plantar fasciitis (PF) is heel pain that presents first thing in the morning and then decreases with activity. In the early stages, the patient usually can still exercise, only to be faced with more severe pain following a run. Typically, pain will be felt at the plantar-medial aspect of the calcaneus or at the middle aspect of the calcaneus.

There are other causes of heel pain that should not be ruled out without further radiographic examination. A calcaneal stress fracture may present like PF, but typically the pain does not subside as the day progresses. A positive calcaneal compression test can indicate the presence of such a fracture. Other considerations for heel pain include tarsal tunnel syndrome, neuritis of the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve, and tendinitis of the flexor hallucis longus.

Achilles tendinitis (AT): Achilles tendon injuries may be due to inflammation of the paratenon or the result of the degeneration of the tendon itself. It is broadly classified into two groups: insertional (occurring at the tendon/bone interface) and non-insertional (occurring proximal to its insertion, in or about the tendon proper). A physician's diagnosis will confirm the location and type of condition. AT can develop when the tendon contracts and tightens and is then over-stretched during exercise. There may also be a biomechanical component to the condition, given the tendon's broad insertion on the posterior calcaneus. Due to the cyclic rotation of the STJ from pronation through supination, there can be increased tension on the medial and lateral aspects of the tendon's insertion.

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS): This is a debilitating injury that presents as pain along the lateral aspect of the knee joint. It is sometimes accompanied by a clicking sensation. Current thinking is that ITBS results from weak core and hip muscles that fail to prevent tightening and strain the IT band.

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS): Commonly known as "shin splints," this pain is typically noted along the lower third of the posterior medial surface of the tibia. It can often result from improper biomechanics or by not following the training considerations described earlier.

There are many other injuries that you are likely to see in runners such as posterior tibial tendon pain, knee pain, and a variety of stress fractures. Forefoot pathologies can include functional hallux limitus, sesamoiditis, and second metatarsal phalangeal joint (MPJ) capsulitis, in addition to regular blisters, corns, and neuromas. Much has been written on each of these conditions and their specific rehabilitation treatments. "How to Detect and Treat Running Injuries," by Brian Fullem, DPM, (Podiatry Today, May 2005) covers the basics. It is an excellent resource.

Preventative Measures

Over the years, I have developed a great love for running, so I can say from personal experience as well as patient interaction that nearly all running injuries result from training errors. I try to follow my own advice on injury prevention as outlined above. I begin a run by forcing myself to stretch; I change out my running shoes as necessary, even if they look almost new; and I vary my workouts with swimming, yoga, and sometimes bicycling to ensure adequate rest. I am pleased to say that I am injury free. However, when injuries do occur, treatment will generally follow a protocol of relieving pain, resting, icing, stretching, focused strengthening, and improving biomechanics. Good support from shoes and orthotics, good running form, and good training habits, such as always stretching, will prevent the return of many of these injuries. I believe foot orthotics, whether custom or not, play an essential role in keeping a runner injury free by aligning the body properly. Regardless of foot type, appropriate orthotics will increase shock absorption and prevent end-of-range-of motion, thus protecting tendons, muscles, and joints.

Another strategy for preventing running injuries is to advise your patients to modify their running style. Recently, I have begun using a technique called ChiRunning© ( www.chirunning.com). In essence, ChiRunning aims to lessen the forces that most runners experience by introducing a slight forward lean and a biomechanically efficient flow to their running style. It advocates running with relaxed lower legs and using a mid-foot strike to avoid the braking and impact of heel strike. Since adopting the ChiRunning approach, I have found running even more enjoyable, not to mention less strenuous.

Hopefully, armed with this information and more, you can help your runners achieve their goals.

Séamus Kennedy, BEng (Mech), CPed, is president and co-owner of Hersco Ortho Labs, New York, New York. He can be contacted via e-mail atseamus@hersco.com, or visitwww.hersco.com

Training Considerations

Increasing mileage and/or speed: Make any changes in distance or tempo gradually.

Breaking in new shoes: Break in new shoes slowly over a few runs. Ensure that the last and sole design match the runner's foot type; i.e., pronator, supinator, or normal/neutral.

Running in old or worn-out shoes: It is recommended that runners switch out their sneakers every 300-500 miles. If sneakers are over-worn, they lose shock absorption and their ability to control rearfoot and subtalar joint (STJ) motion.

Running on unforgiving surfaces: Elite runners usually avoid running on roads too often due to the unrelenting hard surface and the banked edges. It is best to look for firm trails with some forgiveness, such as dirt, woodchips, fields, or boardwalk. Slightly uneven terrain also helps avoid an exact repetition of each stride.

New running style: Any change in running technique should be applied slowly, to allow the body to adapt.

Be aware that a change in weight, and even aging, can contribute to the onset of an injury.

 

To Stretch Or Not To Stretch

Author: Stan Reents, PharmD

If the average person was asked to define "fitness", he/she might point to the ability to run a distance race (ie., "aerobic fitness") or the ability to lift a large amount of weight (ie., "muscular strength"). But, flexibility is a component of fitness too, even though it may not get as much attention or respect as its siblings.

This brings us to the concept of stretching. Almost all athletes — from elite athletes down to the weekend warrior types — stretch. Thus, it seems intuitive that stretching prevents injuries….why else would everybody be doing it, right?

Indeed, recent studies have shown that stretching can influence the viscosity of the tendon and make it significantly more compliant. Thus, many believe that increasing the flexibility of a muscle-tendon unit promotes better performances and decreases the number of injuries. Because of this belief, stretching exercises are regularly included in warm-up and cooling-down exercises. However, the sports medicine literature is divided on whether stretching prevents injury.

But, before we get into the science, let's review some basics:

TYPES OF STRETCHING

To be precise, stretching can be classified into 5 different types:

• Ballistic Stretching: This is defined as: rapid lengthening (stretching) of a muscle by the use of jerking or bouncing movements, for example, bouncing down to touch your toes. This type of stretching is not recommended. In fact, it mimics the type of sudden stress that produces muscle injuries in the first place. Jerking a muscle into a full stretch causes it to lengthen beyond a safe stretch and may injure the muscle…exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achieve with stretching.

• Static Stretching: This type of stretching is characterized by a slow and sustained (eg., for 15-60 secs) lengthening of a muscle by the athlete without help from a partner. This is one of the best types of stretching because it does not pose the risk of injury to muscle and connective tissue as ballistic stretching does.

• Passive Stretching: Passive stretching is identical to static stretching, except that a partner is used to gradually move the arm or leg. The advantage of using a partner is that a greater range-of-motion can be achieved compared to stretching without a partner.

• Isometric Stretching: Isometric stretching is simply static stretching with the aid of an immovable object.

• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching: PNF stretching sounds more complicated than it really is. Technically, PNF stretching involves passive muscle lengthening with the use of a partner after an antagonistic muscle is contracted. PNF stretching is considered to be an excellent technic however the risk of injury is slightly greater than the other methods since the range of the stretch can be greater.

STRETCHING TO IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY

One of the benefits of stretching is that it does improve flexibility, albeit, short-term. Stretching, combined with warming up, has been shown to increase the flexibility of the ankle, hip, and knee joints (Thacker SB, et al. 2004). However, an improvement in flexibility does not automatically mean fewer injuries or improved athletic performance. This is where there is confusion in the literature.

STRETCHING AND MUSCLE PERFORMANCE

As mentioned above, while stretching does increase the flexibility of specific joints, greater flexibility, in turn, does not always lead to improved performance. After static stretching, the muscle-tendon unit is weaker for 10-15 minutes (or longer, see below). This phenomenon has been called the "stretch lag" period, or, "tendon slack".

In fact, in some cases, stretching actually worsens (measurements of) muscle performance. Stretching has been shown to impair maximal voluntary contraction force (Behm DG, et al. 2001), muscular endurance (Kokkonen J, et al. 2001), and one-repetition maximum (Kokkonen J, et al. 1998) when it occurs just prior to the performance assessment.

A study of 40 females using a vertical jump test to assess muscle performance revealed that adding PNF stretching to a general warm-up routine worsened jumping ability (Church JB, et al. 2001).

Another study shows the effect of stretching on muscular strength over time (Fowles JR, et al. 2000). Subjects performed 13 stretches of the plantar flexors, holding each stretch for 135 seconds during a period of 33 minutes. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) was assessed 6 times during the ensuing 60 minutes. MVIC was depressed as follows:

Time / Percent Strength Decrease

• Time 0: -28%
• 5 min: -21%
• 15 min: -13%
• 30 min: -12%
• 45 min: -10%
• 60 min: -9%

The authors concluded that an intense prolonged stretch (of the plantar flexors) reduces maximum voluntary force for up to 1 hour after stretching.

STRETCHING TO PREVENT INJURIES

Contradictory findings regarding the ability of stretching to prevent injuries have been reported in the literature. Stretching recommendations are clouded by misconceptions and conflicting research reports. Apparently, no scientifically based prescription for stretching exercises exists (Witvrouw E, et al. 2004).

One fundamental issue to consider is that, even though stretching improves flexibility, most injuries occur during an extremity's normal range of motion (ie., during eccentric contraction). Thus, it is illogical to conclude that improving flexibility will prevent most muscle injuries (Shrier I. 2000).

In 1999, Shrier reviewed the literature on stretching to prevent injuries. He found 12 papers with acceptable study design. Of those, 4 showed that stretching was beneficial, 3 showed that stretching was detrimental, and 5 showed no difference (Shrier I. 1999).

Australian researchers reviewed the literature in 2002 and found that stretching had no beneficial effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and did not reduce the risk of injury (Herbert RD, et al. 2002).

A subsequent literature review, published in 2004 (Witvrouw E, et al. 2004), was much more revealing. These authors proposed a possible explanation for why there is disagreement on the issue of whether stretching prevents injury:

Witvrouw and colleagues believe that the type of sports activity in which an individual is participating needs to be considered. Sports that involve a lot of bouncing and jumping activities with a high intensity of stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) (eg. basketball, football, soccer, tennis) require a muscle-tendon unit that is compliant enough to store and release the high amount of elastic energy that benefits performance in such sports. If the muscle-tendon unit is not compliant enough, the demands in energy absorption and release may rapidly exceed its capacity. This may lead to an increased risk for injury of this structure. Thus, when a sport demands stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) of high intensity, such as jumping or abrupt changes in direction, stretching may be important for injury prevention.

In contrast, when the type of sports activity contains low-intensity, or limited SSCs (eg. cycling, jogging, swimming), there is no need for a very compliant muscle-tendon unit since most of the forces come from active muscle contraction to generate motion. Strong evidence exists that stretching has no beneficial effect on injury prevention in these sports.

In other words, whether or not stretching prevents injury depends on the type of activity being considered.

Witvrouw and colleagues believe that if this point of view is used when examining research concerning stretching to prevent injuries, the reasons for the contrasting findings in the literature are in many instances resolved.

USE OF STRETCHING TO HASTEN RECOVERY AFTER AN INJURY

While stretching to PREVENT an injury is not always helpful, the use of stretching to hasten recovery AFTER an injury has been shown to be beneficial:

• Hamstring Injuries: A Greek study randomized athletes with hamstring strains to light stretching (once per day) or a more vigorous program (4 times per day). The study was conducted from 1996-2001 and randomized 40 athletes into each of the 2 plans. All 80 athletes received RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). The stretching involved static stretching for 30 seconds per stretch session.

The authors found that normal range-of-motion was achieved earlier in the 4 times per day group (5.6 days vs 7.3 days) and the time elapsed prior to achieving full athletic activity was also shorter in the 4 times per day group (13.3 days vs 15 days) compared to the once/daily group (Malliaropoulos N, et al. 2004.).

• Plantar Fasciitis: For plantar fasciitis, also known as "painful heel syndrome" or "proximal heel pain", stretching of the Achilles tendon has been shown to be beneficial in reducing pain, stiffness, and increasing range-of-motion (McNair PJ, et al. 1996; Porter D, et al. 2002). One study reported that a non-weight-bearing stretch of the plantar fascia was better than the classic standing Achilles tendon stretch (DiGiovanni BF, et al. 2003).

SUMMARY

Thus, while there still is some controversy regarding stretching to prevent injury, some conclusions can be offered:

• Stretching to PREVENT injury is most helpful in sports that involve sudden changes of direction, such as football, soccer, or tennis or sports that require lots of jumping such as basketball or volleyball. Stretching appears to be less helpful in sports that produce less shock to the muscles, such as cycling, jogging, or swimming.

• Do not stretch extensively (if at all) within 15-60 minutes prior to a competitive event.

• If you do stretch prior to a competitive event, work that muscle group for a few minutes to help the muscle(s) recover to their normal length and power capacity. For example, if you have just stretched your hamstrings and the front of your thighs to get ready for a race, do some light jogging for several minutes before the race begins.

• Avoid ballistic stretching: It is more likely to cause injury than other technics.

• Stretching injured muscles does appear to hasten recovery.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

A very succinct, yet thorough, review of the sports medicine literature on stretching was published in the Sept./Oct. 2002 issue of ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal (see Bracko MR, below). Although this publication is intended for sports medicine professionals, the article is written in an easy-to-understand style.

For a "how-to" book filled with diagrams, get the classic Stretching by Bob Anderson. Even though this book was originally published in 1980, it demonstrates every kind of stretch and stretching routine you can imagine.

REFERENCES

Behm DG, Button DC, Butt JC. Factors affecting force loss with prolonged stretching. Can J Appl Physiol 2001;26:261-272. Abstract

Bracko MR. Can stretching prior to exercise and sports improve performance and prevent injury? ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal 2002;6:17-22. (no abstract)

Church JB, Wiggins MS, Moode FM, et al. Effect of warm-up and flexibility treatments on vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 2001;15:332-336. Abstract

DiGiovanni BF, Nawoczenski DA, Lintal ME, et al. Tissue-specific plantar fascia-stretching exercise enhances outcomes in patients with chronic heel pain. A prospective, randomized study. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2003;85-A:1270-1277. Abstract

Fowles JR, Sale DG, MacDougall JD. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantar flexors. J Appl Physiol 2000;89:1179-1188. Abstract

Herbert RD, Gabriel M. Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. BMJ 2002;325:468. Abstract

Kokkonen J, Nelson AG, Andrew C. Acute muscle stretching inhibits maximal strength performance. Res Quart Exerc Sport 1998;69:411-415. Abstract

Kokkonen J, Nelson AG, Arnall DA. Acute stretching inhibits strength endurance performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:11A. (no abstract)

Malliaropoulos N, Papalexandris S, Papalada A, et al. The role of stretching in rehabilitation of hamstring injuries: 80 athletes follow-up. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004;36:756-759. Abstract

McNair PJ, Stanley SN. Effect of passive stretching and jogging on the series elastic muscle stiffness and range of motion of the ankle joint. Br J Sports Med 1996;30:313-317. Abstract

Porter D, Barrill E, Oneacre K, et al. The effects of duration and frequency of Achilles tendon stretching on dorsiflexion and outcome in painful heel syndrome: a randomized, blinded, control study. Foot Ankle Int 2002;23:619-624. Abstract

Shrier I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: a critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clin J Sports Med 1999;9:221-227. Abstract

Shrier I. Stretching before exercise: an evidence based approach. Br J Sports Med 2000;34:324-325. Abstract

Thacker SB, Gilchrist J, Stroup DF, et al. The impact of stretching on sports injury risk: a systematic review of the literature. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004;36:371-378. Abstract

Witvrouw E, Mahieu N, Danneels L, et al. Stretching and injury prevention: an obscure relationship. Sports Med 2004;34:443-449. Abstract

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan Reents, PharmD, is a former healthcare professional. He holds Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Counselor certifications from the American Council on Exercise and has been certified as a tennis coach by USTA. He is the author of Sport and Exercise Pharmacology (published by Human Kinetics). 

 

100+ Health and Wellness Resources for the Avid Runner

Runners have learned how to persevere beyond the pain and discomfort sometimes associated with their intense workouts. This doesn’t mean they have to be unhealthy or push themselves to the point of injury. Read the list below to find information on smart cross-training, ways to prevent injury, approaches to healthy living and nutrition, and much more. These resources will help keep you in great shape and in top health without losing your edge.

Running and Training Resources

Make sure you are training the healthy way with these online running and training resources.

1. Active Trainer. Get a training plan, use the free online log for your runs, and even get a personal coach with this online trainer.
2. The Less-Is-More Marathon Plan. Check out this proven plan that only allows three running days a week but increases speed, endurance, and efficiency.
3. The Marathon. This article offers great tips on choosing a training technique and offers four training schedules for the beginner, intermediate, advanced, and competitive.
4. 13.1: Not Just Half a Race. Find out how to train for a half marathon the healthy way in this article.
5. Hydration Tips. Ensure you aren’t getting dehydrated while running. Not only is it not healthy, it can also slow you down.
6. Health and Wellness on RunningForums.com. Get plenty of tips on this site from shortening your stride to the proper running shoes–then head over to the forums to hear what others have to say about running.
7. The Perfect Form. Find out what you can do from head to toe to get the best running form possible.
8. BreakingtheTape.com. This resource for runners includes news, blogs, a forum, and links to other running sites.
9. Distance Running Tips. This site, put together by a long-time runner and his coach with over 30 years of experience, you will find tips, tools, a personalized coach, running news, and more.
10. RunTex 5K/10K Training Program. Follow this training program to get in shape or improve your current running while training for either a 5K or a 10K.
11. 60 is the New 17:44. Find out why runners over 60 are doing so well and learn their training techniques to help your running.
12. A Coach’s Counsel. Learn what coaching legend, Jack Daniels, suggests to ensure you train for peak race performance.
13. The Pack Rules: Beat the Heat. From drinking enough water to wearing the right clothing, find out how to run safely in hot conditions.
14. 10 Tips for Running in the Cold. If you live in the northern regions of the nation, or anywhere it gets particularly chilly, you’ll appreciate these tips on running in cold conditions.

Cross-Training

Don’t forget your cross-training to enhance your running skills. Besides, the health benefits to cross-training are numerous, as well.

15. An Injury-Free Approach to Cross-Training. From swimming to Pilates to cycling, learn what exercises can complement your running routine.
16. How Strength Training Will Improve Your Running. Learn how weight training can improve your strength and time when running–especially for those running 20 to 50 miles a week.
17. Yoga for Runners. Find out how yoga naturally complements running by providing necessary flexibility, body awareness, and more.
18. The Everything Yoga Blog. Read the posts to gain information to improve your yoga practice or visit some of the other blogs and sites included here.
19. Free Picture Galleries of Hatha Yoga Poses. These helpful photos and accompanying text will improve your yoga practice whether at home or in class.
20. Bike About. The posts in this blog offer much more than just biking with thoughts on healthy eating, hiking, and more.
21. Four Keys for Cross-Training for Runners. Check out these four tips to ensure you are getting the most benefits from cross-training.
22. Abdominal Exercises–Best Ab Exercises–Core Workout. Many experts believe when you strengthen your core, you strengthen your whole body. Try these exercises to do just that (and get flat abs as a bonus).
23. Swimming for Runners Cross Training. Learn about the exceptional benefits of swimming as a cross-training tool for runners.
24. Cross-Training for Runners. Find out why and how to cross-train successfully. They also include a great list of running-friendly cross-training activities.
25. Mix It Up. This article not only offers cross-training activities, but it also breaks them down by body area of focus such as lower back or upper body.

Injury Prevention

Injury doesn’t have to be a part of running. Follow this advice and keep your body free from injury.

26. Train Hard and Rest Well. Read this article from master runner Alisa Harvey to learn the importance of rest time to prevent injury.
27. An Ounce of Prevention. Find great tips on preventing injury when running with this article.
28. Running Injury Prevention and Recovery Tools. These great gadgets will help you avoid or recover from your running injuries.
29. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome ("Runner’s Knee"). Learn how to avoid the most common running injury with this advice.
30. Strong Medicine. This article offers exercises to perform in order to build muscles that don’t normally get a workout while running and stave off injury.
31. Ice Baths: Cold Therapy. If you do any distance running, then learn how ice baths can work to prevent injury to your body.
32. Learn to Stretch Your Inner Thighs. This method of stretching your inner thighs will reduce the chance of injury due to either under or over-stretching.
33. How to Buy the Right Running Shoes. Go for comfort and injury prevention by ensuring you have the proper shoes for your foot and running style.
34. Head-to-Toe Running Stretches. Learn the best stretches to help avoid injury.
35. Avoid Your Next Blister. Find three easy ways to avoid getting blisters on your feet.
36. 10 Common Running Mistakes to Avoid. Follow this advice and avoid these 10 things in order to keep injuries at bay.
37. The Fix: A Primer for Treating Running Injuries. Learn what to do if you didn’t heed the above advice and have an injury.

Running Tools

These tools and calculators can help any kind of runner, no matter if you enjoy jogging around the neighborhood or are training for a marathon.

38. Smart Coach. This tools from Runner’s World allows you to enter information about your past runs and how you would like to start training to receive a training program that is individualized to your ability and goals.
39. MapMyRun. Use this tool to create a map of your runs, find a run, or log your training information.
40. Run the Nation. This site offers several tools to help with your running including a body fat calculator, race pace calculator, workout calorie counter, and more.
41. RunningAHEAD. With this tool, you can log and track your runs, and then analyze them to make sure you are staying on track with your goals.
42. Runworks Running Calculator. Enter the data from your last run into this calculator to find your level of fitness and help predict how you will do in longer races.
43. Runbayou: VDOT Calculator. Similar to the previous calculator, this one finds your level of fitness based on your last race. This calculator also provides paces for five different running zones to help you create the perfect training routine.
44. Runningmap.com. Use this tool to map your runs, plan for future runs, and even share your running maps with others.
45. Running4Women.com. This site offers lots of tools for women to use when training including a body mass index calculator, heart rate monitor, and a pace calculator.
46. MarathonGuide.com. This site offers running calculators, fitness calculators, and health/nutrition calculators. While written for those training for a marathon, any runner can find these calculators useful.
47. Track Lane Distance Calculator. If you run on a track, use this calculator to determine what the offset distance is for each of the lanes. You will need to know the specifics of the track and race details including lane width and distance of the race.
48. Walk, Jog, or Run Pace Calculator. Use this calculator to determine your pace no matter which mode of moving you enjoy. Just enter the distance you went and the amount of time it took you to do so.
49. Stride Distance Calculator. If you can’t afford a pedometer, this calculator can help you find the same information. By measuring your stride distance, you can determine the distance traveled very accurately.
50. JogTunes. Support indie artists and get great running music that matches your pace at this site.

Healthy Living

Make sure you are getting enough sleep, preventing illness, and generally approaching your health and wellness from a proactive position with these resources.

51. Time Management: How to run a marathon and still have time for sex. This article does an excellent job of both mapping out a training program that doesn’t rule your life and also describing why making time for the rest of life is important.
52. 9 Little Known Ways to Sleep So it Counts. Waking up from a full night’s sleep feeling exhausted is no good. Follow these tips to help you get the most from your sleep.
53. Six Sleep Tips. Using relaxation and visualization, these suggestions will help get you on your way to a good night’s (or day’s) rest.
54. Holistic Approach to Wellness. Being healthy is usually the goal for most people, yet it is easy for the balance in life to get disrupted and result in ill health. Read this article to examine your life and make sure you balance each of the facets to ensure continued good health and well-being.
55. 11 Odd but Simple Ways to Improve Your Health. Move beyond simply improving diet and exercise with these interesting suggestions.
56. 7 Simple Ways to Burst Out of Bed Each Day. These tips on taking a few extra steps to overall health will do more than just help those who struggle to get out of bed each morning. 
57. Top Ten Health & Wellness Gifts: For the Mind, Body, and Spirit. These are gifts worth getting all year round.
58. Whole Longevity. Find out how healthy living can increase your longevity and quality of life with the articles on this site.
59. Prevention is better than cure. This article about holistic healthcare explains how prevention is the best form of healthcare.
60. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, this comprehensive site offers information about specific forms of medicine, clinical trials, research, training, and more to help you stay healthy.
61. RoadID. Keep all your emergency contact information on you with this ID strap that can go on your ankle, wrist, or shoe.

Nutrition

Eating well and putting the right types of foods in your body are important to ensure you are in top shape. These resources will help you get the best nutrition.

62. The Athlete’s Kitchen: The ABCs of Sports Nutrition. Go through the alphabet to get important nutrition information for you as a runner.
63. RunFast Ideas for Healthy Snacking. This article offers advice on how and why to snack healthily as well as specific healthy snack suggestions.
64. Owner’s Manual: Ease Your Woes. Find out how adding probiotics to your diet can help runners, especially distance runners, fight off GI problems and upper respiratory track infections.
65. Do You Get Enough Probiotics In Your Diet?.While this blog post is specifically focused on weight loss, it does an excellent job of explaining why probiotics are important for your body.
66. Fueling the Runner: Bone Health. Learn how to avoid stress fractures and nurture your bone health with this article.
67. Superfoods. Goji berries and cacao nibs?  Learn what is so special about these superfoods and others that you might be more familiar eating with this podcast. Be sure to listen to the other installments in the superfoods series.
68. Top 15 Diet Hacks. This list offers tips on how to shift your eating habits to a more healthy style.  Don’t forget to read the Comments for more tips.
69. Organic Guide. Included in this blog are posts about organic-relevant news pieces as well as many organic food topics such as growing your own sprouts, finding a good juicer, and recipes.
70. Five Easy Pieces of an Organic Diet. Having a hard time going organic? This article will help you get started while making the biggest environmental impact.
71. 10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are some suggestions for what to eat and how to do it when you are short on time in the mornings.
72. Antioxidant Benefits From Drinking Green Tea. Learn about how antioxidants help your body and why green tea is such an excellent source.
73. Holistic Health Nutrition Facts. Browse this blog for tons of information about nutrition and keeping your body healthy. Topics include omega-3 fatty acids, preventing heart disease, and the health benefit of minerals.
74. 7 Fish Oil Benefits Proven by Research. Taking a fish oil supplement is incredibly beneficial to your body. Choosing a high-quality fish oil will ensure the best results and eliminate any "fishy" taste from the supplement.
75. Body-for-LIFE 10 Nutritional Guidelines. Even if you are a very active person, you cannot discount the importance of nutrition. These tips tell you how to get the most out of your workout with better eating habits.

Online Nutrition Tools

Keep your body strong for your running with these helpful tools that are a nice complement to the above nutrition resources.

76. Nutritional Guideline Calculator. Not only can you find out how many calories a day you need with this calculator, but it will also give you a breakdown of how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats you need.
77. Pack a Lunch. Use this tool to determine the calories and nutrition in the lunch you pack. Make combinations of entrees, sides, snacks, and drinks and you will see the total of calories and a breakdown of the vitamins you are getting with the entire lunch.
78. CalorieKing Food Database. Find out serving size for popular foods and drinks as well as the calorie, fat, and carbohydrate information for each. This database includes everything from beer to fast food to snacks.
79. Nutrition Data Daily Needs Calculator. Scroll down this page to enter your information into this calculator to discover what your nutritional needs are. The breakdown includes specific amounts of vitamins and minerals you should be getting each day.
80. The Bored.com Nutrition Calculator. Whether you want to scroll through the list of types of food or do a search for a specific food, you can find all the nutritional data. This calculator even does fast food, so if you want to learn about that breakfast at McDonald’s, just type in the name of your food and get the nutritional value.
81. Workouts for Women Nutritional Calculator. Type in your information to discover your nutritional requirements. The results are categorized by caloric expenditure and requirements for carbohydrates, fat, protein, and calcium.
82. Your Health Your Way Nutrition Calculator. Search for a particular food or add in all of your foods for an entire meal to find out the nutritional data for what you are eating.
83. Fast Food Nutrition Facts Calculator. Designed for determining the amount of calories your child is getting from fast food, this calculator also works for adults. Select menu items from several popular fast food restaurants and find out the percentage of calories received in that meal as well as fat content.
84. NAT Tool. Use this tool to determine the nutritional content of the food you eat. Just enter your age and gender and the food you want analyzed to receive a report.

Health and Fitness Calculators

Stay on top of your health and fitness progress with these online calculators.

85. Healthy Body Calculator. Plug in your age, height, weight, fitness levels, and any other information you may know about your body style to get a simple report about your overall health. You can also request nutrition facts to help you maintain, lose, or gain weight.
86. Activity Calorie Calculator. Tell your weight and the duration of your activity and this calculator will give you the amount of calories burned for 222 different activities.
87. Your Total Health. Choose from 11 different calculators (or choose all of them) to find out anything from your body mass index to daily calcium requirement to target heart rate.
88. Self.com Fitness Calculators. Use these calculators to find your BMI, ideal weight range, happy weight, and caloric needs. You can also select from 19 different activities to learn how many calories each one burns.
89. ExRx Fitness Calculators. This extensive list of calculators offers everything from body composition to male girth to risk class calculators. If you are looking for a fitness calculator, this is a great resource.
90. Health and Fitness Calculator v.1.0. Download this calculator to discover your BMI and what risks you have for size-related diseases. You will need your weight, height, and waist size to use this calculator.
91. Active.com Fitness Calculators. Calculate your pace, target heart rate, body fat index, body mass index, and more with these fitness calculators.
92. Changing Shape Health and Fitness Calculators. These calculators range from food fat content to daily protein requirements to one-rep calculator to help you determine your strength.

Running Blogs

Stay motivated and learn tips and techniques from others to keep you in top shape the healthy way with these informative and entertaining blogs.

93. A Passion for Running. This 40 year-old marathoner blogs about his experiences and accomplishments with both running and life.
94. Cool Running Viewpoint . This collaboration of posts keep runners informed about races, running news, and more.
95. The Complete Running Blog Network. Get news and videos in addition to helpful articles for running aficionados. This blog network is for runners of varying experience and fitness levels.
96. Riding the Wind. This blog offers runs, statistics, and details of each specific run. For distance runners especially, this blog provides a high standard for which to shoot.
97. Skyrunner.com. This blog breaks the mold of typical blogs, but offers plenty for running folks to enjoy nonetheless. Be sure to click on "Running & Rambling" for the list of articles.
98. LaSportiva Mountain Running Blog. If mountain running is your thing, check out this blog which details races, winners and more.
99. …miles to go before I sleep…. Trail runners will enjoy this blog that brings lively descriptions and photos of various runs.
100. irunfar.com. This blog features gear reviews, race previews, runner and trail profiles, and various topics on ultrarunning. The eclectic yet entertaining new format of this blog is worth reading.
101. See Mike Run. Anyone who runs in Banff must be in awesome shape. Read about Mike’s runs amidst the gorgeous scenery of Banff, and enjoy the photos he includes as well.
102. Cynical Mud Babe. Follow spunky Cynical Mud Babe as she chronicles her adventurous runs. The fun photos are worth a visit to this blog as well.
103. Run Dude, Run!. Deanna Stoppler takes her readers along for her runs with her descriptions and beautiful photos. You can also enjoy the side trips she offers as well, such as reading about her dogs, job interview wardrobe woes, and more.

 

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