The reason it is a problem is because that puts you in a running pattern so straight that it causes you to use your joints and muscles in a way you were never designed to.

Ponder our fellow predators for a moment.

Of all the animal kingdom, we are the only one that runs for personal enjoyment

Most other animals develop their ability to run from a survival instinct. If they cannot chase down the slowest zebra/antelope/meal of choice, they go hungry that day. They learn to run, dodge, creep, change direction, sprint and jog as part of their hunting strategy.

But they rarely do it in one direction. Their ability to change direction with speed is usually directly correlated to their ability to catch their next meal.

Humans don’t need to run to escape predators. However, even after generations of laziness our hunting instincts are still strong – take for example of the young child and the voracity with which they set upon the unsuspecting ice cream truck. Natural predatory instincts if ever I saw them.

Seriously… Does any other song spike adrenalin through the system quite like the ice cream truck song?

(While we are on the subject, is it just me or does that guy have the cruise control set on ‘just a couple of mph faster than an 8 year old kid can comfortably run’).

What most of us fail to realize is if we are on a real surface (such as an outdoor trail), we are constantly changing direction, turning corners, moving on uneven surfaces and generally switching up our running pattern and loading our muscles differently with every step.

If we are on a treadmill, we have no choice but to run in a straight line.

If he’s not careful he might tear a ‘hamster-ing’

The next time you watch animals or small children play, watch how they move.

You will notice they will rarely move in a straight line for any extended period of time, but instead will follow a zigzag pattern (without necessarily any rhyme or reason). Just a few of the positive result of this type of ‘play’ is that they develop different muscles, have healthier joints and better balance.

Because animals often run or chase each other in a play-like fashion, I might also be bet they probably enjoy themselves while running around haphazardly… Certainly more than the docile folk you see strolling on the treadmill at an easy Sunday afternoon pace whilst reading one of the latest New York times bestsellers (come on people! It’s a gym, not a Barnes and Noble – at least get a glisten on your brow, for heavens sake!).

Okay Mr Smartypants Personal Trainer – I have been running in a straight line

Whats the big deal about that?

Heres why:

Identical movement pattern repeated equals the same joint pattern of wear and tear, which equals a fast road to Joint Pain City – population, you.

If we move the same joint in exactly the same direction and hit the joint in the same position repeatedly, we can wear the joint down faster and use the same muscles too much, creating strength and flexibility imbalances.

However, if we ‘spread the wear’, our joints have a better chance to regenerate, to be healthier, more functional and be able to keep moving for longer.

A few ideas for balancing the load on your muscles/joints:

Vary the speed, incline and modality of your cardio workouts to make sure you are using the joints in a slightly different intensity, patten and direction each time you hit the gym.

Running on different types of surfaces, whether an outdoor running trail, indoor track or local park, the most important factor to consider is variety. Keep your joints working on different surfaces and you guarantee a variety of wear (not to mention stronger joints and better muscle tone).

As the saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life”. Given what we now understand, maybe they should change the saying to “Variety is the secret to stronger, healthier knees, ankles, hips and muscles that surround each of those joints”.

Yeah, I agree. The first way is a little easier to say. But so less imaginative, don’t you agree?

How are YOUR joints? What do you do to mix up your cardio to make your workout a bit more curvy and less straight? Sharing is caring, I always say.

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• Crosstraining
• Yoga
• Working out
• More running

The nemesis to the blue man group: the rainbow man group!

All of the above can certainly help to improve the bodies ability to run, but do they specifically improve the bodies ability to run?  Even more specifically, do they improve the bodies ability to absorb impact?  This is key to consider, since we can improve our bodies ability to accelerate through each stride, but what about how the body reacts and responds when it hits the ground?

So lets go through your options for what conventional methods would have you do.

CrossTraining:

Positives:

• Depending on activity, probably one of the best options
• improves general strength
• Focus on different muscle patterns

Negatives:

• Fails to address potential weaknesses that may already exist in the body

It was then that Janet realized that she had discovered the 'reverse charlies angel' pose

Positives:

• Improve flexibility
• gain inner peace

Negatives:

• Are you stretching muscles that are already loose, increasing muscle imbalances?

Working out:

Positives:

• Chance to work upper body
• Improve power, speed and strength

Negatives:

If done incorrectly, can:

• tighten up the body
• shorten stride length
• increase chance of injury

More running:

Positives:

• You already know how to do this very well

More practice on technique

Negatives:

• Joints do not get rest
• Muscles do not get rest
• Strong muscles get stronger, weak muscles stay weak
• Traditional workouts have you working out in a completely different way to which you run

The next step:

Want a training modality that addresses your own physical strengths and weaknesses, balances and imbalances?

You need structured, consistent workout plan that focuses on training your body in the way it is designed to move, in the way that it moves when it runs.

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]]> http://denverrunning.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/want-to-improve-your-running-classes-that-can-ruin-your-stride/feed/ 0 jamieatlas runningblueman extremeyoga runningworkout1 subscribe-button button Learn http://denverrunning.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/denver-running-conditioning-run-injury-free-this-season/ http://denverrunning.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/denver-running-conditioning-run-injury-free-this-season/#comments Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:57:43 +0000 jamieatlas http://denverrunning.wordpress.com/?p=4 ]]> Your training has missed an important step that can cut short your running career by decades.

You might often think about how to improve your running times, technique and different ways to get more out of your running – but when have you thought about improving your ability to absorb the impact created with each high velocity step?

After a freak laundry accident involving the team jerseys, the girls decided to run anyway!

The human body is an amazing machine, but is it possible to improve its shock absorption ability?  What could the body do, how much further could you run if you were to have a smoother operating stride, better impact distribution and reduced muscle soreness?

The answer might be simpler than you think.

Notice the right leg being forward while the left leg is back? Natural running happens in opposites

The next running step you take will involve rotation.  It won’t be a major one, but it will be significant.

Your upper body will counter-rotate relative to your hips in an attempt to balance your legs and build kinetic energy in preparation for your next long, powerful stride.  Your ankle will hit the ground and internally rotate ever so slightly as your arch flattens then responds to convert your potential energy to kinetic in a perfectly coordinated movement.

Wow, was that a description of a running stride or did I just channel Jackie Collins?

Here’s what I meant to say:  When you run, you rotate.  You rotate slightly through every joint and you do it in a certain order that is very complicated.

If you ignore the rotation aspect of your body then you are failing to address the very essence of your running.

Take a look at this picture below.  One of the four people is NOT  ‘pretending’ to run.  See if you can spot them:

Who of the above is NOT pretending to run? Hint: watch how the upper body and lower body are captured

The answer?  Well actually the 2nd and 4th person are pretending to run – the 3rd guy (with the cap) is running – notice how the body is loading onto the front foot… More importantly, notice the guy on the left and how his left hand is leading his left foot.

Stretch and strengthen the subtle.

Want to know what you can do?  Work your body in rotation:

Practice rotating your body – do 1 arm pulls, pushes, 1 leg squats and lunges with rotation.  Need some help with suggestions?  If only there was a small group class in the Denver Highlands area that trained runners to run faster, better and longer – without running a single stride…

Waaaait a secooond!  There is!

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People often get confused as to which is the better option for their workout – treadmill, or outdoor running. The decision can be difficult to make without the right information.

Mimes. Easily confused, but not as creepy as clowns.

Before I get into the major differences, here is something to consider. If we can work more muscles then we will burn more calories.

However, we need to make sure that our joints do not get overloaded at the same time. A key phrase to remember when deciding what to use, is the phrase ‘repetitive patterns’.

Repetitive patterns can be a major cause of joint pain, muscle imbalances and unfashionable sweaters from your Granny at Christmas.

Repetitive patterns of movement can wear your joints out faster- repetitive patterns in sweaters are just destructive to your sense of fashion… Seriously – is that guy wearing…. a leather kilt?!

By mixing up the variables on any given routine you can improve your results in the following ways:

Increased overall cardiovascular ability – if we continue to do the same program our level of cardio can become stagnant, even decrease.

Decreased chance of injury – by training in different ways, I give key muscles a chance to rest while other neighboring muscles have a chance to work – this allows my body to recover partially while working a variety of muscles in different ways.

Reduced boredom - lets face it, we all want to enjoy our workouts more. The only way to keep things fresh… is to keep things fresh! Mixing up the programs at least keeps us guessing – and if we can make sure we feel the burn at the end of it all, then we are on track to improve our results but also on track to make sure we are motivated to turn up for the next workout!

Why you should think twice about using the treadmill:

When you take a step on a treadmill, every step is just a little bit different. You can reduce the range of your steps or increase them if you are jogging/running. It also means that different muscles are being worked and a variety of muscles means better results when compared to a locked position (such as you would find with an elliptical or a bicycle).

However, it means that if you are tight in the hips, you might be walking with a reduced range as opposed to an elliptical making you take longer strides which would lengthen out your hips (and so the paradox unfolds). So if you have tight hips I might recommend spending more time on the Elliptical – or to tackle the problem at the source, try doing some hip flexor stretches?

I like:

I like that you are able to self-select your own stride and I also like that it means you are working your body in a slightly different way with each step.

I like that you can do a large variety of things on the treadmill like walking and running (which may not seem like a bunch, but the action of walking, jogging and running are all thoroughly different movement patterns with different muscles and loads

I don’t like:

I don’t like that people crouch over the treadmill as if they are about to make out with the start button.

I don’t like that people hang on to the rails as if they are about to get pulled under the moving belt.

Major advantage: Your body uses more lower body but also rotates as you walk/run which means more muscles worked and more calories burned for your time spent watching Ellen/Oprah/That guy from the money channel who just yells and smashes things all the time.

Major disadvantage: Higher impact than bike or elliptical means joints get more of a pounding compared to a bike or elliptical which means you must be more careful with your program variety as you progress.

Overall:

The treadmill is an excellent piece of equipment – although misunderstood by many.

Do not confuse the action of walking/running on a treadmill with the action of walking/running on real ground (again, Click here and here if you are interested to know why). It may look the same to our untrained eyes, but your body knows the difference – just like my wife knows a fake gucci.

I couldnt tell you the difference even if you showed me the ‘made in china’ label (made in China means they are fake, right?), but with one glance – she knows.

I’m not sure what is worse – buying a fake gucci or making ‘mans best friend’ wear a high fashion backpack. I bet all the other dogs beat him up as soon as he gets to doggy daycare.

Your body knows the difference between being on ground and the treadmill. It doesnt mean it isnt good for your body and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it every now and then. But it does mean that if you are doing it so you can go on a hike or go running in a triathlon that you should consider

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