Running Therapy
Once running becomes a regular form of exercise you must be aware and listen to your body. Many runners become ignorant of their bodies ability to recover and do not look after the muscles and joints. Things to be aware of and treat appropriately:
ITB tightness – That niggling pain on the outside of your knee can indicate tightness in the iliotibial band (ITB), a long band of connective tissue that runs from the hip to the knee. Using a foam roller to ease tightness in the band itself is helpful, but it’s also a good idea to work on the muscle that attaches to the ITB: the tensor fasciae latae (TFL). This is the muscle that pulls the ITB tight. The TFL lies just to the front of the hip, so to roll it out, lie on your side, but tilt slightly forward. Do not roll on the hard bony part of the hip. If you find it tight area, hold for a moment, and then continue to roll back and forth.
Stretching you MUST stretch you quads and hamstrings each time you have run. Best way for quads is to lie on your side with your bottom leg bent and knee and hip flexed to 90 degrees, then draw your top leg back until you feel a stretch (not a strain). Best way for hamstring is to sit on a chair or fitball with one leg out straight and bend forward from the hip keeping your shoulders back and chest forward. Keep lowering towards the toe and once you feel a stretch (not a strain), hold for about 30 secs, repeat each leg.
If you are feeling a bit niggly ice the area. Use a wet cloth over a bag of peas or ice pack and hold on the area for 10 minutes only, re-apply every few hours if need be.
Have at least one or two days a week off running and use that time to do some cross training or simply rest. I recommend you do strength training to help those muscles in the body get stronger and contain more endurance in them.
Book in for regular massages, you need to keep the body maintained, – you cannot expect your body to take on all that pounding run after run, without getting worn out.. If you want to gain best times/distances etc, you have to make sure everything is running well – so look after that body of yours, you are not benefiting from that “I’ll be right” attitude.
Check out some of my running schedules for those of you wanting to start running, or increase your distances and even participate in some long distance events.
But remember keep it healthy – do not obsess as a training plan is just that – A PLAN.
It’s not a set of laws or commandments.
You have to have balance with active v’s non active!
