These are notes from the running groups sessions with Luke, Francis and Terence at NYSportsMed.
Running is primarily an aerobic activity, requiring us to consume increased amounts of Oxygen as we engage in the sport. In order to ensure that we are maximally meeting the demands of our body, paying attention to the breath is fundamental for optimal running. A good breathing pattern can improve your performance and put you in an optimal state to help avoid overuse injuries.
Incorporate breathing with movement and impact.
- Practice belly breathing and breathing into the rib cage
- Using your breath, try to expand your rib cage and feel the breath push out into the middle back
- Practice exhaling when the non-dominant leg makes ground contact. This helps to tighten the core.
- To get into recovery mode:
- Breathe at 5 breaths per minute
- Inhale for 4 seconds, pause for 2 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds
- 2 x 2 minutes diaphragm breathing daily
- Pay attention to your breathing pattern with walking. If you're walking in a hurry or notice any neck tension try to focus your breath into your diaphragm
Your arms control your legs. Arms are the second most important area you can focus on, other than your breath (week 1). If your want your legs to go faster move your arms faster. Also, remember not to hold your hand tight or hold tension in your shoulders. Effectively and efficiently using your arms to control your legs/cadence. Pay attention to how your arms and legs work together.
Using your arms effectively & efficiently to control your legs and have that ideal cadence of 180 steps per minute.
- Your arms control the legs
- Using your arms when running up a hill you need to pump your arms higher to drive/pick up your knees
- Shake out your arms on downhills to relax you shoulders
- "Da-Vinci" Exercise This video will guide you to execute proper diaphragm breathing technique and the DaVinci exercise.
Hold 1 min Stand still Engage core Activate shoulder blade muscles and relax arms Hold 1 min, then repeat 2 or 3 times.
- Pay attention to how you use your arms during the day to make sure you are releasing tension in your sholders and neck.
Increasing our cadence during runs decreases: the length of our stride contact period with the ground, hence reducing impact and stress on the lower extremity increases the efficiency and utilization of energy of our body during the run
To increase our cadence during each run until we are comfortable sustaining 180 steps per minute.
- Use an external auditory source to establish the rhythm, a metronome works best (metro timer from the app store is free)
- Select a cadence >170 BPM and match your foot strikes with the beat – Goal is to be able to sustain 180 BPM
- Exhale every other beat on the non-dominant side; your breaths will be shallower and more rapid but it will help increase the oxygen uptake during the activity
Read more about metronome cueing here.
- Allows us to run with minimal stress on the upper extremity
- Improves our breathing capacity
- Activating our core minimizes pressure on the spine and limits stress on the lower extremity
To lead with our “heart” as we run while maintaining a engaged core with no breaking at the hips
- Bring your shoulder blades together and down (visualize that you’re pulling them down and tucking them into your back pocket)
- Draw your belly button back and up towards your spine
- Lean forward at your ankles and not your hips as you run
Practice running up a hill, lead with your chest pushing forward and lean from your ankles. Repeat this drill 8-10 times to accentuate the feeling of “forward leaning” with good posture and core activation
- Efficiently transition between initial contact with the ground to forward propulsion;
- Minimize stress on the joints during impact;
- Utilizing body momentum to propel ourselves forward.
To limit over striding
- Focus on your foot landing evenly underneath your body;
- Visualize your knees coming up towards your chest to minimize “whipping" out of your foot;
- As your foot prepares to push off, focus on evenly spreading pressure amongst the toes.
On a flat surface, forward bounding for 10-15 reps. Focus on forward propulsion vs vertical elevation. Remember: The goal is to move as far forward as possible and not to go as high as you can. This will give you a feel of being able to utilize the whole foot during push off.
A consistent warm-up routine will help you run better and prevent injury.
- Breathe first
- Initiate movement from the core
- Use your arms
- Lift the legs
- Watch your cadence (aim for 180 steps/min)
- Warm up
- Exercises: Again, diaphragm breathing is extremely important, so make sure you are doing it correctly by watching this video.
From diaphagm breathing, continue into the Da Vinci exercise. Then incorporate the following exercises for strong legs and core:
- Hip activation series (Clam shells, reverse clams, side leg lifts)
- Bridges
- Single leg bridges
- Mini squats - VMO
- Cool down
- Stretch and b r e a t h e!
- Foam roll the legs to bring blood flow to the muscles
- High knees
- Butt kicks
- Walk on your toes, then just on the heels
- Side shuffle making sure to swing the arms, alternate sides
- Cross over shuffle, alternate sides
- Walk 3 steps and on the 3rd bring your knee up and hug it to your chest
- (soldier march) Walk 3 steps and on the 3rd step bring a straigh leg up to connect with the opposite hand
- Hip activation series (Clam shells, reverse clams, side leg lifts)
- Alternating leg extensions while half sitting and balancing yourself on the ground
- 'dead bug' opposing arm and leg extensions
- Standing on the right leg, bring the left knee up and right arm up (as if you're running). Now bring up your left arm and lower the right while bringing down and extending your left leg behind you (still balancing on the right leg). Switch sides.