Shinsplintssuck.com

Shin Splints

I’ve received a few questions about this….

One common injury among runners (or dancers even) is that of shin splints (or the fun, scientific term:  tibial stress syndrome).  As a runner if you do too much, too soon, ramp up your workouts, or even by just sprinting to class, work etc. you know you may have a shin splint when you feel a sudden pain in the lower front part of your leg.  While they can go away on their own through rest, there are times when the symptoms are much more serious that require medical attention.  Through this article I will go into more detail about how they are caused, the symptoms, and preventative measures you can take so you don’t get them.

Stress fractures tend to be caused by weak calf muscles, running incorrectly when going uphill (putting a lot of stress on the lower front part of your leg, or improper running form), or even overpronation, in which means you may have the wrong pair of running shoes.  If you have weak bones, that too can be a cause of a stress fracture.

One obvious symptom of a shin splint is pain in the lower front part of your leg.  Some feel it only during running, others after running, or obviously both.  Another symptom is if you notice your lower leg muscles swelling up.

Preventitive measures:

                -Health wise ensure you are getting some calcium (or as I call it calciyum!) in your diet, which of course aids your bone health.  Some foods that contain a decent amount of calcium are the following:
                                -Yogurt (plain, nonfat the best.  A lot of yogurt has a lot of fat content so watch for that)
                                -Low fat milk
                                -Cheese (American, ricotta, mozzarella, etc.)
                                -Spinach               -Salmon
                                -Almonds

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/calcium/a/06_calcium_food.htm

            -Exercises to strengthen the shin
                        Exercise 1:  Calf Raise

-Stand with ball (front) of foot on step, heel (back) of foot lowered
                                    -Raise your heels a few inches and hold the position for a second
                                    -Slowly lower heels back to the starting position

                        Exercise 2:  Toe raise
                                    -For this one make sure you are sitting with feet on the floor
                                    -Keeping the heel of your foot on the ground lift the rest of your foot up as high as possible.  Hold for a few seconds and return the foot back to the floor.
                                    -3 Sets of 15 should do the trick.

            -Treatments for shin splints                         -When you begin feeling pain in the shin area make sure you put ice on it right away, which will limit the swelling or ‘bleeding’ of the shin area.  Its suggested to ice every 5-10 minutes every few hours.  Never use heat right away!

                        -Aspirin / Ibuprofen – helps relieve pain quicker.

                        -Resting or not working out that certain area is very important.  It sucks but it has to be done in order to heal.  It will at least give you time to reflect back on the mistake you made, how it was done, and to never do it again.

Shin splints, like other pains or muscle soreness, tend to go away after a few days.  If you’re like me though I will still find ways to exercise everything else and not use a certain injury as an excuse.  I probably won’t work out as intense but I will definitely do something to keep myself going.

Until next time….Take Action and stay JustInpired!

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/shin-splints?page=2

‘Running Well’ - http://www.amazon.com/Running-Well-Sam-Murphy/dp/0736077456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335377066&sr=8-1

Back Pain @ Work

This  is a common one I tend to get from people I've spoken with, either at the gym or at my work.  Since I'm aware of a lot of people who work in the office environment, including myself who has worked in that environment before and suffered from this as well, I am dedicating this weeks blog to back pain while at the work place....Noteably through the lower back.
The first half of this article will focus on how the back pain is generally caused and I will then move to focus on workouts you are able to do to prevent it. 


Common Causes of Back Pain:
Force - Exerting too much force on your back, such as lifting or moving heavy objects improperly

Posture - Slouching exaggerates your back's natural curves, which can lead to muscle fatigue...This might be the number one reason why people suffer from LBP because of the fact when you slouch you tend to put a lot of pressure on that area.

Stress - Pressure at work, getting time sensitive material done can increase your stress level and lead to muscle tension and tightness, which can worsen your symptoms.

How to Prevent Back Pain:

Pay Attention to Posture - To promote good posture when sitting, choose a chair that allows you to rest both feet flat on the floor while keeping your knees level with your hips. If necessary, prop your feet with a foot stool or other support. If the chair doesn't support your lower back's curve, place a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back.

Lift Properly - When lifting and carrying a heavy object, lift with your knees and tighten your core muscles. Hold the object close to your body and lift it between your legs. Maintain the natural curve of your back. If an object is too heavy to lift safely, find someone to help you.

Listen to your Body - If you must sit or stand for a prolonged period, change your position often. Try taking a 30-second break every 15 minutes to stretch, move or relax. Or, stand up, stretch and change positions each time you answer the phone, make a call or do another routine task.

Types of Workouts You can Do While at Your Desk!!

Leg Squat

1) Legs - Squats - Stand in front of your chair and repeat sitting down and standing up 10 times, three times a day.

2) Shoulder Shrugs - Just pull your shoulders as high as you can and roll them forward.  Repeat 3 sets, ten times forward, ten times backward throughout the day.  Make the shrugs more challenging by incorporating weights.

3) Dumbbell Curls - While on the phone, you can grab a dumbbell and do bicep curls for 12 repetitions on each arm, three times a day. Straighten your arms by your side and bring your hand (dumbbell) to your shoulder. Keep your palms up. Do one at a time if on the phone.

4) Bench Dips - Using your chair or sturdy table, place your hands on the edge of the object and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than the seat. Raise yourself by straightening your arms. Repeat this three times a day, doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

5) Assisted Push-up - In the office, lean up against your desk and push yourself away from the desk while in a leaning position. Repeat this three times a day, doing 3 sets for 10 repetitions. (works chest, triceps, shoulders, as well as the abdominal region)

Side Bend

Bench Dip

6) Side Bends: Hold a weight with both hands and stretch it up over the head, arms straight. Gently bend towards the left as far as you can, contracting the abs. Come back to center and repeat to the right. Complete 10 reps, 3 times throughout the day (bending to the right and left is one rep).

Sources:

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/workouts/office-workout

Combining Running with Strength Training Regimens!

Combining Running with Strength Training Regimens

From conversations with customers at work and just through casual running conversations with folks I tend to get a common issue that tends to happen to them after running after an extended period of time and that issue is some sort of running pain.
Of course when it comes to running not everyone is created equal so they may experience pains in the ‘back of the foot,’ ‘shin pains,’ or ‘knee pain.’  The issues could come from improper running form, old and worn down shoes, or possibly doing too much, too fast. 

Through my own experiences however, I have learned to prevent the types of running pains some experience is including lifting regimens with your running.  In this article I will cover each main muscle group in your legs, the benefit of training each one, and a type of workout you can do to better strengthen them.

Quads – The quadriceps muscle is the largest muscle group in your body.  It helps extend your knee, so of course strengthening this muscle will help protect or knees or in other prevent what a lot of people suffer, “Runner’s Knee”   Provides stability when running, one of the main muscles used for uphill running, also the main muscle used for sprints.  

            Exercise:  Squat

Starting Position- Begin with your feet directly under your hips and hands by your sides.

To perform- Keeping the majority of your body weight on the heels, begin to sit down as though sitting on a chair. Keep your back as upright as possible. Go as low as you feel comfortable, pause, and return to start.

Tips and Techniques-

 

– Inhale as you squat down. Exhale as your lift back to start.

– Don’t allow your knees to extend past your toes. If it does, move your body weight back on your heels more.

– Only allow the knees to bend to a 90 degree angle. No lower.

– Pause slightly at the bottom of your squat. This makes the quad exercise more intense.

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Hamstrings – Helps maintain a longer stride while running and delays fatigue, especially in longer runs.


                    




    Exercise:  Single Leg Deadlift:
                       

1.  Stand holding a dumbbell in front of your standing legs thighs. Left hand can be placed under the left side of the dumbbell and right hand should be placed under the right side of the dumbbell.

2.  Place your left or right leg out behind you. Toes can be touching the floor behind you or be lifted
completely off the floor to make the lift harder.

3.  Keeping your shoulders back, abs in and the back straight, bend from the hips and lower the dumbbell towards the floor.

4.  Lower down to mid shin level. You wont be able to touch the floor with a dumbbell like you would with a barbell due to the weight plates on a barbell making it sit higher when on the floor. When the dumbbell reaches knee level you will need to bend your knees slightly until you reach mid shin level.

5.  Keep everything tight with your back rigid (no rounding) and eyes looking forward and explode up through your heels to the starting position. Repeat for opposite leg.
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 Calf Muscles – Calf muscle is essential for raising the heel (back) of your foot.  It also not only prevents ankle sprains but also provides your ankles with a wider range of motion when running.  If you ever experience any ankle or pains in the heel of your foot, it tends to be from having weak calf muscles.


                        Exercise:  Calf Raise

-Stand with ball (front) of foot on step, heel (back) of foot lowered
                           -Raise your heels a few inches and hold the position for a second
                            -Slowly lower heels back to the starting position

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Groin Muscle - having a strained or torn groin muscle can restrain you more from moving your thigh muscles in different directions, as well as inhibit your ability to run at a faster pace.

Exercise:  Side Lunge

               1 -Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides.
              
               2 -Take a wide step out to the side with your right foot

               3 -Sit your hips back until your right knee is bent at a 90-degree angle

               4 -Press up with your right foot, while bringing your left leg in to return to the starting position
               5 -Switch legs and execute the movement on the left side.

               6 -Repeat the side lunge for 3 sets of 15 on each side

        

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Through reading this you should now hopefully have a better understanding of each leg muscle group and the importance of training each one.  Combining strength training with your current running program will enhance your performance, as well as prevent potential injuries that may inhibit your ability to perform at a high level.  Personally I have definitely noticed better run times since 'mixing things up' and leading to competition I anticipate only to continute to improve.

Thanks for reading.....Comments much appreciated!

Take action, stay inspired!

-JustInspired Fitness


References:

Livestrong.com

http://fitness.zimtech.org/WeightLiftingForRunners.htm

Time to Take ACTION....Time to get INSPIRED!

An introduction..... 

(Left) March, 2008 (Right) March, 2012

It's been now over three years to the day that I decided to change my life for the better from a physical standpoint.  I couldn't tell you how many times in the past I said I was going to 'get in shape' and it just never happened, I was always putting it off and making excuses....
Simply put I got to the point where I just feel like shit about myself and decided that I wanted to finally make a change....and as the blog title states, 'take ACTION!'

 I started getting to the gym, which began at first with a simple hour long cardio session and the more I started results, the more motivated I became...slowly I incorportated weight lifting regimines into the program, as well as changed up my diet...I used to go out 3-4 nights a week on late-night eating and drinking binges, which I evolved to only going out maybe 2 nights a week at the very most.

First half marathon, September 2011

Over time people started noticing my results at the gym and just in general everywhere I went...I would get asked what workouts I did, how many reps I should do, etc.  I figred then if I was sharing workouts and what I did, I might as well as become a certified personal trainer - this has helped me more in improving not only others results, but my own as well, since I am more aware of what works and what may not.

I still get a lot of questions pertaining to fitness and health and becuase I don't always get a lot of time to answer everyones questions, that's what got me into starting this page...besides, it gives me something to do :) I hope that the information I share will not only be helpful, but possibly inspire you as well

 -JustInspired Fitness