CONDITIONING AT HOME
THE LINKS IN THE CORNER
WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT AT HOME
We incorporate all of these things in to our training at the club, especially on a Monday evening. However, you can gain maximum benefit from all of these things by doing them a couple of times between Monday sessions in the comfort of your own home. Once you know what you are doing they only take a few minutes and can be done in front of the TV, or plugged in to the ipod.
The more you do these exercises CORRECTLY, the less likely you will be to get injured and the stronger you'll be at the end of a race when your body is getting tired.
CORE STABILITY
We run across our body moving left leg with right arm and vice versa. When we've been running a long time or when we are near the end of a race the middle or 'core' of our body gets tired which means our running action becomes ragged, our running action is less effective, and we are more likely to pick up an injury. Carrying out these exercises makes our core stronger and more stable meaning we can run faster and reduce the risk of injury.
LOWER LEG STRENGTH
An issue for distance runners, especially young distance runners can be pain in the calves or ankles. If we strengthen and imprve the flexibility of these areas we can reduce the chance of pain.
STRETCHING
Along with strength work, stretching helps correct muscle imbalances. Tight muscles can lead to poor running action and injury. Concentrated stretching should be done AFTER exercise while the muscles are still warm, i.e. after sessions or an easy run. Stretching can be uncomfortable but shouldn't be painful or sharp. You should hold each stretch for 20-30sec, continuing to breathe and relax throughout.
Click here for an excellent description of core strength and exercises for athletes from the Sports Medicine Institute, Palo Alto, California.
Click here for 5 simple lower leg exercises.
Click here for some good stretches from Cool Running that print off nicely.
