Jill S. Brown: McFitness: Are Fitness Classes Going the Way of Fast Food? First there was McDonald's, then Burger King then, almost overnight, dozens more following the same franchise business model sprang up. Seems like this is what's happening in the fitness world now too, only not as fast. Let's face it, more people east fast food than go to gyms (sigh). Imagine you're a member at a gym and you decide you're going to start taking some sort of group exercise class that interests you (it could be a kickboxing, weightlifting, yoga, dance, indoor cycling, whatever floats your boat). Your instructor has been teaching the exact same workout for a few weeks, and you've gotten it down almost to memory.
Now imagine you have to travel out of town to a few different cities. As luck would have it, the gym you're a member of has locations nearby. You notice the same class you've been taking at your local gym is on the schedule here, so you venture in and lo and behold, it's the exact same routine you were doing back home. Natural Race Food Alternatives. Race nutrition can be an experiment if you aim to fuel with whole foods as much as possible. It's important to look for food that is natural, compact, easy to carry, and tastes good. These 10 race foods fit those criteria. Give them a try when training for your next race. 1. Dates These can be used for making your own energy bars, or can be eaten on their own. More: 5 Foods to Try This Spring 2. 100% Natural Coconut Water This drink provides the electrolytes your body needs to replenish the minerals you lose through sweat. 3. Use a variety of fruits and vegetables to make your own "baby" race food.
More: How to Fuel Your Body for Energy 4. This has a great nutty taste and is a source of both healthy fat and protein. 5. Frozen grapes are just as sweet as candy. More: 5 Best Carbs for Athletes. Why Not To Drink Gatorade During A Marathon | Run S.M.A.R.T. By Alicia Shay Gatorade is very high in fructose and sucrose and these sugars do not fuel muscle directly. Since the liver can only convert about 1 calorie of fructose into glucose per minute during training, Gatorade increases body fat more than it fuels muscle. Your body can convert stored fat into energy but it is longer and more timely process than just directly fueling muscle with the carbohydrates you are taking in. Gatorade is better than not taking in any fuel during a marathon but there are better products out there that will help maximize performance. Use a maltodextrin based drink or simply drink water and take gels (Hammer, GU, Cytomax, etc.) during a marathon because you can absorb more overall carbs from the drink or gel and thus better fuel active muscle tissues.
Tags: Alicia Shay, Marathon nutrition. Natural Race Food Alternatives. How to Run on a Paleo Diet. The paleolithic lifestyle has been gaining a lot of traction lately. Adherents are finding they lose weight quickly as well as generally feel better once their bodies adjust to it. What is the Paleo or Primal Lifestyle? 1. Diet The paleo dieter's goal is to eat like our ancestors, and I don't mean your grandparents. For paleo types, that means no grains, no bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes, and especially no sugar or processed carbs—nothing that comes out of a box, and no vegetable oils. The primal diet is high fat, medium protein, and low carb.
Hardcore primal foodies also avoid dairy. The dietary emphasis is on eating fats of all kinds, except polyunsaturated fats which are mainly found in processed vegetable oils like canola oil. 2. Primal followers believe in working out like a caveman, and that does not include running with gels and Gatorade. A typical non-paleo run might look something like this: However, a primal run could look more like this: The Truth About Energy Drinks. 6 Running Safety Tips. It's summer.
That means warmer weather, more daylight, people out and about enjoying the sunshine—it has to be safer to run outdoors, right? Wrong. Generally speaking, yes, it is safer to run when it's light out, as opposed to when it's dark, but there's something that happens to most of us during daylight—we feel invincible. And this is just as hazardous as running by ourselves at midnight on a poorly lit street. According to a UNIFEM report, one in three American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime with the abuser usually someone known to her.
If you find this shocking, it is. If you're wondering what it has to do with running, I'll tell you that assailants are no longer waiting for the cover of night to strike. It can happen and we want you to be safe. 1) Do Not Run Alone I know, it's so simple, but it works. Please note: the dog factor only works if your dog is bigger than a breadbox, otherwise, you might as well have a small child with you. 2) Do Not Run With Earphones. A Runner's Guide to Understanding Pronation. If you've ever had your gait analyzed by a running store salesperson and suddenly found yourself swimming in a sea of motion control and stability shoes, it's because you do something that 80 percent of runners do: pronate. It may sound alarming, but both pronation and its functional opposite, supination, are necessary adaptations to allow the body to respond to the act of walking and running. More: 3 ChiRunning Tips to Avoid Injury Everyone pronates and supinates to some degree with every step; however, it is the excessive motion, or overpronation, that can lead to running injuries.
The good news is that you don't need over-built shoes to fight pronation. More: ChiRunning and the Art of the Long Run What Is Pronation? Pronation is the flattening of the arch when the foot lands on the ground. What Causes Overpronation? Folks with flatter feet tend to have highly flexible arches, which are more likely to flatten too much.
More: Overpronation: How It Happens How to Correct Pronation. ACE Study on the Benefits of Barefoot Running. Barefoot Running Tips for Beginners. The barefoot and minimalist running movement is becoming more popular as people try to shed their shoes. If you're curious about experimenting with barefoot running, use these five tips for a healthy and safe transition. 1. Keep your mileage low. A common issue with those starting out is what is referred to "top of foot pain" (TOFP), which occurs when you do much more than your feet are able to handle. Your feet have been supported by shoes all your life, so it is unrealistic to go out and run six miles without that support. Scrap whatever mileage you have built up and start all over.
Try just walking barefoot around the house for a day and see how you feel the next day. 2. Running with a minimalist shoe is not the same as barefoot running. 3. Do not start on grass. Instead, try running on concrete or hard packed sand. Your footprints should be light and uniform and your toes should not be digging into the sand. Also check to see if the heel print is deeper than the forefoot. 7 Tools to Prevent Injuries. Prevent Sore Shins From Running at Runner.
5 Tips to Tackle Any Run. Training Calculator for Runners: Runner. Should Your Runs Be Based On Miles Or Minutes? – Triathlete.com. Some runs are best measured by time, others by distance. If you’ve looked at enough triathlon training plans, you’ve probably noticed that some coaches prescribe run workouts by time, while others do so by distance, and still others go back and forth between the two metrics.
And, if you have noticed this pattern of diversity, perhaps you’ve wondered whether you should measure your runs by time or by distance. The problem coaches face when they design training plans for general use is that individual runners run at different speeds. For this reason, any given run workout, whether based on distance or time, is not really the same workout for every athlete. For example, a two-hour run for a slower athlete who runs 10:00 per mile will come out to be a 12-mile run, whereas a workout of the same duration done by a faster athlete who averages 7:00 per mile will come out to be more than 17 miles.
You can race with equal success whether you plan and execute runs by time or by distance. Are you part of the next outdoor running revolution? - Run Britain/Sennheiser Training site. 9 Tips for Running in Cold Weather. One of the great things about running is that it's a sport you can indulge in all year round. Whether the temperature is chilly or hot and humid, with some reasonable precautions, you can still get out there and enjoy your daily runs. Running in winter, however, does require a certain amount of planning to ensure that you don't end up stuck out in the cold. There's nothing more unpleasant than being miles from home in foul weather with no way to get back other than on foot. Follow these tips to help ensure your runs are not only safe, but enjoyable, too: How you dress for the elements can make or break your winter runs.
The rules for dressing properly are: 1. Wearing several thin layers of clothing helps trap warm air between each layer keeping you considerably warmer than if you were to wear one heavy layer. More: 3 Tips for Training in the Cold 2. More: 5 Minimalist Winter Running Tips 3. 4. A hat and gloves are absolutely necessary once the temperature dips below freezing. 20 Answers to Common Running FAQs. Runners know bodies. We understand what training does for our legs, lungs, and heart.
We're also intimately familiar with the other, less attractive ways running impacts our bodies. But we don't necessarily know why we have to pee even though the shrubs got watered just two miles ago. Or why our knees crackle and pop as we go down stairs. Or why someone way heavier can kick our skinny butts in a half-marathon. So Runner's World consulted doctors, physiologists, nutritionists, and other experts, and frankly asked them the most quirky and perplexing questions about the bodies we know and love.
More: 4 Tweaks to Run Like the Elites 1. Plenty of reasons why your doppelganger leaves you in the dust. "Just because two people are long and lean or have a powerful build doesn't mean they match up in terms of VO2 max, mental toughness, or injury history," says Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D., assistant professor of athletic coaching education at West Virginia University. 2. Running Rx: Dr. Your Winter Marathon Training Guide. If marathon training is hard, then training for a marathon though the winter is downright difficult. Instead of just worrying about mileage, you now have to take the weather, daylight, and countless other factors into account. If you are training for Disney or a similarly timed event, you have little choice but to get tough or face the music on race day.
It's not all icicles and icy pavement, however, so don't despair. Here are some top tips for running through the winter. Get most of them right and you'll be as prepared as possible by race day. More: Winter Running Tips Balance Your Indoor and Outdoor Training With shortened daylight hours and dicey weather, there is a strong temptation to fire up your gym membership and start logging treadmill miles. Your long run needs to be done outside unless you live in extreme weather conditions (see treadmill training below). More: 4 Tips for Outdoor Winter Runs When and How To Use the Treadmill? Snow, Sleet and Rain? Women's Running and Women Runners It's Hip to be Strong. Hip pain is a very common problem for runners. Occasionally, there is a specific injury that causes the pain.
Slipping on a slick surface or stepping in a hole may traumatize the hip. Overuse injuries are a much more frequent source of hip pain in runners. In order to understand hip pain, a brief anatomy lesson is in order. The hip moves in 3-paired directions - forward (flexion) and backward (extension), inward (adduction) and outward (abduction), and internal and external rotation (rolling the leg in and out). Specific muscles are responsible for each of these movements. Certain muscles, such as the hamstrings and rectus femoris (one of the quadriceps) originate above the hip and attach below the knee. Injuries tend to occur due to underlying muscle imbalances. Injuries often occur when sudden changes in the quantity or intensity of training overcome the ability of the muscles to move the hip through its normal motion. Hip pain may be due to musculoskeletal or medical conditions.
Dr. Women's Running and Women Runners How To Cure Painful Side Stitches. Many runners have experienced a beautiful run that was brought to a sudden painful end by a side stitch. This sharp stabbing pain in the upper belly just underneath the rib cage, usually on the right side, begins without warning. With each step, the pain worsens, subsiding only when you stop running. Until recently, the cause of what the scientific community call Exercise-Related Transient Abdominal Pain (i.e. the side stitch) was not clearly understood. Some of the hypotheses to explain this annoying run-killer included not waiting long enough after food or liquid intake before running, lack of oxygen to the diaphragm, spasms or cramps in abdominal muscles and the build up of abdominal gas. What is a Side Stitch? The best explanation and most effective treatment for the side stitch that we found were proposed by Dr.
What Causes a Side Stitch? Most runners exhale in a predictable pattern, synchronized with right foot strike. When you exhale, your diaphragm moves up. Women's Running and Women Runners How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects Your Running. Consider the following scenario: Your training schedule includes a weekly track or hill workout. One week, you hit your workout targets right on. You are brimming with confidence. The following week, the identical workout is awful with no apparent reason why. You feel bewildered and discouraged. Knowing where you are in your menstrual cycle can provide valuable insight into your performance. The menstrual cycle is comprised of two phases. Many women have cycles that are either longer or shorter than the textbook 28 days. Not only does estrogen level affect your cycle, it also impacts what type of fuel is available for working muscles and consequently what type of workout you will find easier to complete Low estrogen levels are conducive to breaking down glycogen for quick energy.
In contrast, many women find that hard running during Days 16 – 28 is very difficult, as the utilization of fat for fuel is better suited for lower intensity workouts. How Does Menopause Affect Training? Women's Running and Women Runners How to Prevent Post-Race Colds and Illnesses. Why does running a half or full marathon increase susceptibility to colds? There is a large body of research that shows that moderate exercise reduces the incidence and severity of a cold or flu but intense or prolonged exercise increases the risk and severity of infection. The research we found most relevant to runners and endurance athletes was conducted by noted exercise immunologist, Dr.
David Nieman, Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University. (Lance Armstrong has worked with Dr. Neiman and has been tested in his lab. What happens after 90 minutes of exercise? This conclusion mirrors Bennett’s own experience. A study by Dr. Keeping things in perspective, although the risk of catching a cold after a long hard run or race is elevated, the vast majority of runners do not fall ill Here are four action steps to enhance your immune system and reduce the risk of post-race (or post-long run) infection:
Turn Up Your Fat Burn Workout Plan. Do You Burn More Calories In The Cold? 5 Tips for a Better Treadmill Workout. The Best New Cardio Workouts. Breathing Techniques to Improve Your Performance. Coping With Illness During Aerobic Training. Lose Weight and Get Fit By Walking. Yoono.