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Lead Stories: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Training to Run Faster

Posted February 12th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by Jeremy Sussman

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

If you don’t run very fast in practice, you won’t be able to run very fast in races. The following article is written by Dr. Gabe Mirkin, MD, who explains that jogging will decrease your chances for injury, but will not improve your run time.

At the University of Copenhagen, Danish scientists studied experienced runners who had been running 60 miles a week at a fast pace. One group was told to cut their mileage in half to only 30 miles a week, but to run a series of around 50 to 100 yard dashes as fast as they could. The other group continued running 60 miles a week at a fast pace. Runners who ran fewer miles at a faster pace had a 7 percent improvement in their body’s maximal ability to take in and use oxygen.

To read the full entry, visit our partner publication: HesFit.com

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The Great Debate: Treadmill vs. Pavement Running

Posted December 30th, 2007 at 3:30 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

With the low temperatures and adverse weather, it’s no wonder that many exercisers choose to hibernate and sweat in the gym instead of going out in the elements. But a great debate among all those fit is one of determining which is better: the treadmill or the pavement. When it comes to the winter season, research points positives and negatives in both directions.

The reason the treadmill feels “easier” on the body is because the ground is actually being pulled underneath your feet (meaning, your feet are not pulling your body forward, as they would if you were running outside), AND there are no other factors such as wind resistance.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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HIIT: The Ultimate Workout

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 5:45 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

If you aren’t a stranger to the gym, you’ve likely already heard of something called high intensity interval training (HIIT). Whether it was between two trainers discussing their training techniques or someone complaining about the brutality of the workout, it may be something you’ve avoided up until now.

There is no doubt that high intensity interval training (HIIT) is something that will give you a run for your money. It definitely is not - by any means - easy, but it will get you results.

Not only is it more conducive to retaining your current muscle mass then longer cardio sessions, but it is also far better (in most cases) in terms of promoting fat loss and increasing the metabolism. The thing about HIIT is that it does not expend an extremely large amount of calories while you are performing it.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HesFit.com

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How To Be An Economical
and Efficient Runner

Posted October 19th, 2007 at 3:26 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

For many runners, scoring a faster running time can be a point of frustration. Though you train regularly and your technique may seem impeccable, sometimes your efforts seem to add up to nothing when it comes to improving your speed. In fact, how fast or slow you run often has a great deal to do with your economy of motion.

Economy of motion is a simple enough concept. It refers to the relationship between how much energy you expend when you run and how fast you go. Typically, the less energy it take you to run a given distance the faster - or more “economical” - you will run. Unfortunately, as the New York Times reports, improving your running economy is one task that’s particularly difficult to accomplish, if possible at all.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HesFit.com

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At what intensity should endurance athletes train?

Posted October 3rd, 2007 at 7:35 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

One question that some endurance runners ask themselves is how much of their training they should be dedicating towards higher intensity runs and how much of their training is better off at low intensity. The common thought would be that since they are training for endurance, they should train in a similar manner. Some coaches and professionals however believe that training at higher speeds will help to improve their total body conditioning better and thus simply transfer over to a better performance during endurance related events.

Some researchers recently set out to run some tests on just this. The study was designed to compare the effect of two different training programs on endurance performance, one that comprised a great portion of training time in a lower intensity zone and a second that comprised more time in a higher intensity zone.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HesFit.com

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Heart Health and Marathon Running: Preparation is Key

Posted February 13th, 2007 at 3:02 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

The risk of death from coronary heart disease is decreased almost two-fold in physically active people. Regular exercise has beneficial effects on blood pressure, lipid profile (fats in the body), insulin resistance (ability to break down sugar to use for energy), and overall decreased risk of death.

However, prolonged exercise (such as a marathon running) is hard for the body to endure, especially the heart. The risk of a cardiac event is there, as indicated by dozens of emergency crews present at various intervals of an event such as the Boston Marathon. A 2006 study shows that heart damage from a marathon is significantly related to inadequate training and preparation; a problem seen in some amateur marathon runners.
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Type 2 Diabetes: How diet and exercise could save your life (PART 4)

Posted December 20th, 2006 at 2:05 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise, Weight Loss

This is the final installment of a four part series. Part 4 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes and the Benefits of Resistance Training”.

Attention type 2 diabetics: studies show that adding resistance training to your exercise program can enhance its benefits and improve insulin control. With a total change in lifestyle (through education about type 2 diabetes, adherence to a strict diet, aerobic exercise and resistance training) you can restore you body’s sugar to a non-diabetic level.

The treatment goal for type 2 diabetic individuals is to achieve and maintain near to normal blood sugar levels and optimal fat levels in the body. With exercise the body becomes less resistant to insulin. Aerobic exercise is commonly prescribed.
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Type 2 Diabetes: How diet and exercise could save your life (PART 3)

Posted December 13th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Megan Hueter

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness, Exercise, Weight Loss

This is the third installment of a four part series. Part 3 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes: How Aerobic Exercise Can Save Your Life “.

Attention Type 2 diabetics: studies show that a change in lifestyle can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding how this happens could save your life.

The treatment goal for type 2 diabetic individuals is to achieve and maintain near to normal blood sugar levels and optimal fat levels in the body. With exercise the body becomes less resistant to insulin. Therefore, aerobic exercise is a very effective treatment modality and is commonly prescribed.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Type 2 Diabetes: How diet and exercise could save your life (PART 1)

Posted November 29th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness, Exercise

This is the first installment of a four part series. Part 1 is entitled: “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes”.

Do you or someone you know suffer from type 2 diabetes? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Recent studies show that a nutritional diet combined with physical exercise such as aerobic exercise and resistance training can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding how this happens could save your life.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. There are currently 20.8 million people in the country suffering from diabetes, which is 7% of the population (1). Approximately 90-95% of these cases are categorized as type 2 diabetes. (3,4) Type 2 diabetes is strongly related to being overweight and obese, which has become a very serious public health problem of the past 25 years. Read the rest of this entry »

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Balancing the benefits and consequences of running

Posted November 7th, 2006 at 1:00 PM by Anuradha Kher

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise and participation in the sport is growing exponentially.

A large part of running’s appeal is that it is easy to get into; requiring only minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere. For the most part, people run (usually in an effort to stay in shape and/or relieve stress) without giving the activity enough consideration.

Getting started: Things to consider
Beginners and/or runners who are coming back from a long layoff, often do not fully appreciate the possible consequences of the sport. On the other hand, there are also a whole slew of overlooked benefits of running that go beyond just staying in shape or relieving stress. Read the rest of this entry »

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