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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Gauging leg strength

Posted October 16th, 2007 at 2:45 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

wall squatOne of the best ways to determine how you are progressing on your fitness program and how good of leg strength you have in general is with a wall squat test. A wall squat test will primarily assess your quad strength however the hamstrings and glute muscles will also come into play as well.

The nice thing about a wall squat test is that it is going to mimic movements that you perform very often in every day life, whether it’s getting up and down from a sitting position or walking up a flight of stairs. Being strong in this type of body position will be of benefit to you because it will make these exercises easier as well as help to prevent you from suffering any injuries in the future.

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


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ASK LARA: Three yoga poses for runners

Posted September 27th, 2007 at 12:19 PM by Lara Johnson

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Columns, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise, Ask Lara

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

yoga_guy_cropQ. What are the best yoga poses for running?
~Meridith from Brookline, MA

A. I am a big fan of yoga myself, and that’s because I believe yoga is a great accompaniment to running training. Stretching helps to return your muscles to their normal resting length. And, in my experience, many yoga poses seem to hit just the right spots. The following are just some of my favorites. Please be careful, especially if you are new to yoga. It is important to perform each pose properly. The help of an instructor or a class setting is often the best way to go.

Downward-facing dog
This pose is not just for animal-lovers. In fact, it is a fantastic pose for runners because it targets the entire length of the back of the legs, from high hamstrings down through the calves, achilles tendons, and heels.
Read the rest of this entry »


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Eight strategies for reducing knee pain

Posted August 9th, 2007 at 4:12 PM by Julie R. Keen

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

knee pain ice pack injury prevention injury treatementKnee injuries are common for the weekend warrior and athlete alike. The best way to handle knee injuries is by prevention. Once they start, they can be tough to treat, depending upon the structure injured.

When we look at the anatomy of the knee, there are some major structural elements that can be injured, usually from traumatic events. By this I mean an landing wrong in the midst of your big 5k race, improper tackle playing football, or missing the landing on the jump when skiing.

If you have injured one of these structures, and didn’t notice, you have a bigger problem than just some knee stiffness! If your knee is really swollen, painful, and feels unstable, go see a good orthopedic surgeon immediately. If your knees give you occasional trouble during your workouts, or you find that you can’t do certain exercises because of your knees, then these tips might help…

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


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