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Lead Stories: Sunday, July 20, 2008

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_crop Q. 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.
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Runner’s Knee and the processes of prevention & healing

Posted June 14th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Courtney Albon

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

The term “runner’s knee” refers to an inflammation of the tendon, the (ITB), that is located on the outside of the thigh. As injury to this tendon often results from overuse of the knees, and runner’s rely on their knees to function within their sport, the title “runner’s knee” is quite appropriate. The name is, however, deceptively exclusive as runner’s knee describes an ailment common among individuals who are active in a spectrum of activities such as biking, walking, or jumping.

As mentioned above, the inflammation of the ITB can be a result of overuse or overstretching of the tendon in any activity that requires repeated knee bending. Misalignment is also a factor in the injury. If a bone is out of it’s correct position, then the excess stress being placed elsewhere can result in the pulling and inflammation of the ITB. The tendon can also undergo stress because of weak thigh muscles or a direct injury to the knee such as a fall or a blow. Runners with flat feet, or fallen arches, often have knee problems as the ITB is forced to stretch in order to compensate for the missing arch.
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“Flexing” your muscles

Posted May 31st, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Bridget Sullivan

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

Girl stretching injury prevention I remember singing a rather cheesy song during my grade school P.E. class: as we bent down to touch our toes, our teacher made us sing – in a cacophonous tone - “s-t-r-e-t-c-h rubberband!”

I used to giggle when we sang this song, but I wasn’t giggling a few years later after I struggled through a string of running injuries largely due to negligent stretching and poor flexibility.

Go ahead … ask yourself … “How many IT-band flare-ups you could have prevented if only you would have taken an extra five minutes to stretch?”

While many athletes consider aerobic exercise, strength training, and nutrition as three critical components to establishing a balanced fitness routine, they often disregard the importance of flexibility training.
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