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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 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.

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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Mix Up Your Music (Part II):
Playlists for Strength Training, Yoga, and Stretching

Posted September 5th, 2007 at 12:33 PM by Courtney Albon

Section: Motivation, Music

Yesterday, we brought you two new music playlists to add spark to your running and walking routines.

Today, we’ve got more - music that will boost you through your toughest strength training sessions and your relaxing yoga sessions. Both playlists are approximately an hour in length.

Strength Training

• Lifehouse, Spin
• The Fray, Cable Car
• Nickelback, If Everyone Cared

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

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Fitness Tip: Top 7 exercises

Posted May 29th, 2007 at 7:30 AM by Bridget Sullivan

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) asked 17,000 ACE-certified Fitness Profressionals to name the one exercise they could not live without.

Their number one choice? Squats. Squats help strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads . . . muscles that we recruit for a variety of sports and everyday activity.

The following round out their top 7 choices:
1. Squats
2. Running
3. Abdominal exercises
4. Lunges
5. Walking
6. Push-ups
7. Yoga

Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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Help prevent injuries by performing proprioception & balance training

Posted January 17th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Richard Quinn

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

Many regard running as a warm up activity or as a simple cardiovascular exercise. People will often go to the track and/or their favorite course and immediately launch into an intense workout without thinking twice about it. It is not uncommon for people to skip their pre- and post- workout stretching; one reason why runners suffer so many preventable injuries and never reach the top of their potential.

Training for running is no different than training for any other sport. In order to stay healthy and reach peak performance, an athlete must train in a variety of ways and be conscious of keeping their body healthy and free of injuries. Two types of training that are increasing in popularity and can help a runner achieve these goals are: proprioception and balance training.

Although proprioception conditioning has long been used for rehabilitation, it is also now being utilized as a method of injury prevention. Proprioception is an automatic sensitivity mechanism in the body. This mechanism sends a message through your central nervous system for analysis. The information is then relayed to the rest of the body about how to react and with what amount of tension. This can be seen in everyday activities, such as the ability to walk though a dark room without losing balance.
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Rookie running guidelines for long-term fitness

Posted January 9th, 2007 at 2:30 PM by Christopher Jack

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

The passing of another year means it’s that time again; time to look to the future and resolve to create that better you. For many, personal health and fitness become the centerpiece of their New Year’s Resolution.

Running can be an ideal and long-term means to those ends as long as you follow these simple guidelines:

Set a goal. The downfall of many beginners is setting a goal that is too high considering their running experience and fitness level. Starting small and building up can protect a new runner from injury and the frustration that may accompany failure.
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Yoga can be a cure all – for all (yes, even for runners)

Posted December 7th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Valerie Cerami

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

It can be done by anyone; anywhere. It involves mind, body and spirit. It strives to create balance; unison of physical and mental. It nurtures all areas touched upon in life; thorough in addressing all segments of one’s self and beyond. A learning experience. An art form. A must - for all athletes – and non.

Historically, yoga is almost as old as running. Running was actually the very first form of physical conditioning. I bet those cavemen didn’t even realize the health benefits they were developing while chasing prey – or being chased by an angrier or larger caveman! Read the rest of this entry »

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