Mobility Drills for Runners

Recently, I posted some information on our Advanced Fitness Facebook page regarding post-workout recovery exercises.  This time, I want to talk with you about some things you might want to consider incorporating into your warm-up...especially if you are a runner!

The goal of a warm-up is to prepare the body for upcoming activity. This includes biomechanical, physiological and mental preparation.  It is important to warm up the muscles, ligaments and tendons as well as prepare the nervous and cardiovascular systems for the specific workout.   Before a run, the goal is to increase your mobility (range of motion in the joints) in especially the ankles and hips to allow for a more efficient running stride.  The old way of static stretching before your run, or workout for that matter, is a thing of the past!  The preferred method for your warm-up should consist of several mobility exercises to increase range of motion throughout your joints and work through any adhesions built up in the fascia and muscle tissue.  If you will for a moment, try and imagine your muscles as if they were rubber bands.  Your muscles are meant to contract and relax, so when you try to stretch them by pulling on them as in static stretching, you actually lose a bit of elasticity. The same thing happens with a rubber band if you continue you stretch it over and over for extended periods of time.  As a runner, your goal is to retain as much muscle elasticity as possible.  With that said, I have included several videos below in which I cover four mobility drills to use as part of your pre-run warm-up…


1.  Myofascial Release for the Foot

The first place you are going to start is at the bottom of the foot.  You will need either a lacrosse ball or tennis ball for this drill.  Why the foot you ask?  The muscles on the back side of your body beginning at the soles of your feet and all the way up to the back of the head are joined by a strong network of connective tissue.  So in essence, when you do any kind of mobility work at the bottom of the foot it will cause a domino effect up the body and actually help other areas of the posterior chain to open up as well.  This is also a great drill to help massage away and pain and soreness caused by plantar fasciitis.  Try and aim for 5-10 passes at each major point on the soles of the feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyjv1JEMrAk

2. Opening up the Ankle

For this drill, aim to complete about 10 reps of “openings” on both the inside and the outside of your ankle bone.  The last part of the drill will require you to position your feet so that they are lined up parallel to one another with the toes of one foot touching the heel of your other foot (think fourth positioning of the feet in ballet.  If you are not sure what that is, “Google” it!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9YUgJF5uwo

3. Butt to Heel Drop

This video will show you how to open up the front of your lower leg.  The key to this drill is to not let the knee touch the ground and keep the shin hovering over the floor.  This is accomplished by sitting back onto the heel of the leg you are working on.  Push through the heel of your front foot to help you stand up out of the stretch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aljwiQer-pc

4.  Hip Internal Drop and Rotation

This last video focuses on opening up the hips.  When you set up for this drill, be sure to have your weight on your hands behind you and butt a few inches of the floor to provide enough room for maneuvering the hips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9iJMpICPXA

St. Patrick's Day Fitness Wisdom

Earlier today, I was thinking about different topics  to write about on the AF blog.  While brainstorming, it also dawned on me that today is St. Patrick's Day, and then it hit me like a bag of potatoes!!  I would share some Irish wisdom as it pertains to staying healthy and fit!

For many years, the Irish people have been stereotyped as potato -eating, beer-guzzling stouts.  However, in a survey conducted a few years ago, it was found that Ireland's obesity rate was less than half the rate of the U.S.  So, maybe there are some things that we could learn from the Irish lifestyle to help keep the pounds off and stay in shape...

1.  Eat your breakfast!

Like many Northern European countries, the Irish tend to make breakfast their biggest meal of the day.  This tradition of a hearty breakfast most likely stemmed from the farming community.  Farmer's would come in after their early morning chores to eat a substantial breakfast because their bodies had been low on glycogen from working hard in the wee hours of the morning.

You have probably heard by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Upon waking, our metabolism is still in sleep mode. If we skip breakfast, we stay in that slow-burning metabolism mode.  If we have a decent breakfast, we won't be so hungry later in the day that we'll binge at lunch or dinner.

2.  Go for the green veggies!

If you grew up in an Irish household like me, every St. Patrick's Day meant cabbage on the menu since cabbage is a staple in Irish cuisine. But not just cabbage; other leafy greens like kale are also popular choices.  Cabbage has high levels of iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, and D.  People that eat a large amount of cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables have a lower risk of developing colon cancer. Cabbage and leafy greens are also very low in calories. If cabbage isn't your cup of tea, then possibly consider mashing the cabbage or kale together with potatoes and other ingredients like onions, garlic, or leeks. 

3.  Boil the meat!

The Irish and English are often made fun of for their custom of boiling their meats and vegetables until all flavor is gone.  Yet on the other hand, us Americans do nothing but deep-fry the heck out of anything we can get our hands on.  If you want to add a little bit of flavor to your dish, try poaching a chicken breast, turkey breast or fish fillet in wine or a flavored broth with garlic and onions and your favorite vegetables. The seasoning for your dish is only limited by your imagination. 

4.  Get to the root of it!

In addition to green vegetables,  Irish cuisine also features a lot of root vegetables besides potatoes.  These veggies include carrots, parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas. They contain lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, while still being pretty low in calories. They're pretty tasty, whether boiled, roasted, or mashed, or in some cases, eaten raw. Try replacing the potatoes in your favorite recipes for other root vegetables  instead.  it will zest up the dish, add extra nutrients and bring down the calorie count. 

5.  Think pink!

Since the country of Ireland sits on an island,  it has access to vast amounts of seafood, especially salmon.  Salmon is rich in omega- 3 fatty acids and is also a great source of protein and other nutrients, while low in calories and fat.