According to principal investigator Professor David Nieman at the ASU HPL the results showed that cycling allows the body to exercise for longer because it causes less damage than its impact-heavy counterpart.

He said: “Runners just can’t put in the same volume of exercise as cyclists without experiencing more inflammation, soreness and muscle damage.

I don’t think that there is any question that cycling is, on the whole, easier on the body.  It is one of the reasons why injured runners are often encouraged to cross train by riding a bike.

However, if you live in a big city, you know that riding a bike in a busy street carries its own risks. While runners can avoid bad drivers by staying on the sidewalk, cyclists are forced to be ready for anything.

Therefore, unless a cyclist is able to find a paved trail or a deserted road, I still think running carries its own safety benefits over cycling. What do you think?

[Road.cc]

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The best way to water run is to choose a pool that has an open area that is not dedicated to lap swimming. Swim out into deep water so your feet don’t touch and start running in place. In order to stay afloat, use floating devices, such as this aqua jogger.

The resistance from the water does a great job exercising the muscles and the cardiovascular system without the dreaded impact on bones and joints. Try to run in place for at least 30 minutes in order to get the most of your workout.

One of the best ways to water run is to do “pool intervals.” Alternate running fast and slow for the entire 30 minutes in a fartlek type workout. Not only is this a great exercise that helps to raise the heart rate, but it also keeps water running from getting boring.

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Cross training includes any low-impact exercise that does not exacerbate a running injury. Popular cross training options include swimming, pool running, and using an elliptical machine. Many runners are wary of investing the time into cross training because they do not believe that other forms of exercise will help with running.

The truth is that cross training is absolutely essential if a runner does not want to lose fitness. A recent study compared the VO2 Max (body’s ability to use oxygen) of runners who cross train. The study divided runners into three groups. One group ran for three weeks, another group used an elliptical for three weeks, and another group did no training for three weeks. The VO2 Max of runners who used an elliptical declined by 1.5% over the course of the three week test period.

This is impressive considering that the VO2 Max of runners who did not train during the three week period declined by 4.8%. Even more impressive, the group that ran for the three weeks had their VO2 Max decrease by .8%, which is only a .7% difference with the elliptical group.

The bottom line is that utilizing a cross training program when injured can help runners ensure that they do not lose valuable fitness built up in the weeks and months prior to the injury. Do not assume that other forms of exercise are useless in helping you stay fit.

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In a 2006 study, runners were divided into two groups and observed over a period of eight weeks. All runners performed the same amount of distance training (mostly consisting of training runs), except that one group included strength training three times to week instead of running.

The strength training sessions lasted 30-60 minutes and consisted of: (1) jumping exercises (hurdle jumps, squat jumps, calf jumps, etc.), or (2) gym exercises with low weight, including half squats, knee extension, calf raises, abdominal curls, and back extensions (2-3 sets with 6-10 repetitions per set).

After the eight week observation period, the study’s authors tested the runners and found that the strength training group had comparably more improvement in anaerobic and neuromuscular performance. While there was no difference in running economy and endurance performance between the groups, the strength training group had no decrease in aerobic performance even though those runners had replaced distance training with weight training three times per week. In other words, engaging in strength training instead of endurance training three times per week did not hurt the group’s endurance.

The authors mention that the results of the study were in line with other studies that have found strength training to benefit neuromuscular and anaerobic performance without harming aerobic running capacity. The key take away is that strength training is an important part of any running program, even if the strength training may cause a slight decrease in the time you have to do traditional distance training.

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There have been a number of studies on this very question. One of the most interesting studies is from 2005, which attempted to compare the fitness provided by these three machines.

In the study, twenty-four females were broken into three groups of eight. Each group worked out on a treadmill, elliptical, or stairclimber for three times a week for a period of 12 weeks.

The main finding of the study was that each machine provided almost identical physiological improvements. Each similarly increased VO2max (aerobic capacity), decreased body weight, and increased lung function.

It is important to note that the study was carefully designed to ensure that the participants’ heart rate was similar on each machine. In other words, if your heart rate is not as fast on the elliptical compared with the treadmill, these results might be different.

Therefore, do not be overly concerned with the machine that you choose at the gym, but make sure that give good effort to get your heart rate up.

Photos courtesy of Local Fitness

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Isometric exercises involve muscle activation techniques in which the joints do not move. Rather, specific muscles of the body are contracted and released, which causes muscle fatigue and will result in a growth of muscle mass.

These types of “static” exercises are a great way to work on weak muscle areas without putting unnecessary strain on joints. They are especially useful for correcting muscle imbalances in common problem areas including the back, hips, and quads. Here are some common isometric exercises for runners:

• Plank Bridge: Lay face down on the floor and prop yourself up on your forearms and toes. Try to flatten your back and hold for at least 20 seconds. Repeat three times. This is a great exercise for your core.
• Wall Squats: Lean your back against the wall and slowly lower into a squat so that your quads are parallel to the floor. Hold for at least 20 seconds and stand back up. Repeat 3 times. This exercise is great for the stabilizing muscles of your quads and hips
• Calf Raises: Stand on one leg and hold onto the back of a chair for balance. Stand on your toes and hold for at least 20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. This is a great exercise for strengthening your calf muscles and preventing achilles tendinitis.

Image courtest of Skyflyerke

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Going 8-9 hours without physical activity makes it very difficult to control weight gain. The problem is that muscle burns calories at a much higher rate than fat. By sitting at a desk the whole day, muscles can atrophy, and fat can increase. Because calories are not burned, it becomes very easy to pack on the pounds.

To counteract the negative health effects of desk jobs, many experts suggest trying to take frequent walk breaks at work. These breaks can be at every hour or two and go a long way to maintaining metabolism. Not only does this help to prevent muscle atrophy, but it also helps to stretch out and strengthen the back, neck, and shoulders which are generally hunched over when sitting. There’s no doubt that walking helps; however, wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to walk AND work at the same time? It just so happens that there is a way to do this: the treadmill workstation.

A more radical way to ensure a slim waste line than walking every few hours at work is to try to desk treadmill. That’s right – instead of sitting at a desk chair, people actually work while walking on a treadmill – it’s the ultimate combination of exercise and typing at computers and making phone calls. You could participate in an hour-long conference call, and during that time, burn over 100 calories. I don’t think there is any need to focus on speed; just get into a good rhythm and let your leg muscles go to work.

It’s obviously not for everyone, but I know two other individuals who use treadmill workstations at least part of the day and they both say that they never felt better. Whether a treadmill workstation is a good idea for you depends on your line of work and also your motivation to stay fit. Of course, you also would probably have to endure some strange looks and comments, but most of us runners are used to that!

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The main problem with a treadmill is found in the moving belt. When we run outside, the sidewalks and trails that we run on obviously do not move. Therefore, our leg and foot muscles must pull back when we impact the surface to generate movement. However, when running on a treadmill, the moving belt moves the foot back.

Therefore, the muscles that runners use when they run are not exactly the same muscles that runners use when on a treadmill. The treadmill essentially gives a runner’s quadriceps, hamstrings, calves a boost in creating the running motion. These muscles do not have to engage in the “pulling” motion that drives the body forward when running.

So what does this all mean? Well, if you choose to run on nothing but a treadmill, you could be in for a rude awakening if and when you ever try to run outdoors. Your hamstrings, glutes, and calves simply might not be conditioned well enough to propel the body forward. This could lead to some pretty serious soreness and even injuries.

Therefore, try to mix in some outdoor running if you like the treadmill. If this is impossible, at least try to incorporate some hamstring, calf, and glute strengthening exercises to ensure that those muscles are activated. The bottom line is that the treadmill is a wonderful invention, and is fine to use, but you must make sure that it does not cause problematic muscle imbalances.

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Additionally, many runners who do go to the gym allow their competitive side to get the best of them and lift more weight than they should, which can lead to injury. The good news is that there is a now much better way for runners to gain the specific kind of muscle strength that will prevent injuries and improve performance – this method is called Functional Strength Training.

What is Functional Strength Training?

Functional Strength Training is a new and innovative idea that focuses on viewing the human body’s muscles as one unit and strengthening them cohesively. This makes sense because the human body uses many different muscles together when running – quads, hamstrings, hips, etc. To better target running muscles, many of the exercises are done from a standing position and emphasize rotational and diagonal motions – opposite shoulder to opposite hip.

The goal of functional training is to develop the core and stability muscles much better than traditional “heavy lifting” techniques. Not only does it make runners stronger, but it makes them much more efficient.

How Does Functional Strength Training Differ from Other Weight Training?

The key concept of functional strength training is that muscles are best strengthened for use in the world by working them together cohesively. For example, in order to lift a leg during a run, the body relies on coordinated movements between numerous muscles, including the hips, back, quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

Conversely, many traditional weight and machine based training isolates individual muscle groups.  For example, leg extension machines do a good job of strengthening the quadriceps or hamstrings (depending on how you use the machine), but it is not going to do a lot for back or hip muscles.

It is of course important to note that tradition weight or machine training does have positives.  One of the most important benefits is the ability to isolate and strengthen a specific muscle that may have become weak and underused.  Muscle imbalances are a huge problem for many runners so isolated strength training of a specific muscle group can really cut down on the risk of injury.

Sample Functional Strength Training Exercises

Good exercises for runners can be as simple as controlled lunges and squats.  YouTube also has a lot of good sample exercises to try.  One of the best functional strength training videos that I have seen is the one below. In the video, the trainer provides an example of 10 of the best exercises for runners.

If you want to try any of these examples, please note that the trainer goes really fast and has an impressive range of movement.  Therefore, it may be smart to make these movements more slowly and only try one or two exercises to start out.  Additionally, please immediately stop any movement if you feel any pain.  The purpose of functional strength training is to cut down on injuries, not cause them or make them worse.

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Distance running is a great exercise for many of the muscles in the body. Certain leg and core muscles are especially toned and strengthened through the miles of training. However, because running is such a repetitive activity, many muscles do not get any kind of workout. Unfortunately, the result of the process of strengthening some muscles at the expense of others is usually injury.

Many of the muscles that running strengthens are the large muscles that enable movement (quadriceps, hamstrings, etc.), and the muscles that running ignores are those that support joints or control the running muscles (hip muscles, glutes, etc.). When the stability muscles go underused, the body will suffer from limited movement, which can change your running gait. Additionally, running muscles will be forced to take on much of the work of the stability muscles, which can lead to overuse injuries. How can a runner ensure that all of the muscles in his or her body are properly trained? One answer is Yoga.

Yoga, which means “union” in Sanskrit, focuses on conditioning the body through a series of poses. These poses not only stretch and lengthen muscles that running generally does not touch, but the muscles are also strengthened when the poses are held for an extended period. If you want to get started with Yoga, there are literally thousands of web sites about all of the possible poses. I like this video on YouTube, but keep in mind that there are so many instructional videos out there.

Although Yoga can certainly be a “do-it-yourself” activity, I highly recommend joining a Yoga class at your local gym if you have the time. Some of the poses are complex and having a skilled teacher can really help you perform them properly. Also, try to sick with Yoga even if it is hard at first. The first time I tried Yoga was a real eye opening experience – it’s much harder than it looks – but I am definitely reaping the rewards of increased flexibility and stronger stability muscles because I didn’t give up.

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