Running Road

Running is good not only for the present state of your body but also helps improve the condition of your body even ten years from now. Studies have shown that regular running helps maintain bone mass which is of great importance to women who have crossed menopause. Menopause reduces levels of estrogen in the body which reduces the absorption of calcium in older women which leads to weaker joints and also increased wear and tear in bone joint tissue.

This wear and tear is called osteoarthritis and it is a degenerative joint condition wherein there is deterioration in the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in the joints. When this protective cushioning is absent, the bone rubs against the bone and this causes pain. Although many people believe that osteoarthritis is unavoidable with the onset of old age, studies have shown that female runners tend to lose bone density as a slower rate than others.

Since running aids in the maintenance of bone density, it essentially slows down the ageing process. Osteoarthritis is always associated with age, being overweight and obese and with reduction in estrogen levels. Excess weight however is agreed to be the biggest risk factor in developing osteoarthritis of the knee. Thus gradually with a loss in weight, the load on your knees reduces significantly. Even though losing weight is one of the toughest things possible, every pound counts in the way to good health. Being regular with running helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints and is the best possible way to prevent osteoarthritis because it helps in weight loss and maintenance and also keeps the joints in good condition and the calcium levels elevated. So begin jogging your way to healthy knees and a healthy body.

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Running can’t really be looked at a sport. That is because it takes a commitment on the part of the runner if he wants to be able to compete at a higher level. There are factors that make a runner efficient and competitive and if one of the factors is problematic, then the person’s running could be affected seriously.

The first factor for a runner is the correct nutrition. This means that a runner should get the right amount of food so that the body is able to maintain a high level of output.  This means eating three full means in the day with a few snacks in between. That having been said all the meals need to be healthy with all the fat groups such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats.  A runner doesn’t have to deprive himself of desserts either as the food is burnt away quickly.

Along with nutrition it is equally important that a runner be properly hydrated. If he is not hydrated he could have bad workouts, stomach cramps and a general feeling of lethargy. A runner should drink as much water as he possibly can and along with that also have fruit juices  and sports drinks which give them certain necessary elements.

The final thing which is absolutely necessary for a runner is rest. A runner should have adequate rest on a daily basis because it can be very detrimental to exert one’s body over an extended period of time. A runner constantly pushes his body and it is important that the body be given a chance to recoup and rejuvenate itself.

Thus these are the three factors which are compulsory for a runner and without which it will be impossible to compete for a longer period of time.

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Everyone puts a lot of effort into their running and work outs but how many of us actually pay attention to stretching, warming up and limbering down?  

Warming up does more than just loosen your muscles, it can improve your fitness and your performance.  The warm up should begin with you rotating your joints beginning from your toes and then working your way up or alternatively from your fingers and working your way down.  This helps your joints to participate more easily when called upon during physical activity. Perform circular motions in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.

After this you require some sort of aerobic activity wherein you should do roughly five minutes of jogging, jumping, skipping or any such activity that will increase your cardio vascular output.  This raises your body temperature and increases blood flow. In turn increased blood flow improves the performance of muscles and their flexibility and makes injuries less likely to occur.

After this you need to do some static stretching where you exercise the various parts of your body.  Start with your back, then your upper body and finally your lower body.  Here stretching should include the following body parts – back, sides, neck, forearms, wrists, biceps, triceps, chest, thighs, hamstrings, shins, insteps etc.

Once you have completed this you should perform some light dynamic stretching like leg raises and arm swings in various directions.

Lastly you should perform movements that resemble movements that you will make during the sport.  This is important because it improves balance, strength, coordination and reduces response time. It also makes you less prone to injury.

Thus warming up is essential for you to perform better during activity and more importantly to reduce your risks of injury. Limbering down is also extremely vital and shall be dealt with later.

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Running is to improve your body so when you run it would be rather foolish if you did not take care of yourself and got hurt or injured in the process. It is very important to be safe when you go running and there are certain precautions everyone should take to minimize risk.

It is always better to take someone along with you when you go running especially of you go running on a secluded path, through wildlife or some similar area where help is hard to come by. If you happen to go yourself do leave a note behind telling people where you went, how long you will take and by what time you should be expected back. This way if you get into some trouble people will know where to look for you and come to your rescue. When you are running carry some identification along and also a little cash in case of an emergency. Also do not wear headphones or earphones when you are on a busy road or unfamiliar environment or even if you must do not wear sound isolation headphones which leave you completely unaware of your environment.

While you are running stay alert of your surroundings and keep an eye on things around you. Don’t stray too away from familiar area and run against the flow of traffic so that even if someone is coming your way you see them and can avoid a vehicle.

If you sense a threat from someone run towards a populated are. In such a situation it is very necessary to keep calm and ignore verbal harassment and jeers. Do not get too friendly with strangers while at the same time do not be aggressive especially if you are alone.

If you take the above precautions there is a very slight possibility of you facing a problem while running.

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An athlete needs around 2500-3000 calories a day depending on various factors and many resort to nutrition bars. These are readily available at every store around the corner and are fast becoming the preferred choice for necessary nutrition.  There are nutrition bars available for every kind of diet such as low carb, high protein etc. and for every exercise need.

                THE PROS

·         Energy bars are huge money makers and they don’t necessarily make you feel more energetic as is commonly perceived. When the makers say they provide energy it means they provide calories.  Though energy bars are convenient, they don’t come cheap. This guide that lists all the pros and cons of the nutrition bar will help you make that all important choice; energy bar vs. food.

·         Energy bars can go everywhere. They are extremely light for the amount of calories they pack in and you can carry them along just in case.

·         It is important to get some calories (roughly 200-300) before you do a workout.  People often make the mistake of eating zero calorie food before workouts which don’t really help. A nutrition bar makes sure you have the requisite number of calories before you begin exercising.

                THE CONS

·         Though pre-exercise food should be easily digestible it is not always so with nutrition bars. Many runners complain that nutrition bars settle in the stomach making one feel uncomfortable and queasy.

·         Most nutrition bars these days are organic so they have no additives. This means that there are no vitamins or minerals added to them either. 

·         Also to pack in more calories nutrition bars unlike fruit and other natural food have very low water content. For this reason it is also important to drink a lot of water to keep the body healthy.

·         Also nutrition bars are much more expensive than regular food and could burn a hole in your pocket is eaten regularly.

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When you’ve begun a running routine and things are going well, the last thing you need is an injury which will prevent you from running for some time. Injuries are terrible news for a person who regularly performs physical activity because it stops you from being active for some time. This break from activity affects you negatively because it takes some time to work yourself back to the shape you were in. This is how to deal with injuries:

It is very important that you do not run with an inflammation or injury. Keep an elastic bandage with you when you engage in some activity so that when you get injured you can wrap it around the injury to reduce the inflammation. Moreover if you have a small injury or pain it is best not to work out or run that day because it could get aggravated and lay you off sports for quite some time.

When you have put on a sports bandage do not continue to run with it on. The elastic bandages are stretchable and designed so in order to give way to your body’s movement and may move out of position. This will only cause greater problems to the injured areas.

When you go running do not wear a brand new pair of shoes that you have never worn. It is important to try shoes out before so that you get comfortable with them. Brand new shoes can cause blisters and shoe bites which will put paid to your chances of running in the immediate future.

The most important thing to remember about sport injuries is to never ignore them .If you feel pain in some part of your body you should get immediate medical attention. It is extremely inadvisable to go on with activity even if you are feeling pain. Get immediate attention so that your body can heal and you can get ready to run sooner 

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A lot of people obsess about weight and talk about calories and miles logged. Many of them also throw around terms like BMI a lot. But how many of us actually understand what BMI means? BMI stands for Body Mass Index which is a ratio of a person’s height and weight. It is measured as follows:

Weight (kg/ pounds)

Height (m)

BMI is used to measure whether a person is overweight, underweight or has a healthy weight. Through this doctors and other health professionals are able to discuss a patient’s weight and related problems with them. It gives a person a proper idea about how overweight he or she is so that they know the goal they have to reach and act accordingly.

BMI is very easy to calculate and for that reason it is easy for people to find how to what extent their weight has become a problem. BMI is the best way to measure the body and weight ratio for people who lead sedentary lifestyles. It however has a lot of demerits.

BMI does not take into account muscle weight. Most athletes have a lot of muscle weight and they tend to be shown as overweight or obese on the BMI scale. Unless a different mechanism is devolved for athletes with a new framework, this one cannot be accepted as a true reflection. Also BMI also does not make allowances for body type/ frame etc. People who have a larger bone structure but not much fat may still be counted in the overweight category. In the U.S BMI is also used to make a new classification that is starvation. People are classified into various categories as followed:

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All ready to start jogging seriously and on a regular basis? Good. It’s really very simple and running is one of those things for which you don’t need any initial investment. It’s not like golf where you need an entire kit with a lot of clubs and you need membership in a golf course and other expenditure like that. Nor is it like tennis or yoga where you need to join a fancy yoga club. Running is extremely simple and straight forward. You don’t need to spend money on anything to get prepared for jogging. There are just a few basic prerequisites which everybody already has.

A good pair of shoes: The only thing you absolutely need when you go running is a good pair of running shoes. A pair of running shoes should be light weight and comfortable. There is no need for you to buy a really fancy and expensive pair of trainers, unless of course you have the money to blow up, you just need the basic sneakers. It is better to avoid those sneakers that come with a bit of a heel or things that have Velcro or such. Just a basic pair of sneakers will do the job as good as any.

Clothes: Make sure you wear clothes that let you breathe easy when you go running. There is special gear available from big brands which keep dry, but a basic cotton blend t-shirt will suffice for running. Stay away from synthetic clothes as they do not let you breathe and make you feel warm and sweaty much earlier than a regular cotton t-shirt. Also be sure to wear comfortable and roomy lowers. Lots of people like to stick to track pants though I prefer shorts personally. Just make sure that your clothes are loose and allow you plenty of room to move your limbs freely and get the desired effect from your workout.

So dress right for a run which if you are sensible, is never a very tough task.

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Always a bit confused about how much to get so that you can get the results you desire within the time frame you’ve set for yourself. Fear not there is something that can make things easier for you by telling you how much you’ve run, how many calories you’ve burn and help you meet that target you’ve set.

Get yourself the iPod+ Nike sports kit. It’ll make running a little more fun and this way you’ll know how much you’ve exercised on a particular day and monitor your diet accordingly. This device is like the perfect fitness machine. It monitors how much you’re exercising, whether you’re doing enough to reach your goal and stuff like that. I know it’s a problem with many people and I’ve also faced it myself, you don’t exactly know how much is a mile and so you have no clue how much you’ve run. And once you’ve set a target it’s much easier to do more since you keep pushing yourself to reach the target.

This electronic trainer actually comes in two parts. One is the iPod and the other is the other adapter that is in the shoe. Both these adapters communicate with each other wirelessly and they calculate how much you’ve run, at what speed, how much time you’ve taken to run the distance and even  how many calories you’ve burnt. It also syncs itself with the music that’s playing out of your iPod so that you’re interrupted and reminded about how much distance you’ve still got to go.

This is the perfect thing for all fitness enthusiasts and for those who better get exercising. This awesome gadget is available at Nike stores worldwide. This is something that will really help you reach that target. And it’s not so much about the iPod, it’s good because it tracks your fitness so you can calculate and modify your lifestyle to get that perfect body.

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