I've always been a big believer in post-run stretching, but over the last 8 months, I've done more non-running activities to support my runs. I'm going to call these things pre-hab: I do them in hopes of preventing injuries from happening. So far so good, so I thought I'd share a few of my typical pre-hab options:
Squats and planks. I've fallen off the squat bandwagon a bit since completing my squat challenge at the beginning of the summer, but I know squats are a terrific addition to my running regime. Stronger glutes, low abs, and quads make me a stronger runner. In an ideal world, I like to do 50 squats on non-running days.
Yoga for runners. I aim to do yoga 1 or 2 times per week, and I look for options geared towards runners or towards stretching my overused quads/glutes/calves/low back. Always the cheapskate, I find all of my yoga classes via YouTube. Some have been duds, but I've been impressed at the bounty of free, high-quality yoga available online. I've posted some reviews of the ones I enjoy, and I have more reviews to come.
Regular visits to the chiropractor. My chiropractor has been invaluable in keeping me logging pain-free miles. I first visited her last spring, when I finally admitted injury following my April half marathon. She got me back on the road quickly, and I've maintained regular visits with her to keep my bones where they belong. When not training, I check in every 3 months, but during this training cycle, I've gone monthly. She keeps me tuned up, which keeps me running strong, which is definitely worth the co-pay.
Do you have any non-running activities that allow you to keep up your mileage? Anyone else as indebted to their chiropractor as me?
Do you have any non-running activities that allow you to keep up your mileage? Anyone else as indebted to their chiropractor as me?
