How to be a Healthy Runner

The key component to more efficient running and avoiding most injuries is improving on landing softly. Not exactly groundbreaking advice but how does one go about learning to absorb contact more effectively?

Photo by Mārtiņš Zemlickis on Unsplash

First thing to address is technique. Landing hard on your heel is often due to over-striding instead of landing with the foot underneath your hip. Butt-kicks mimic where your foot shot be landing, when you're warming up perform a few meters of butt-kicks before resuming your regular stride.

Second would be posture. You want to maintain a slight forward lean which will in turn aide in your ability to use gravity to land more mid-foot. I always think hips high and run tall. I would be remiss if I didn't mention not everyone likes to run with a forefoot landing, preferring a heel landing, which still doesn't change the focus of today's topic of "landing softly". Many elite long distance runners are heel to toe type runners, so you have to find what sort of stride works bests for you. 

Often heard advice on running faster is increasing cadence, or stride frequency, but if you're plodding along loudly like a hungry dog the only thing that's going to increase are hip, knee and ankle issues. 

The final thing I would address is strength training protocol. Are you performing any type of jump training? It's important to focus on absorbing contact just as much as it is in learning how to produce more of it.

Here is a Depth Jump progression that can help you start running 

Depth Drop

• Teaches you how to land properly and absorb the impact.
• The mechanics are similar to squatting, I would not have a client perform any type of plyometric work until they can properly demonstrate a basic understanding of the squat. 

Depth Jump

• Like the depth drop, upon landing immediately dip back down and explode up. 
• Focus on landing softly.

Single Leg Depth Jump

• Stepping off a 12 inch box, landing softly with both feet. 
• Using only one leg, dip down and jump straight up. Land softly and repeat. This time by jumping off the other foot upon landing. 

Depth Broad Jump

• Step off a 12 inch box, landing softly and immediately performing a broad jump.
• Focus on using the hips, full extending, and once again land softly.

Ice Skater & Bounding

• Ice skater focuses on lateral absorption and power development. 
• Motion needs to occur from the hips, land softly. As competency increases, so can speed of the movement. 

• Bounding is a forward motion, great for working on timing, footwork, and linear power development. 

Give these a try and see how it might improve your ability to run faster, run longer and stay injury free. 

Thoracic Spine, Breathing and You

The thoracic spine/ribcage is the boss when it comes to deciding where the scapula sits. Trainers and coaches find that if an athlete is having trouble with overhead movements, thoracic extension and the muscles involved must be mobilized.

Some lifters don’t respond well to traditional t-spine exercises like thoracic extensions or back-to-wall slides, no matter how many times they're performed.  For these individuals those particular drills and mobilizations don't help because they're already stuck in extension. The goal is to try and move them into a more neutral position where the diaphgram and pelvic floor face each other. This allows for the upper back to move into extension thus allowing better movement and less strain on secondary breathing muscles. 

Improving your squat requires reps, so too does your breathing. By fully drawing in air and exhaling, you'll improve your rib and thoracic mobility. By correcting this it will free up a majority of shoulder impingements at the top of pressing movements. I have had countless clients attempt to breathe deeply only to be able to take in air for 2-3 seconds at most.

I would add that these clients often exhibit dysfunctional breathing muscular restrictions like overactive scalene, sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae, pec minor and traps. 

Before beginning, if you're a female in the Los Angeles area looking to make long lasting changes and lose that stubborn weight, click on the link above in my profile for details👆🏼😬 *️⃣*️⃣*️⃣*️⃣*️⃣*️⃣*️⃣ 90-90 hip lift with balloon. If you change your breathing mechanics, you can drastically improve your thoracic mobility. Using a balloon is an amazing tool to teach you how to better engage the muscles needed to stabilize the trunk and creating intra-abdominal pressure voluntarily. How to: Lie on your back with your feet flat against a wall. Knees and hips at 90 degrees. Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth in order to maintain pressure. The hip lift encourages posterior tilt by trying to engage your hamstrings not the abdominal muscles. 1) Begin with an exhale to set rib position. The goal is use a minimal amount of oblique contraction to the ribs down during inhalation 2) Exhale fully through mouth without clamping down on your rectus abdominis (6 pack muscle). 3) Pause 2-3 seconds before inhaling again. Inhales and exhales should be relatively effortless. Limit straining, keep a relaxed neck. 4)Expand chest 360 degrees. Chest should expand, not rise towards the shoulders.

A video posted by Gary Heshiki Fitness (@garyheshikifitness) on Feb 1, 2016 at 9:03pm PST

I learned this trick from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). 

The balloon is an amazing tool to teach you how to better engage the musculature needed to stabilize the trunk, create and release pressure voluntarily.  Really honing this skill has immense carryover to all lifts and movements.  

Try to not pinch off the balloon with your teeth. Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth in order to maintain pressure.  The arm lift helps to facilitate opening up the chest and the hip lift which encourages posterior tilt where you are trying to engage your hamstrings.

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Key Points

• Begin with an exhale to set rib position.
• The goal is use a minimal amount of oblique contraction to the ribs down during inhalation
• Exhale fully through mouth without clamping down on your rectus abdominis (6 pack muscle).
• Pause 2-3 seconds before inhaling again.
• Inhales and exhales should be relatively effortless.  Limit straining, keep a relaxed neck.  Expand chest 360 degrees.
• Chest should expand not rise towards the shoulders. 

Exercise Breakdown: Plank to Side Plank Rotations

I got this variation from the LA Lakers S&C coach Tim DiFrancesco

I believe most people would benefit from performing more side plank variations as it will increase lateral stabilization and often times fix most internal hip rotation restrictions. 

A side plank targets muscles like the Quadratus Lumborum, Lats, Obliques, and the Rectus Adomonis. The best part of this movement is that as you rotate in and out of the plank variations you'll have to get tight throughout the body and resist both extension and lateral rotation forces on the body. 

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How To:

• Begin in a prone plank position with your arms at 90 degrees, one in front of the other. 
• Brace into a plank position, deep exhale as to set the ribcage in the proper position and to achieve a strong core brace.
• Rotate onto one side while simultaneously rotating the feet to help facilitate a proper side plank position. Careful to not lose proper "shoulder stacking", meaning you should not feel ALOT of pressure in the front of your shoulder while doing this. 
• Rotate back to the prone plank and then repeat on the other side. 
• Perform 8-12 passes total near the end of a workout. 

I Succeed Because of My Wife

I'm a little more than half way through my Massage Therapy program. 

Most of the time I leave my home between 530-7am and don't get home until about 9-10pm. 

When I get home, it's tidy and dinner is often waiting for me. My wife doesn't really enjoy cooking but for this brief period she has hot food waiting for me. I don't often get to tell her how thankful I am for all her help but I know that without her help and constant support I would not have the energy to put in 12+hour days 5-6 times a week. She has a lot of other things on her plate but she is always there to lend me a hand or pick up the slack when I'm not around. Basically: I'm certain I would have misplaced my head from my shoulders without her.

For any successful man, there's always a highly supportive and loving woman behind him. These guys need to be sure to let their wives know how thankful they are, I know I am. 

Voyage LA Interview

I recently finished an interview on Voyage LA detailing my history as a trainer and the road to where I am today.

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