Addicted to Running:

Are you one of those who are addicted to running? If so, you may be at an increased risk for an overuse injury.

About four months back, I wrote about a local jogger with a distinct running style. I had noticed that this person started wearing an ankle wrap while out for his jogs. His running style
had changed and it was clear that he was limping somewhat.

While his unique running style likely contributed to his injury, it was interesting that he couldn't give up his runs, even if they were causing pain.

I believe that many joggers are addicted to running and will try to run no matter what, even if it causes pain. My personal belief is that you should do some cross-training
to reduce the risk of overuse injuries.

Ride a bike, lift some weights, or try some swimming. Give your joints a break from the constant pounding of the pavement.

As the temperatures have cooled somewhat, my bike riding has been put aside. I still enjoy driving by the mighty Mississippi on my way home, even if I will not be using the bikepath that runs beside it.

Many times that addicted jogger is out for a run and I notice that his style has been altered to avoid any more injury. I'm curious if some therapist advised him to change his running style
or he did that on his own.

Bottom line, if you are one of those who is addicted to running, at least be sure to do some flexibility work and get some massage work done. If you can't get to a therapist often enough,
try some of the self massage techniques on my website.

I also posted some new articles on my website - using water therapy to overcome injuries, the Burdenko Method, and politically incorrect fat loss.

Does Walking with Dumbbells Burn More Calories?

Should you hold dumbbells in your hands while walking to increase your fat loss? Or is it better to save the weights for your strength training session? Let's take a look.

Recently, I saw someone out walking with light hand weights. The assumption is that you will burn more calories and get some upper body work in at the same time.

However, this won't cause you to burn significantly more calories. More likely, it will increase your risk of an overuse injury for your elbow or shoulder.

If you want to do more work while walking, walk faster. Or try walking up and down hills for increased resistance. Adding weights to either your hands or ankles is not advised. A light weight vest around your torso would work much better.

Bottom line, if fat loss is your goal, you need to spend time doing strength or resistance training to increase your lean muscle tissue.

This helps increase your metabolism, burning more calories. Two or three pound dumbbells won't get the job done - while walking or in your strength training.

Don't be afraid of using real weights, light dumbbells for "toning" isn't the way to go. I saw a special on aging a year ago and the 101 years young woman was doing strength training with dumbbells that looked about 6-8 pounds a piece.

If she isn't using the pink dumbbells, why should you?!

For ultimate fat loss, doing some interval training is the way to go. By alternating between periods of intense and lighter exercise, you burn more calories and keep your metabolism elevated for longer periods after you are done exercising. You also get more done in a shorter period of time.

87 Year-old Wonder Woman:

An 87 year old great-grandmother competes in bodybuilding competitions! I just received a fitness magazine with a short article and an amazing story.

This senior citizen start doing strength training at the age of 72. Apparently, she went to the grocery store looking for some kitty litter.

When she had trouble getting the 50 pound bag home, she decided to do something about it. So she started strength training to feel younger. Well, apparently it worked!!

She has been featured on Oprah and The View and enjoys talking about the health benefits of exercise. I've said before how important strength training is for elevating your metabolism.

Being able to do everyday tasks without straining or risking injury, is also an important benefit of doing strength or resistance training. For women, maintaining bone mass is also very important.

The take home message? If you want to slow down the aging process, don't wait until your senior years to get started. Work on your health while in your 40's and 50's.

Brian Morgan, CSCS

Dancing and Increased Mobility:

I recently saw a brief interview with actress Jane Seymour, who is on Dancing with the Stars, the celebrity reality show. She mentioned her ballerina training while in her teens and spoke of a knee injury that ended any dance aspirations.

She also mentioned something very interesting about her increased mobility and it's positive effect on her back. She showed the scar from a previous low back injury and said that all the dance training loosened up the muscles of her hips and pelvis.

This resulted in her back feeling better and an improvement in her golf swing. The increased hip mobility decreases stress on her spine. When your hips and pelvis are too tight, more stress gets placed on the back, which tries to make up for this loss of motion.

The take home point? Most people need more mobility in their hips to reduce or prevent back pain. You also need a certain amount of core strength in your abs, low back, and hips.

Enough stability to help support your spine!

If you don't have hours to devote to dance training, joint mobility movements, tai chi, or Nia can help. For the busy person, 10-15 minutes should work, because you still need some strength training for optimal results.

What's Nia? Stay tuned and I will let you know shortly.