A Complete Core Workout for Runners
Running can place up to 3 times your body weight of force on the body. Because of this extremely high demand, having a strong core is important. The core muscles include the diaphragm, transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, obliques, pelvic floor, and multifidus. These muscles provide stability to the trunk when the arms and legs are being used, as well as through an axial load (which occurs during running). A strong core to absorb all of the force described above with running is critical to prevent injuries. Below you will find a complete core workout to help encourage core strength to help prevent injuries.
Hip Pain in Runners
With the fall weather and cooler temperatures here, running has become a more popular form of exercise. With increased running also commonly comes an increase in injuries, specifically hip pain. Hip pain can have a variety of causes, and it can be structural, overuse, weakness, etc. Most commonly in runners, hip pain is caused by increasing mileage too quickly and muscular imbalances/weaknesses. Hip pain can be prevented in runners by increasing mileage at an appropriate rate, performing a dynamic warm-up and cool-down, and performing hip strengthening exercises. Below you will find strategies to help prevent hip pain while running.
11 Reasons You Should Start Protecting Your Joints in Your 20s and 30s
With balance and strength declining as we age, often after the mid-50s, you may think that you don’t need to worry about improving these skills until much later in life. The truth is that maintaining physical fitness throughout your 20s and 30s comes with a number of benefits that can help set you up for better overall health long-term. Let’s take a look at a few key reasons why it’s never too early to start prioritizing your joint health.
Stop Falls Before They Happen
The CDC reports that over 800,000 people are hospitalized each year due to a fall. This is a huge number of people, but there is the potential to mitigate some risks associated with falls. This blog will educate you on a few exercises to build up strength and balance to assist in the prevention of falls.
Up-Par Body Workouts for Golf
Every golfer out there is always looking for ways to improve their game. Whether they look to practice their short game, work to improve the consistency of their drives, or try to improve their chipping ability, the work never stops. Strength training is one “easy” way these golfers can improve their game. Most understand the importance of improving hip and leg strength to help drive power into their swing, but the upper body is equally as important to help drive power and control gains. Thus, it is important to improve upper body strength to prepare for your best swing. This workout will help increase club head speed, improve control, reduce injury risk, and prepare your body for the forces applied during a golf swing. These workouts will target the large force generators and stabilizers of the upper body portion of the golf swing. Since this is a strength workout, the best gains will be made by using weights. This workout should be performed once per week for each specific exercise listed.
A Physical Therapist’s Guide to Balance Training
Kimberly Smith is the Assistant Manager of Clinical Programs, IL Regional Coordinator – Vestibular/Concussion Program
If you or someone you know has fallen, you are not alone. Balance quickly diminishes after the mid-50s, increasing the risk for falls and other adverse health outcomes. According to the National Institute on Aging, 1 in 3 individuals will suffer a fall each year. The good news is it is never too late to improve your balance and fitness to decrease these risks. This may be as simple as making minor changes, just a few minutes a day, and using your local Physical Therapist as a resource! The pandemic has not helped reduce the falls problem, as most of the population 65 and older became stationary, less active, and was not challenging their bodies to the full potential. As part of Falls Prevention Awareness Month this September, we would like to highlight the importance of early detection and prevention for yourself or a loved one.
Is it Safe to Run with Knee Pain?
Generally speaking, exercise should not be painful. Pain is an alarm system within the body telling you something is not working properly. So, should you keep running when your knee hurts? When do you go to the doctor? Will they ask you to stop running? Can you ignore it? Stop right there.
So Your Baseball Season is Done….Now What?
If you know anything about youth baseball, the season seems never ending as kids go from one team to another and never seem to have an offseason. Most youth baseball players and parents don’t realize that the offseason is equally if not more important than the regular season. It is a chance for the body to recover and adapt to the changes that were imposed on it during the regular season. Now the offseason does not mean it’s time to sit around and do nothing; it’s a great chance to improve your strength and conditioning and address asymmetries as well as faults in your throwing motion.
