FitSugar

Suffering From Shin Splints? Try This

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:00:00 PST

Since many of you have moved your walks and runs from sidewalks and trails to the treadmill, you have ended up with a case of shin splints. These occur when you overstress the muscles in your lower legs, causing small tears in the tissue. If you start to experience this pain, it's not a serious injury, but it is also nothing to be ignored. To heal the tears, it's best to lower the intensity of your run by walking instead, or add incline to the treadmill. If the pain is really bad, take a break from running and do some lower leg stretches and ice the area.

Since shin splints can happen when your calf muscles become stronger than the shin muscles, and a way to promote healing in the area, and to prevent shin splints in the first place, is to do some strengthening exercises. Heel walks are great, but to see one of my favorite exercises you can do while sitting

Sit on a high bench or chair. It should be tall enough so your toes can point without touching the floor.
Place a two- to six-pound dumbbell vertically in between your feet, squeezing the weight gently to keep it in place.
Begin by pointing your toes toward the floor. Then flex your feet and lift your toes as high as you can. This is one repetition.
Complete three sets of 12 reps, stretching your shins with the Kneeling Shin Stretch in between each set.
Source

Get to Know Your Iliotibial Band

Susi May — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:04:32 PDT

Many a runner has been sidelined by knee pain caused by the iliotibial band (aka the ITB). But knowing how to deal with this long band of fascia, which runs down the outside of the thigh from the pelvis to just below the shin, can help keep an injury at bay. Knowledge is power, and we want to help keep you on the road.

First off, fascia is a stiff connective tissue (like tendons and ligaments) that surrounds muscles, bones, and joints, providing both support and protection. It's like shrink-wrap; once fascia becomes tight it tends to stay tight, causing pain and injuries. When the ITB shortens, usually due to poor biomechanics (like losing your running technique when tired), it can pull the knee cap out of alignment. The faulty alignment creates inflammation in the joint and pain when bending the knee. This injury, known as iliotibial band syndrome, occurs more in women than men, most likely due to the wider female pelvis.

To avoid overuse injuries, it's important to keep this thick band of fascia flexible, especially if you're training for a race and upping your weekly mileage. Keep reading to learn how.

The 3 Most Common Mistakes Runners Make

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:22:09 PDT

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise, because besides burning major calories and toning your tush, it costs pennies compared to other sports. If you're a runner at heart, be sure to avoid these three most common mistakes.

Wearing Sneakers For Too Long
Your trusty old pair was there for you when you shaved two minutes off your 10K time and later conquered your first half, but that doesn't mean you should wear them forever. The lack of cushion and shock absorption that comes from wear and tear can result in foot pain or a more serious injury - make sure to retire an old pair every 200 to 350 miles (about four to six months, depending on how much you run). You could always buy the exact same pair you know and love, but if you're looking for a new sole mate, here are tips on how to find the perfect pair of running sneakers.

Skipping the Postrun Stretch Session
It's hard enough squeezing in a run during your busy day, but stretching those muscles you worked so hard is a must. Increasing flexibility in often-tight hamstrings, calves, shins, and quads can prevent shin splints and runner's knee, as well as lower back pain. A good stretching session can also prevent tomorrow's soreness. Try this yoga sequence to loosen tight hips and hamstrings.

Being Married to Running
You love running. We get it. And even if you're training for your first marathon, running as your sole form of exercise is a big no-no. Since overusing the same muscles can cause repetitive stress injuries, incorporate other forms of exercise into your routine. Biking, swimming, yoga, and strength training are perfect complements because they'll strengthen other muscles, which will make you a faster runner with better endurance. Not to mention, taking a break from running makes you love it even more.

How to Deal With Spring Running and Shin Splints

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:57:26 PDT

When Spring weather hits, many runners can't wait to wave goodbye to the treadmill and head to the open road. All that fresh air and gorgeous scenery gives the sense of freedom, but it can also cause a painful sensation in the front of the lower legs. Shin splints are a common ailment for runners switching from the treadmill to the road, and if a runner doesn't take certain precautions, that pain can really put a wrench in their training routine.

Shin splints are small tears in the area where the lower leg muscle attaches to the tibia, aka the shin bone. The tears result from overuse, and since running on pavement taxes your muscles more than a treadmill, many runners complain of shin pain when they first begin outdoor runs. Shin splints often occur because the calf muscle becomes stronger than the tibialis anterior, the muscle on the outside of the shin. Even if the ache isn't that bad, it's still a minor injury. Pushing through the pain could result in more severe tears - an injury that could sideline your running routine altogether.

Keep reading to learn how to prevent shin splints.

7 Ways to Ease Muscle Soreness After a Workout

Michele Foley — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:49:51 PDT

Whether you ran too hard, tried out your first TRX class, or woke up feeling unusually achy after a gym session, muscle soreness after working out is commonplace. While sore muscles are a sign that you're challenging your body, they can also put a damper on fitness goals. Here are seven ways to treat and prevent everyday soreness associated with working out.

Massage: If you're looking to relax and pamper your sore muscles, treat yourself to a massage. Besides relieving overworked muscles, a massage boosts the body's immunity system. If you went big this week and your muscles are feeling tighter than usual, skip the aromatherapy for a trigger-point or sports massage instead. It will feel a little more intense, but it's worth the payoff.
Foam Roller: Can't afford a massage? Go for the second best thing, and grab yourself a foam roller. The quick process of rolling out your body breaks up knots in muscles and is especially beneficial for trigger points like IT bands or shin-splint pain. Even better is that foam rolling helps to decrease future muscle pain and injury by keeping the body flexible and loose. Get started with these five stretches to do on a foam roller.
Active rest: Sometimes the best thing you can do for an overworked body is to give it a break - a rest day now will prevent a more serious (and sidelining) sports injury later. But that doesn't mean you have to lay in bed all day! Light to moderate activity helps the body recover by bringing oxygen and nutrients to damaged muscles. Just make sure to lay off the part of your body that is feeling the stress. Check out these active ways to take care of your body on a rest day.

Learn four more ways to treat sore muscles after the break!

Avoid Getting Hurt! Don't Make These Mistakes When Running Outdoors

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:51:48 PST

Warmer Spring weather inspires many to ditch the gym and run outside in the fresh air and on open roads. Before you make the switch from treadmill to street, avoid these common mistakes that could lead to injury.

Doing Too Much Too Soon
Between the steep hills, wind factor, uneven or slippery terrain, and not having a belt propelling you forward, running outside is harder than running on a treadmill. And since it's more taxing on your muscles, you are more prone to shin splints and other pains. Start off with shorter distances on flat roads or trails, and as your endurance improves, gradually increase your mileage and hill work. If you experience shin pain, take a few minutes to walk and stretch out your lower legs. Don't run through the pain because it may cause further injury, preventing you from running at all. When you're not running, strengthen your shins with this exercise.

Keep reading to find out other outdoor running mistakes that may cause injury.

Improve Your Running With Squats

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:22:38 PST

Don't skip out on strength training just because you think running is the ultimate form of exercise. Building a little muscle should be part of every runner's cross-training fitness routine. Squats, a classic lower-body move, is great for runners for these four reasons.

Prevent knee injuries: Knee pain is one of the most common injuries runners face. Aside from wearing supportive sneakers and running on softer surfaces, strengthening the muscles around this joint can also reduce your risk of pain and injury. Try these wall squats to strengthen your upper legs.
Increase your speed: Practicing sprinting intervals and negative splits will make you a faster runner, but first and foremost, you need muscular legs to have the ability to propel your body forward with each step. Goddess pose, a form of a wide squat, is a killer move that will have your thighs and booty burning. To target your calves and hamstrings, do this variation that Cameron Diaz uses called the Plié With Calf Raise.

Continue reading for two more reasons runners need to do squats.

Avoid Shin Splints With Heel Walks

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:18:54 PDT

One of the dreaded side affects from starting a new walking or running routine is shin splints. The pain down the outside of your lower leg may be caused by a variety of issues, but the calf muscle tends to get stronger before the muscles on the front of the shin. While stretching the calves is intuitive post run, strengthening the opposing muscles on the front of the shin is not. A simple exercise to do just that is heel walks.

The exercise name describes the action quite well. Walk about 20 yards on your heels with toes lifted off the ground. Take small steps and keep your toes, even though they are up off the ground, pointed forward (don't let your toes rotate outward). You can do this exercise barefoot or in your sneakers.

Fit's Tip: This is a great exercise to incorporate into your dynamic warm-up.

Source

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

RX For Shin Splints: Ice Massage

Susi May — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:39:21 PST

Shin splints are the bane of many new runners. The tight calves that accompany mileage increases can spell pain for the lower leg. If running causes any discomfort, take time off to allow your shin splints to heal. But you need not sit idle on the sidelines while you recuperate: ice massages help, too. A serious runner, my Equinox trainer reminded me of the healing combo of ice and massage to decrease the inflammation around the tibia (anatomy speak for shin), caused by this overuse injury. The technique is simple, but first you need to make the ultimate tool: the icing cup!

Make Your Own Icing Cup
Used in gyms and physical therapy clinics, an icing cup protects your fingers from freezing and provides a perfectly sized contact point for massaging troubled spots. Take six Dixie cups, fill them with water, and freeze. When it comes time to ice, peel back the paper and begin the massage.

The Massage
Starting by your foot, place your icing cup on the outside of your shin, on the tibialis anterior muscle. Making long strokes toward your knee, massage the muscle with an amount of pressure that feels good. Mix up your massage strokes and try small circular patterns, once again starting at the ankle and working up toward the knee. After five minutes of massaging, finish your 20-minute icing cycle with 15 minutes of static icing by placing an ice pack (or frozen peas or corn) on your shin. Aim to massage and ice twice a day.

If you're not up for an ice massage, you can always show your shins some foam roller love. Do keep stretching your calf muscles, and once the pain diminishes try these easy exercises to strengthen the tibialis anterior.