The Secret to Longevity.....in Running

The Secret To Longevity......in Running
Written By: Lindsay Dixon, CAT(C), HonsBScKin

Some sports can claim to be both physically exhausting and mentally rejuvenating. Running is such a sport, offering participants the benefits of a full body workout along with the legendary "runners high". It is a sport that can last a lifetime.

Unfortunately, runners are often plagued with injury and physical breakdown, which thwarts performance goals, and in the worst cases, means a person can't practice their sport.

The secret to a lifetime of healthy running is posture. Remember your mother telling you to stand up straight? Well, it's a little more complicated then that, but she was basically right.

Common complaints of the runner are chronic strains, knee plain, lower back pain, ITB syndrome, plantar fascitiis, achilles tendonitis, and the list goes on. In most cases the injury is a direct result of poor posture.

What exactly is poor posture?

The definition of poor posture is an imbalance in neutral spinal alignment. When there is an imbalance some muscles are in a sustained shortened position and others are lengthened. Ever the accomodating friend, your body develops adhesions to hold this soft tissue in your favoured position. The natural curves of the body are changed and suddenly the spine's ability to distribute force and absorb shock is compromised. Muscles can no longer contract, relax and fire effectively. Your body is in a weakened state and pounding the pavement soon becomes as painful as it sounds.

Blame the Office.

Spending the majority of your day chained to a desk with your face thrust toward a computer screen and head tilted to cup the phone in your ear can do significant damage. It is an unavoidable fact of our society that the sedentary nature of most occupations encourages a predisposition to poor posture. Awareness is the first step and stretching is the second. Five minute breaks never felt so good!

Stop being the underdog!

A runner embarking on a new program of training is almost always starting at a disadvantage. Without considering the importance of good posture or the fact that he or she might be starting with a poor postural foundation as a result of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle., the runner assumes the position of underdog. Because the runner begins with imbalances, he or she risks injury with every run.

Running naturally increases the demands placed on a body. When compensatory postural patterns are a factor (compensatory refers to a muscle, not required to be the primary mover in an activity, firing, or in use) an even greater demand is being asked of a weakened body. When the muscles can no longer compensate, injury occurs. Physical breakdown is the result of this pattern of compensation and injury repeated over time.

A good example is knee or joint pain

Muscles act as a sort of padding, helping to absorb force. If the alignment is off and the muscles are in a sustained lengthened or shortened position, they are in a constant state of tension or compression and cannot do their job properly. When the spinal alignment is off due to poor posture, the body is unable to distribute force evenly. The increase in pressure or load on individual joints , such as the knees and hips as well as the back is what you feel as pain.

Another example of compensation and the resulting injury is a repetitive hamstring strain.

Let's use the example of a stiff mid back or thoracic spine. Force cannot be absorbed efficiently in this position. Your body compensates in the only way it knows how, resulting in the rotation of the lumbar spine and shifting the pelvis out of alignment. When the pelvis is out of it's neutral position, one or both hamstrings may be in constant tension and/or constant contraction. So when the muscle is asked to contract and relax during a run it may end in overload and strain.

A common mistake runners make is stretching when a muscle tightnens up during a run. If the muscle is already in a sustained lengthened position, you might actually be causing more harm than good. Essentially, you are pulling on an overstretched muscle. The reason it may feel tight is that scar tissue has adhered in that position. Fatigue sets in sooner because the muscle cannot effectively contract and relax.

The good news:

The good news is that you can unwind a lifetime of poor posture! All runners can do something about this now!

What you can do:

1. Get an indidividual postural/biomechanical assessment from an athletic therapist to determine your specific imbalances (which muscles need to be strengthened, which muscles nned to be stretched, what soft tissue needs to be released).

2. An athletic therapist can work with you on unwinding your postural compensatory pattern and retraining a neutral position. It is important to recognize that the neurological system has also adapted and learned your compensation. An important part of retraining your body is retraining your brain.

3. Aside from preventing physical breakdown, unwinding the compensatory pattern will actually increase the efficiency of your running gait. This ultimately results in improvements in your time and performance due to decreased compensatory movement!

Keep in mind, the body is connected. Remember the song? The hip bone is connected to the knee bone..well, kindergarden didn't lie. Most would agree that the value of being able to continue running for a lifetime is worth it. Take the important step and get an assessment today!