Dynamic warm up and warm down

Dynamic warm up and warm down

Most of us are aware that warming up and cooling down go hand in hand with exercise and physical activity. However, what it actually does and how it should be done isn’t always clear. A good warm-up will increase the elasticity of muscles and tendons, encourage blood flow to the periphery of the body and increase body temperature and heart rate in preparation for activity.

Just as critical, the cool down keeps the blood flowing throughout the body. Stopping suddenly can cause light-headedness because your heart rate and blood pressure drop rapidly. Winding down slowly allows them to fall gradually.

Time Required: 5-10 minutes for warm-up; 5-10 minutes for cool down

Warm Up:
Before you begin stretching, do about 5-10 minutes of light aerobic exercise, such as marching, jogging slowly or walking briskly, to loosen up your muscles and warm you up for your run. Make sure you don’t rush your warm-up.

Static stretching before a run is not advised as it can hurt your performance. However dynamic stretches, which use controlled leg movements to improve range of motion, loosens up muscles and increases heart rate, body temperature, and blood flow to help you run more efficiently. 

LEG LIFTS
Swing one leg out to the side, and then swing it back across your body in front of your other leg. Repeat 10 times on each side. In case you feel a loss of balance, hold onto a steady object.

BUTT-KICKS
While standing tall, walk forward with an exaggerated backswing so that your heels come up to your glutes. When this is easy, try it while jogging. Do 10 reps on each side.

PIKE STRETCH
Get in a “pike” position (hips in the air). Put your right foot behind your left ankle. With your legs straight, press the heel of the left foot down. Release. Repeat 10 times on each side.

TOY SOLDIER
Keeping your back and knees straight, walk forward, lifting your legs straight out in front and flexing your toes. Advance this by adding a skipping motion. Do 10 reps on each side.

WALKING LUNGES
Step forward using a long stride, keeping the front knee over or just behind your toes. Lower your body by dropping your back knee toward the ground. Maintain an upright posture and keep your abdominal muscles tight.

After this, begin your run by jogging slowly and gradually begin to build up your speed. You should be breathing very easily. If you feel yourself getting out of breath, slow down.

Cool Down:
After you finish your run, cool down by walking or slowly jogging for 5 to 10 minutes.

Stretch fully after your cool down. Your body should be warm and stretching should be easy. You should stretch your lower back, neck, calves, quadriceps neck, calves, hamstrings and groin area. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and perform each stretch 1-3 times. Never bounce while stretching and remember a stretch should never feel like you’re hurting yourself. If it hurts, stop that stretch immediately.

What Should I Eat After a Run?

What Should I Eat After a Run?

Eating the right amount of protein and carbohydrates immediately after exercise can assist with protein synthesis and carbohydrate replacement. As a general guide, athletes should consume 1-2 of the following snacks after exercise, each of which provide 50g of carbohydrate and 10g of protein:

• 250-350ml of milkshake or fruit smoothie
• 2 x 150g tubs of low fat yogurt
• Bowl of breakfast cereal and milk
• 150g tub of yoghurt topped with sprinkle of breakfast cereal
• 250g tin of baked beans or spaghetti plus 2 slices of bread
• 1 sandwich including cheese/meat/chicken in filling plus one piece of fruit
• 1 tub of yogurt and a cereal bar
• 2 crumpets with a thick spread of peanut butter
• 250g (large) baked potato with cottage cheese or grated cheese filling
• Pot low-fat yogurt + banana
• Breakfast bar + low fat flavoured milk
• Ham/turkey/tuna sandwich
• Fig rolls/jaffa cakes + yogurt drink
• Dinner based on a starchy carbohydrate food, e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, tuna pasta or a chicken and rice dish

If you feel like you can’t stomach solid food immediately after a run, try drinking some chocolate milk. Chocolate milk provides plenty of protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins.

And don’t forget to rehydrate with water or a sports drink after your run!

Do I need to drink a Sports Drink while running?

Do I need to drink a Sports Drink while running?

Proper hydration for running is essential to avoid causing injury and to improve performance, but often runners are unsure if they should consume a sports drink or just plain water?

For short duration (<60 minutes), low to moderate intensity activity, water is a good choice to drink before, during, and after the activity.

Sport drinks (4-8% carbohydrate) are good options for moderate to high intensity activity lasting longer than 60 minutes, especially when the goal includes replacing carbohydrate and electrolytes. Electrolytes help your body retain fluids and may prevent muscle cramps. As your body loses electrolytes through sweat, you will need to replace them when running more than 60 minutes.

For those who experience high sodium losses while performing, ensure you replace your losses by including foods naturally high in sodium such as celery or even an isotonic drink.

Don’t forget to rehydrate following activity by drinking enough fluid (water or sports drinks) to replace fluid lost during activity. Replace fluid and sodium losses with watery foods that contain salt (soup, vegetable juice). Replace fluid and potassium losses by consuming fruits and vegetables.

You can make your own sports drinks using these recipes:

Recipe 1:

• 40-80g sugar or glucose powder.
• 1 litre water (previously boiled and cooled).
• 1g salt.

Recipe 2:

• 500ml fruit juice.
• 500ml water (previously boiled and cooled).
• 1g salt

Recipe 3:

•  200ml fruit squash/cordial.
• 800ml water (previously boiled and cooled).
• 1g salt.

Mix all ingredients until dissolved…

Best & Worst Pre-Run Foods

Best & Worst Pre-Run Foods

Given that most ‘fun-runs’ are conducted in the morning, it doesn't make sense to sacrifice sleep in order to eat and digest a full meal (which would mean you’d have to start eating 2 to 4 hours before the event). But even a light carbohydrate-based snack should be eaten 1 to 2 hours before competing to top up the body’s energy stores. Choose pre-performance meal(s) that are low in fat and fibre to ensure optimal digestion.

Here’s a guide to what you should and shouldn't eat before your runs -

FOODS TO AVOID 
Try limiting or eliminating some of these foods before running:

High-fibre foods: Whole-grain foods, vegetables and fruits that are high in fibre can cause gastrointestinal distress or diarrhoea. While those foods are great, healthy foods, they may cause digestive issues in runners who consume them the night before or morning of a long run.
High-fat foods: Foods with a lot of fat — such as fried foods, cheese, hamburgers, or bacon – as they take longer to digest and may make you feel uncomfortable during training.
Caffeine: Coffee or other caffeinated beverages can cause stomach issues or diarrhoea.

SAFE FOODS 
These are the best types of pre-run foods to help avoid gastrointestinal distress during or after running:

Refined Carbs: Processed white foods, like regular pasta, white rice, and plain bagels, although not as nutritious as whole grain foods, they are easier on your stomach. A plain bagel with some peanut butter (and a glass of water) would be a safe choice before a long run.
Low-Fibre Fruits and Veg: If you want to eat fruits or vegetables before your run, courgette, tomatoes, olives, grapes, and grapefruit are all low in fibre.

Examples:

3–4 Hours Before a Performance (not for short bouts of exercise – longer than 1 hour)

• Peanut butter & honey on toast and orange juice
• Fruit and yoghurt smoothie and low-fat granola
• Porridge with almonds, skimmed milk and banana
• Cottage Cheese, crackers and fresh grapes
• Ham sandwich with lettuce, tomato, side salad
• Turkey and Swiss sandwich

30–60 Minutes Before a Performance

• Sports drink or water
• Piece of fruit – banana, apple, pear, orange

*If running first thing in the morning a banana is a perfect energy snack

Head To Toe Running Stretches

Head To Toe Running Stretches

Stretching after your runs can help improve your flexibility and may help with injury prevention. Here are some great running stretches.

Calf Stretch

Your calf muscles will need a good stretch when you’re done running.

• Place both hands on a wall with arms extended. 

• Lean against wall with one leg bent forward and the other leg extended back with knee straight and foot facing forward. Keep the heel of your rear foot on that floor. 
• Feel the stretch in the calf of that leg, and hold 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat with the opposite leg. 

Quadriceps Stretch

Your quadriceps (front thigh) muscles work hard when you’re running, so it is important to stretch them fully after your run

• Stand straight, lift your right foot up behind you, and hold your right foot with your right hand. 

• Keeping your knees as close together as possible, pull your heel gently toward you, feeling a stretch in your quadriceps.

• Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat with the left leg.

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring muscles are prone to injury, so it’s very important to stretch them.

• Stand with your legs crossed and the outsides of your feet together. 
• Bend over with the knee at the back kept straight, reaching toward your feet. 
• Hold stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat with your opposite leg.

 

 

Hip Flexor Stretch

Your hip flexor muscles help lift your legs up during running, so they need a proper stretch after running.

• Step into a lunge position, keeping your toes pointed forward and your upper torso straight. 

• Press down with your hands and extend the hips forward until you feel a stretch on your back leg from the front of your hip and the top of your thigh. 

• Hold 15 to 30 seconds, then switch legs. 

 

Triceps Stretch

Its important not to forget that although your legs do most of the work, you also use your upper body when you’re running, so your arms need some TLC too…

• Bring one of your elbows across your body, towards your opposite shoulder. 
• Use your other hand to bring your elbow closer to your shoulder.
• Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then switch sides. 

10 Top Laya Wellness Health & Fitness Tips

10 Top Laya Wellness Health & Fitness Tips

1. Treat yourself once a week: Whatever your treat meal is, one day a week have whatever you want and enjoy it! This creates balance and longevity.
2. Have fun: No matter what exercise you do, it has to be fun! If it’s fun you will continue to do it, how many people continue with sports they don’t enjoy?
3. Shop once a week: One day a week, get your food shop done, stock the fridge and you will be amazed how much easier it is to be healthy.
4. Switch your white carbs to brown: Brown carbs are full of fibre and goodness , make this switch and watch the difference it makes to your waistline
5. Weigh once a week: No matter how bad your week has been, face the scales and draw a line in the sand, move on and don’t live in denial
6. Change your workouts: Bodies react to change, so change your workouts as often as possible to get the best results.
7. Train with someone fitter than you: By training with some fitter or faster, you will work harder to keep up with them than you would normally
8. Set targets: Find your goal, make the plan and work towards it!
9. Lemon up: Boiling water with lemon is fantastic for your skin, hair and digestion, cheap and effective! 

Karl Henry: Positive Mental Attitude

Karl Henry: Positive Mental Attitude

Roy Keane, Katie Taylor, Sonia O'Sullivan and Bernard Dunne, are all top athletes who were at the pinnacle of their chosen sport. They have all won medals and competed at the highest levels. They also share one common characteristic: the ability to sacrifice something in order to achieve their goal. In their sporting lives you can be guaranteed that they missed out on plenty of family gatherings, nights out and get-togethers, sacrificing these for sports event or training.

They all had a common goal, to be at the top of their sport, they are born winners. What can we learn from them or are they actually just in a league of their own? Are they just over driven? The reality is that we can learn so much, apply it to your everyday life and reap the rewards that come with being a winner. The most important piece of information to learn from them is the single determination of your goal. Whether its weight loss, fitness or flexibility , the commitment to keep working towards your goal, no matter what gets in your way, to strive to do something every day that will help you get there is an invaluable lesson to take from it. Business motivational books and speakers from Brian Tracy to Bill Cullen often preach of many of the success tips that sports people use, from business to sports they are very much the same.

The first we have discussed just there, commitment to your goal.

The second is the identity of the goal itself: Clarify your goal, make it visual and make that commitment. By making it visual, i.e. a photo or magazine cutting, you will increase the probability of reaching that goal, the more you can recognize it the better!

The third is to reduce the amount of negativity that you surround yourself with. We all know positive people, who make you feel good just by being in their company. The opposite is also true; there are negative people who will leave you feeling drained, lethargic and depressed. Business coaches suggest that you remove these people from your social circle, reasoning that if you allow yourself to be surrounded by them, you will struggle to reach your goal, as they will bring you down ,trying to restrict your success, albeit subconsciously! This is certainly something that I have used with my clients to great success, I constantly tell them not to tell people that they are training or on a diet, as the more people they tell the harder it will become.

There is a saying “fly with the eagles if you want to become an eagle yourself”, by associating with successful people you will help to become successful yourself, look at Roy Keane, who Manchester United help to nurture into a winner, so much so that the fawlty towers style organisation of the FAI proved too much for him and so he left the world cup. Or boxers who fly to the states to be with the best coaches and have the best sparring partners, association with success are a huge element that can really help you

The fun lesson that we can learn is the element of reward. By focusing on your goal, working hard towards that goal and achieving your goal, the run part is to reward yourself. A reward will help you feel good for what you have achieved, be it a present big or small, it’s the same principle, you can Basque in the glory of achievement, until it is time to set your next goal, then the process starts all over again. No matter what sportsman or woman you look at, you will see everything we have discussed in their life, no matter what age, what goal or what sport you play, all of the tips will help you to achieve those goals. They will also help you in work and your family life! It’s all too easy to be surrounded by negativity, especially in this climate, but why not step back from this, identify your goals, steer clear of the negative people, and work to achieve your goal, you may just be surprised by what you achieve without all that negative energy dragging you down.