1. Towel crunches. Your foot has tiny intrinsic muscles that stabilize your toes called the interossei and lumbricals. A great way to strengthen them is to put your foot on a towel and crunch your toes. Do this ten times, then take a 30 second break and repeat to complete three sets of ten. When you get good at this, replace the towel with a pen or marker and grab it with your toes.
2. Heel walking. Heel striking is what we are avoiding, but heel walking is a great way to strengthen your anterior lower leg muscles (muscles in your shin). Roll back on your heels and walk forward balancing yourself on your heels for about 30 seconds, then take a 30 second break and repeat two more times.
3. Deep squats on your forefoot. Roll up onto your forefoot then squat down into an almost sitting position, trying to keep your balance and avoid shifting back onto your heels. Hold this pose for 30 seconds then stand up for 10 seconds and repeat 5 more times. When you get good at this, try holding a weighted bar at you shoulder level and then squat.
4. Inner foot strengthening with a resistance band. (This targets the medial muscles; the posterior tibial muscle and abductor hallucis) Tie the resistance band on a chair leg then use your medial muscles to pull the band toward the center of your body. Other option is to hook the band around your foot, then use the other foot to stabilize it. Pull your foot toward the midline of your body. Hold for 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. (An alternative is to balance on the inside of your foot and walk for 30 seconds, following the pattern of heel walking)
5. Outer foot strengthening with a resistance band. (This targets the lateral muscles; the peroneals) Tie the resistance band on a chair leg then use your lateral muscles to pull the band toward the outside of your body. Other option is to hook the band around your foot, then use the other foot to stabilize. Then move your foot towards the outside of your body. Hold for 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. (An alternative is to balance on the outside of your foot and walk for 30 seconds, following the pattern of heel walking)
6. Proprioceptive/Balance Training. Balance on one foot with other leg bent. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times. When you get good, then roll up onto your forefoot. If you are a pro, then put a 5 pound weight in the opposite hand and touch your toes while balancing on your forefoot. (An alternative progression is to go from one leg on forefoot on level ground, to a foam mat then a Bosu ball or wobble board) 

Stronger Feet Can Lead To Running Zen 

Come join me in Boston on April 14th at 6pm

Saucony presents "Step into Minimalism"

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Run stronger and happier!

Here is a great article that again shows the benefits of an active, smoke-free lifestyle. Why don't most people get it? Running or any other kind of vigorous exercise simply makes you live longer! let's cure obesity together! Take a friend for a walk or run. Encourage your friends and families to be more active. Save a life!

Full article : click here

Run Happy!

1. To help prevent obesity, clinicians should recommend that infants be breast-fed for at least 6 months and that schools offer children in all grades 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise.
2. Clinicians should educate children and parents regarding healthy dietary and activity habits; advocate to restrict availability of unhealthy food choices in schools; ban advertising promoting unhealthy food choices to children; and redesign communities in ways that will maximize opportunities for safe walking and bike riding to school, athletic activities, and neighborhood shopping. 

Regular Exercise Through Middle Age May Delay Biological Aging 

Another good reason to exercise through your entire life! Or at least another good excuse to feed our running addiction! :)

Regular exercise reduces the risk for obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart disease not only in middle age but also in the retirement years, and the maintenance of aerobic power in older years may be associated with the ability to maintain independence. Sedentary elderly persons may lose physical fitness with age to the point of losing independence, and increased physical activity may be a way to prevent this deterioration as well as manage chronic disease.

News reported by Laurie Barclay, MD on Medscape Today click here for the entire article

Run Happy....for a lifetime!

Back Pain Fron Running?

Did you know that low back pain at some point in time will inflict over 80% of the population? Proper footwear can potentially prevent, reduce and treat biomechanical factors associated with low back pain in runners. Back pain can be a mysterious thing. Every time your feet hit the ground, the reacting shock is transferred up your legs to your hips and spine, and any biomechanical imbalance can ultimately cause lower back pain.

It could be that you have flat feet, and your over-pronation (rolling in of your feet) is causing your back ache. It could be that you have really high-arched, rigid feet and the lack of pronation is causing your back pain. It could be that one of your legs is ever-so-slightly shorter than the other, or that your pelvis is just a tiny bit uneven or tilted. You could have a curve in your spine. More seriously, one of the discs between the vertebrae of your spine could be degenerating or arthritis is setting in.

Back pain can be a tough mystery to solve, but with a little help from your friendly neighborhood sports medicine specialist you should be able to track down the cause. By far the most common diagnosis in patients with low back pain is the lumbar sprain/strain, which accounts for about 75% of all cases of low back pain. While muscle strain is the most common cause of back pain for runners, play it safe and visit a sports medicine orthopedist or a chiropractor to have your spine and vertebrae examined if you are experiencing severe pain.

If you have ruled out all the worrisome spine issue, you may have an uneven pelvis or unequal leg lengths. These conditions are relatively common and can be ascertained with a good biomechanical exam. With either, the muscles on one side are being pulled. They're tense to begin with, and the added stress of running can put them into spasm. Relatively weak abdominal and lower back muscles might also contribute to the problem. Running generally tends to cause strength imbalances between these muscle groups. Add tight hamstrings, another common condition among runners, and you have a nifty recipe for back pain. Core strengthening exercises and a lot of stretching can help.

Finally, the root cause is often in your foot, the last place most people look! Back pain is one of the many possible injuries associated with flat feet and over-pronation. Likewise, if your feet are rigid and high-arched, their lack of stress relief and under-pronation can cause stress imbalance resulting in back pain.

For immediate relief, cut back on the mileage, moist heating pads, anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, and a good massage. If the problem is disc deterioration or spinal arthritis, surgery may be necessary, and an adjustment in training is absolutely required. Take this condition seriously, and see a spinal specialist. If your spine is merely out of alignment, manipulation by a chiropractor or physical therapist may help ease your pain. This may also ease your muscle strain.

If your doctor confirms that you have an uneven pelvis or unequal leg lengths, the solution will likely be to try to correct the problem with a heel lift on the short side. This may be as simple as putting a piece of 1/4" foam or cork into the heel of your running shoe. If you don't get any relief at all within a week, go ahead and take the lift out. If it does no good, its better just not to wear one; your body may have adjusted to different leg lengths, and "fixing" it may cause more discomfort. Whatever the case, make sure that the remedy matches the problem; do not use a heel lift if your doctor does not confirm that you have an uneven pelvis or unequal leg lengths, or you may only make your problems worse.

If your problem is in the structure of your foot, your solution may be as simple as wearing different running shoes or adding orthotics to the mix. Most shoes loose 75% of their shock absorption after approximately 500 miles. This appears to be the critical point in which injuries tend to develop as a result of shoe wear. Thus it is important to have a rough idea how many miles are on your shoes and to replace them before soreness begins. If your shoes are not worn out, see your podiatrist for recommendations of shoe types and to see if an orthotic will help decrease the biomechanical strain causing your back pain. . In most cases of lower back pain, you will benefit from exercises to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles.

Back pain can be an indicator of a serious problem and can lead to a cascading injury that slows your running to a complete halt! Muscular back pain is the most common and can be annoying and complicated to treat due to the myriad of causes. If you have severe pain, seek medical attention immediately. If your pain is mild and seems to be directly related to your running, look to your feet as a possible contributor to you pain.

Run Happy! And Pain-Free!

1. “I don’t have time”: I have a full-time medical practice, three young children, and a thriving writing/speaking side venture; but I still find time to run at least 30 miles a week and go to the gym for a weight workout twice a week. If I can find the time, so can most people. It’s a matter of priorities and wasted time.
2. “I’m too tired to exercise”: Don’t even try this excuse on me. I pack more in a day than almost anyone else I know, but I don’t know who won “American Idol” or who is on “The Apprentice.” I use my time wisely and go to bed early without the time vampire of the television sucking the life out of me. The hardest part of any workout is the first 3 steps out of bed or out the door. You are tired because you don’t exercise and you use useful energy on nonsense.
3. “I can’t find an exercise program I enjoy”: Let’s dispel this other very common excuse. So what! Believe me, there are many mornings I don’t enjoy running at all. That’s why the IPod was invented. Miraculously, you can convince your body you are reading a book, newspaper, or listening to the radio or your favorite music. On the days when the last thing you want to do is exercise, find a distraction. A great one is to go the gym and people watch. The diversity of people will crack you up! No one said exercise is supposed to be enjoyable, but after a few weeks of regular cardiovascular challenge, it does become more fun. Vary your programs, get a trainer, or try a group fitness class and be social. Do something…anything! Being out of shape, sweating your butt off, looking like you are about to croak any minute isn’t fun for anyone; but that will only improve with consistency! Not excuses!
4. “My arthritis/injury/something hurts when I exercise”: If you are over the age of 35 and are like most Americans - Fat, you have been putting abnormal stress on many body parts for a long time; pain is going to happen when you start an exercise program. There is a difference between good pain and bad pain. If you truly have arthritis, your only hope of continuing to move is to exercise. Joints that are damaged and are not regularly exercised will stiffen and eventually become virtually unusable. Work through your discomfort and the other side is much more enjoyable. Follow some simple tips to get through your pain and start on the road to cardiovascular fitness.

1. Start slowly. The biggest mistake most people make is too much, too soon, and too fast. The next day you often can’t move at all and it will be even harder to convince yourself to move at all.
2. Do not bite off more than you can chew. Little bits count! Gradually increase your time and separate segments with recovery walking or stretching. Try 15 minutes total the first day, broken into 5 minute segments separated by a one minute rest. Add no more than one more segment each day. For runners, we use the golden rule of not adding more than 10% more mileage every week. Your goal should be 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least 5 days a week. Rome was not built in a day. Gradually work up to this goal.
3. Go at your own speed. Just because your friend can run an 8 minute mile doesn’t mean that is even realistic for you. I try to preach perceived exertion. That means getting your heart rate up to where you break a sweat, but still can carry on a conversation. This litmus test will not allow you to over do it when your competitive drive kicks in.
4. Warm up! Take a few minutes to warm up prior to exercising and warm down afterwards. Warm muscles don’t hurt as much as cold ones and are less likely to get injured. Wear extra clothing to keep your muscles warm if the environment is too cool. I tell all my runners to walk for at least 5 minutes, then stretch, then start running.
5. Vary your program. We all get bored and your muscles and joints will thank you for varying your routine. The older I get, the more I have to work on core strengthening and resistance training to keep my body in shape. Running alone just doesn’t do it. Once a week, try something you never have done before. Take a group fitness class, do yoga, try a spin class, try a new route for your walk. Variety really is the spice of life!
6. Listen to your body. There will be days that your body says “easy does it.” Listen to it. A great way to keep in tune is to wear a heart rate monitor. These help you stay in your zones and not over do it. You will be amazed how some days you can go forever and some days you have 15 good minutes and then you are done. It is more important to walk around the block every day than to try to climb Mount Everest all in one day!
7. Get rid of your negative self-talk. We are our own worst enemies. I have been at 18 miles in a marathon and that little voice in my head is saying “why are we doing this? What made you think you could run 26.2 miles at this pace at your age?” Block it out. Have a mantra like “I have put lots mileage in the bank and I’m just withdrawing it today” or “I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me” or one of my favorites “I can puke when I’m done.” Sing a song, talk to a friend, or just keep telling yourself positive thoughts. The negative ones will only hold you back and make you miserable.
8. Use your imagination. Picture your ideal self, at your ideal weight, in that dress that has not fit in years. Then picture how you are going to get there!
9. Set yourself up for success! What do I mean by this? Go buy the proper equipment, get new shoes, a snazzy new work out outfit and make a plan. Hire a trainer if you don’t have any idea what you are doing. The money is well spent if you have a good trainer to point you in the right direction. Make a schedule and force yourself to stick to it. Exercise is not some thing you just get around to. My program is scheduled and can’t be missed unless the excuse is good enough to miss an important meeting or a dentist appointment (building is on fire, child throwing up, car accident, etc.). Consistency is the key. Make it a habit, especially on the days you don’t feel like it!
10. Talk to your doctor. Get a physical and talk to your doctor about what restrictions they feel should be put on your program. Ask for their help. Most doctors are thrilled that their patients are attempting to exercise and are very willing to help! I make sure my patients are in the right shoes, have realistic plans, and don’t need some biomechanical help or physical therapy to help them get started.