When a runner is faced with an injury, one of the most devastating things is an inability touch with the training process without having a long unmotivated break.
Running in the pool can be useful for those who cannot run because of injury but still want to train. It is probably the safest cross-training option for lots of runners’ injuries. Because there is no impact on the body in the pool, running can be maintained in the water with as much time as running on a hard surface. Resistance provided by the water reduces the risks of aggravating trauma.
Tips and tricks for water running:
The next best cross-training option for improving runners rehab is a spin class. The training in a spin class is lot more effective at replicating running routines than interruptive road cycling.
Try to replicate a running motion when doing intervals.
Since there is no impact on the body in spinning it allows going further without fear of been re-injured. Spinning accelerates the recovery and maintaining fitness by literally mixing up interval workouts and tempo “runs” on the bike every other day.
Spinning workouts has tor and make sure that your heart rate is in the limits of a proper cardio zone. Usually your heart rate would be about 15 RPM lower than when running.
Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill is one of the most innovative machines in the histo bypass the injury by allowing replicating regular running workouts at a fraction of a body weight.
Lowering the body weight up to 90-93% limits the pounding on the legs, accelerating quicker recovery at the same time still receiving the fitness benefit. More often Alter-G course starts from lower percentage of your body weight, increasing the weight gradually until normal.
The Alter-G helps not only in case of trauma, but also is a good recovery device, especially between the long roads, like marathon or half-marathon. The key idea about it is the better you rehab, the better you will run.
For most runners, access to running on land as quickly as possible.
There is a lot of buzz in the media about the importance of cross training for runners. Running is a unidirectional physical activity which creates muscle imbalances in majority of runners. A runner with perfect mechanics and perfect technique is an exception to runners deficiency. The biomechanical assesmen or computerized gait analysis may be of value. Frontal plane deficits, poor balance and proprioception, muscle imbalance and sticky feet are very common among runners.
DNR being a full gait and motion analysis lab we have developed specific programs which fit different types of runners. Every program is individualized based on biomechanical profile, running style, foot type, and injury relationship.
At DNR we don’t look at necessary mileage decrease as down time. Our technology and expertise can turn this down time into improvement of running efficiency.