Yesterday, as my physical therapist was directing me through
various running drills, he told me about one of his other patients who is one
of the top high school cross country runners in the state.
“The problem is,” he began. “She is a runner, not an
athlete.”
Wait? How can you be a runner and not an athlete? Better
question: How can you be one of the best runners in the state and not be
considered an athlete?
“She can only run straight,” he told me. Then he
demonstrated what happens when she comes up to an obstacle. Instead of side
stepping the tree or bench or whatever it might be, she has to turn ninety
degrees to get around it. The obstacle throws her off. She can only run
straight.
So many runners love running and focus their attentions
solely on it that they forget to cross-train. They don’t spend time doing
plyometric drills or taking a Pilates class. All of their movements stay in one
plane and they forget to exercise other planes of motion. The great thing about
cross-training is it improves flexibility, helps with joint stability, prevents
overuse injuries and keeps you motivated!
Conveniently, there are several gyms that specialize in
cross-training classes. But being indoors is not everyone’s first option.
Personally, I prefer getting my sweat on outdoors in the sunshine. So what are
some of the best ways to mix up your workout in order to become an athlete and
not just a runner? Yoga and swimming are two fantastic options! Jump in the
ocean or in a lake and swim for 30 or so minutes, using different types of
strokes to get the full body involved. After you finish, lay out the towel you
just used to dry off and do a variety of yoga stretches. Add in some clam
shells, hip raises and downward dogs and you are good to go!
Check out this article from active.com for a quick and easy
yoga workout that you can do anywhere!
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| Image courtesy of Google.com |
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| My SB Pure Awesomeness Pilates Class |
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