* One-on One Coaching Sessions in the radius of 25 miles (Coach is based
in the Antioch area.)
* Strength & Conditioning Program designed for runners or anyone involved in running
sports.
INTERESTED IN GROUP TRAINING WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR CLUB?
A Runfitter Training Group can be formed
amongst your friends and colleagues.
If you have a regular gathering of people you run with or you want to challenge
yourself and friends
to prepare for an upcoming race, Runfitter Training may be just the focus and energizer you need!
Runfitter Traning will be a fun, group-training experience with personal attention to the individual athlete.
And it will provide your group with professional guidance at a fraction of the
cost of personal training!
Coach Tony
would be delighted to meet you and your group.
OR
Consider joining my established groups in East Contra Costa County;
See "What's NEW" Button
for more information about our new
Spring Marathon coaching program!
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEEDS!
Contact Coach Tony at 925-757-7531 or at runfitter@earthlink.net
POSTURE: “SIT UP! QUICK SLOUCHING!"
These
phrases would more likely be heard at a young ladies’ finishing school, or from your Mom, than among a group of sweaty
runners after a training run for their next 10K!
That advice would have come from me if they were working
in my Runfitter program.
Because
a daily posture with hunched shoulders and bent back or off-kilter pelvis will create more suffering for sports-minded people
than the general sedentary population.
When the 33 vertebrae of the spine is left to distort from
its optimal alignment, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, shoulders, low back and legs are forced to support you
in an imbalanced way.
For the body’s tissue, over time, comes to recognize the poor posture as “normal”.
This distortion will be an impediment to achieving proper techniques in your
sport.
Pro and elite athletes know that posture must be practiced throughout each day, not just during
athletic activity. I have always been impressed with 4 time Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter, Michael Johnson. Not only does
his running form show a very upright torso, but I have never seen him in a posture other than optimal.
In interviews & in photos of him while out and about, he seems to carry his torso in fullest
form.
Poor posture contributes to restricting the space in the rib cage around your lungs. With
a lessened lung capacity, your endurance will be subpar!
It also slows the blood flow through the
muscles, meaning less of a “flush” of metabolic waste, including lactic acid. Thus the pain threshold for an endurance
athlete will be a lot lower for someone with poor posture.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR REMINDING YOUR
SPINE TO “PERK UP”.
At your desk: position chair height so hips and knees are bent at
90 degrees with both feet flat on the floor. Hieght of computer screen should be positioned so you don’t have to tilt
your head up or down. The reach to keyboard or desk top should not put stress on the shoulders; i.e. they shouldn’t
be elevated or rolled over.
PAY ATTENTION:
When standing please keep the knees “soft”.
With your knees bent just a few degrees, it will keep your hips from rolling forward and will take pressure off your lower
back.
Imagine there is a string pulling upward from the very top of your head, like you’re
a marionette. Pull your shoulders back, lift your rib cage, and tuck your shoulder blades down.
WHILE
IN MOTION:
Hold your
head up, looking to the horizon, when walking and running.
Avoid crossing your arms in front of you as you run, as it can waste energy better used
to propel you forward instead of using it to re-center your torso.
AT REST:
If
having low back pain, you may try mild neck support, and legs elevated on pillows when lying on your back.
You could also try lying on one side, a pillow under the head taking up space between it and the shoulder, Tucking
your knees toward the torso, while on your side, may bring some stretching relief to the low back area.
