5 Myths Around Running You Should Not Believe!
Myth 1: Stretch Before You Run
Stretching is important for athletes. However, static stretching (holding a stretch for a period of time) absolutely should not be done before running. Static stretching is best to do after your run. Instead, warm up with dynamic movements like walking lunges, leg swings, butt kicks, high knees and straight leg kicks.
Myth 2: Runners Don’t Need To Strength Train
There are many studies that have established that this statement couldn’t be further from the truth. One study concluded “the addition of HWT (heavy weight training) to the endurance training of well-trained triathletes was associated with significant increase in running performance (VO2max) and an enhancement of running economy, probably determined by an improvement in lower-limb stiffness regulation, as a result of the concurrent strength and endurance training.”
Another study found simultaneous explosive-strength and endurance training improved the 5K time in well-trained endurance athletes without changes in their VO2max. In other words, strength training makes you faster without an energetic cost.
So as you can see, it is generally accepted that sprint performance, like endurance performance, can improve considerably with training. Strength training, especially, plays a key role in this process.
Myth 3: Flexibility is King
With the increased popularity of yoga, many runners think they need to be as flexible as Gumby to run their best. The truth is, overly flexible joints are less stable, which makes them more prone to being overstretched. Your body needs stable joints with strong muscles surrounding them to keep everything in place. Therefore, stability is more important than flexibility. You can increase your stability through strength training and balance drills.
Myth 4: Running Is Bad For Your Knees
That said, running is a high impact sport, and knee injury is common, especially in female runners
(who are several times more likely to develop knee pain than men).
However, the bottom line is that as with the majority of running injuries, it is not the running itself that causes knee injury, it is training error and load management.
Myth 5: Running Is Supposed To Be Hard
Your heart and energy stores don’t work to kilometers. They work to effort and time. So lets move away from tradition and measure to distance, but rather work to time and effort. Don’t worry about if you ran 10kms or not. If you went out to run 60 mins at an easy pace and the run felt easy and controlled, then that is all that matters!
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