Run like an athlete (and build ripped athletic muscle!)
http://athleanx.com/x/run-like-an-athlete
Running is one of the most fundamental forms of exercise, but it can also be one of the most destructive. There is no doubt that running and learning how to run faster is a high impact activity that can put excessive strain on your joints and ligaments in your ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Even when you learn how to run correctly, and wear the right shoes, it’s still hard to completely eliminate the possibility of eventual break down.
The root of these running woes usually starts at the point of contact, at heel strike. When you run your foot contacts the ground. Where on the foot you are making that contact can have a huge say on just how bad that running can be for you long term.
If you are a heel runner, you tend to make first ground contact with your heel. This is by far one of the most impactful ways to strike the surface and one that sends shockwaves up your leg all the way to the back. There simply is very minimal shock absorption occurring in the heel and therefore this becomes a very tough way to run.
The second most common method of striking the ground during running is with the toes. Sprinters are more likely to run on their toes and therefore less likely to experience the high impact forces that are associated with heel strike runners. That said, this does not make them immune to their own set of issues, namely inflammation of the achilles tendon and the development of achilles tendonitis.
The third and most optimal method of ground contact is through the midfoot. This occurs when all of your toes are touching the ground (as well as the midfoot) and the heel is off the ground. This gives you the perfect balance of shock absorption and propulsion.
Try the quick test in this video to see how you run and to experience what that type of running may be doing to your joints.
When you’re ready to not just start running more like an athlete, but working out and training like one completely…be sure to head to http://athleanx.com/x/run-like-an-athlete and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.
For more videos on how to run properly with good form and how to run faster, be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel at http://youtube.com/user/jdcav24
When Bending Over Backwards Is the Right Move
Here’s a simple antidote to the forward flexing movement that almost every life activity brings us into. Give your back, neck, and shoulders a break from the stress they are holding on to with moves you can do right now.
Murses or Man Purses Can Cause a Slipped Disc, or Do They?Jerry Seinfeld was laughed at when he carried a European purse on one of the episodes. A decade or two later, man bags, are becoming fashionable. I have been carrying one for over a decade. Since my back pain episode, I discovered a wallet in the back pocket was very uncomfortable and irritated my sensitive back, especially when sitting down. Seeing how women figured it out, I adopted their method, and have been carrying a murse (man purse) ever since.
Bulged Disc Flareup Gone in Four Days: An ExperimentOver the last decade, I have stopped using the method I found that gave me the fastest relief from back pain, several times. I did this only to convince myself that it was this system and not time itself that was healing my back. I would stop all activity completely. Whether it was directly initiated or forced on me by busy schedules that left no time for anything. Every single time, I noticed a similar pattern. First, my energy level declined, I no longer skipped up the stairs two or three at a time but stepped up on by one. Then slowly my lower back would start hurting. A constant irritating pain, not one that knocks you down, but an annoying throb that is constantly in the background.
5 Golden Rules For Alleviating Chronic Low Back PainLearn more about a management tools and treatment for chronic back pain. It is not only important to get out of pain but also to not have a re-occurrence of low back pain.
Bad Back PainBad back pain is a frequent health problem that can be a continuous dull or sudden sharp pain. This can be brought on by muscle damage which can occur by lifting heavy boxes or bending incorrectly.