Tag Archives: Running

4 Simple Tips for Proper Running Form

Posted on May 28, 2015 by | Leave a comment

There’s a lot more to running than simply lacing up your shoes, hitting the road and doing what feels natural. Improving your running form can help you run faster, more efficiently, and with less stress on your body and reduced injury risk.

From foot strikes and stride turnover to posture and body tension, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to running form.

Follow these tips to work on perfecting your running form:

Perfect your stride

Perfect-your-stride

One of the most common mistakes new runners make is reaching out with their foot to take a longer stride. Overstriding creates an aggressive, heel-smashing foot strike, which not only wastes more energy, but also leads to injury issues such as runner’s knee and shin splints.

Your strides shouldn’t be too short either. This is just as inefficient as overstriding. When it comes to proper running form, you should find a stride length that is comfortable, almost effortless.

Ideally your knee should be above your foot and your shin vertical as your foot makes contact with the ground. This running form will put your foot down underneath your hips, preventing your leg from stretching in front of your body.

Land midfoot

One of the biggest concerns among new runners is how their foot strikes the ground. Heel strikers tend to land with their heel first and roll to the ball of the foot, while for toe runners, landing on their toes comes naturally.

Even though, the reality is that most average runners are either heel strikers or toe runners, these two foot strikes can truly damage your performance. If you land on your toes, your calves will get tight or fatigued quickly and you may develop shin pain. Landing on your heels wastes energy and may cause injury.

A mid-foot strike, in contrast to a heel or a forefoot strike, provides greater shock absorption, decreases strain on the calves and Achilles tendon, and may help prevent shin splints. Heading to a track and leaving your shoes behind is a great way to practice avoiding a huge heel or toe strike.

Check your posture

check-your-posture

Just as you should maintain good posture when standing or sitting, maintaining a straight and erect posture while running is essential. Just by keeping a good posture, you will help release tension and reduce strain in the neck and shoulders and prevent muscle fatigue.

Next time you get out for a run, follow these proper posture principles that will help you to reinforce a tall, straight back with no slouching:

  • Hold your head high, centered between your shoulders, and your back straight.
  • Your eyes should be focused on the ground about 10 to 20 feet ahead of you.
  • Keep your shoulders under your ears and maintain a neutral pelvis.
  • Avoid side-to-side arm swinging. To help you remember, imagine a vertical line splitting your body in half – your hands should not cross it.
  • When you’re feeling sluggish, poke your chest out for an extra boost of confidence.

Stay relaxed

Whether is it caused by lack of experience or by trying too hard, the truth is many runners have way too much tension in their bodies. But putting this extra pressure on yourself isn’t doing you any favors.

In fact, anywhere you’re holding extra tension is using up energy that should be spent elsewhere. It’s important to know your tension spots and check to make sure you’re not clenching when you should be relaxed:

  • Be aware of jaw tension and squinting. Unclench your jaw by opening your mouth and taking a deep breath; to reduce squinting, use a hat with a brim that puts your eyes in shade, or by wearing sunglasses.
  • Keep your arms relaxed and hands as loosed as possible. You can hold your hands as if you are holding drumsticks or as if you have a fragile egg in each hand. Don’t clench your fists because it can lead to tightness in the arms, shoulders, and neck.
  • Keep your wrists loose. This will help you maintain a good hand and shoulder position.

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5 Tips for Busy Running Moms

Posted on May 7, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Finding time and motivation to run is hard for all of us. For busy moms, it’s even tougher. With your full time job, small children that require your full attention, and a household to manage, you still manage to find time for date night and your friends every now and then. How can running fit in such a hectic schedule?

We put together some simple tips and tricks that will help you balance training and motherhood.

Wake up early to run

Morning-runs

The hardest thing about being a mother runner is finding time to workout without hurting the family schedule. Early mornings are usually the best time slots to fit a run. At this time of the day there aren’t any interruptions, and there’s no need to arrange babysitting because everyone is still asleep. But motivation can be hard to find when you would rather stay in bed instead of lacing up. It can be really helpful and motivating if you prep everything you need – clothes, running shoes, pre-run meal and water – the night before. When the alarm goes off, you won’t have any more excuses to skip the workout. Just say to yourself, “Don’t think, just go.”

Make every minute count

If mornings are not a good time to squeeze in a workout, and evenings are too crowded to log a few miles, you should start making every minute count.

Many runners plan their workouts around their children’s naps; others run laps around the soccer or baseball field when their kids are at practice; and putting your kids in a day care a few miles away from home can do wonders for your weekly mileage.

The most important thing of being a busy mom runner, is to pick the most convenient time to work out and learn to be flexible – a 4-mile run may turn into 8 miles if your child is behaving in the running stroller, or a longer run might get compromised if your kid would rather be at home.

Choose the right training plan

training-plan-moms

If you have just decided to have a more active lifestyle, you should begin with a minimum time per day and minimum number of days per week goal.

How about 30 minutes per day, three days per week? You can easily fit in a workout in your busy mom’s schedule with a run/walk interval program, such as Ease Into 5K.

Interval workouts alternate high-intensity levels with lower-intensity effort, which helps you see greater results in less time. Studies have shown that interval training burns three times as much fat as running twice as long at a moderately hard, steady pace. But the benefits don’t end there – recovery from interval training forces the body to continue burning fat for energy.

Work out alone

Although working out with a running partner can help you stay motivated, coordinating schedules can be a daunting task.

Working out alone allows you to manage your own schedule, fitting in a run whenever possible and focusing on a more targeted workout that will you give you quicker results.

But if you already have a running buddy that holds you accountable, you can both benefit a lot more from this partnership. Next time you go out for a run, bring your kids along and swap the duties back and forth – have your running partner watch the children while you run, then switch when you get back.

Cherish your solo runs

solo-run

When you run alone, make that workout about you. You need that time to recharge yourself, away from the chaos of your busy mom life.

When you run, try to focus completely on running and don’t let thoughts of your children or other worries distract you. It will be hard at first; but when you get back from your work out, your kids will have your complete attention and you will feel physically and mentally reinvigorated and ready to give your best to all those around you.

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Why and How to Cross Train

Posted on April 30, 2015 by | Leave a comment

If we ask you to name a benefit of cross-training, what would be your answer? Let us guess… injury prevention? Even though this is the most widely recognized benefit of cross-training among runners, it’s not the only one.

Cross-training should be part of every fitness plan because it helps to rehabilitate injuries, aids in muscle recovery, and improves fitness. In addition, cross-training can also prevent burnout and add a little fun and variety to your workout, helping you to stay motivated during the several weeks of training.

In this article, we chose a few cross-training activities that you can include one to three times per week in your fitness routine for optimal results. Depending on your training and health situation, you can select the activities that will work best for you.

Walking

cross-training-walking

Unlike running, walking is a low-impact activity that exercises many of the same muscles, which makes it a great cross-training activity.

If you’re a beginner and your body is not used to the repetitive impact of running, you can use walking to improve endurance without beating up your most vulnerable joints, muscles, and connective tissues. Doing a vigorous walk the day after an intense run is also a great way to recover.

To get all the cardio-respiratory benefits of this cross-training activity, walk at a brisk pace and pump your arms to burn more calories.

Pool running

Pool running, also known as water running, is exactly as the name implies: running in a pool, in deep water.

Even though you always need a pool deep enough to perform this workout, it is worth the try, especially if you’re recovering from an injury. This activity mimics running movements on land without the impact on the joints. Plus the water’s resistance helps you strengthen your legs, back, shoulders, core and arms.

Just make sure you warm up and cool down for at least 5-10 minutes before and after your pool running.

Swimming

cross-training-swimming

Need a break from the impact of running? Swimming is a non-weightbearing activity that gives your legs a break while developing the upper body musculature that is often neglected by runners.

Swimming can benefit all runners, from beginners to veterans, especially those recovering from a long race or an injury. By targeting all the major muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abs, lower back and upper body), swimming is a great way to improve your efficiency, strengthen your muscles, and add more training sessions without additional breakdown.

Elliptical Trainer

If you’re a regular at the gym, you might have noticed the elliptical trainer. This is one of the most popular cardio machines and also an excellent cross-training activity for runners because it mimics running without the impact.

The elliptical trainer is a weight-bearing activity, but has a very low-impact in the joints. This is the reason why so many runners use this machine to prevent or recover from injuries, while developing the muscle of the core and legs. In addition, if you use an elliptical trainer with arm levers, the pushing and pulling motion allows you to develop a stronger arm swing, helping make you a more efficient runner.

What are your favorite cross-training activities? How do they help you to become a better runner?

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8 Yoga Poses to Prevent Running Injuries

Posted on March 12, 2015 by | Leave a comment

If you’re a runner, you know that injuries might, at some point, become part of your life. In fact, half of all runners deal with at least one injury per year, mostly due to repetitive motion, or body imbalances.

To prevent injuries, it’s important to follow an appropriate running plan and  strengthen some key muscles responsible for the movements that are causing you pain and discomfort.

Yoga can play a major role in preventing most injuries and recovering faster, as its’ stretches help you improve your strength and flexibility.

For an injury-free running, lay down the mat and try these 8 yoga poses:

 

Plantar Fasciitis

If you’re experiencing pain on the heel or the sole of the foot, especially when you get out of bed in the morning, you’re probably suffering from plantar fasciitis. This is one of the most common injuries among runners and can be caused by stress from repetitive foot strikes as well as tightness in the Achilles tendon, ankle, and calf muscles.

You can avoid it by stretching the tissues on the back of the leg and the sole of the foot to reduce tension in the plantar fascia. Do these poses once a week or more for prevention:

  • Sole Stretch: Come onto your hands and knees and tuck your toes under. Sit on your heels gently. To start, keep your hands on the floor in front of you and keep some of your weight on your hands as you sit back. You can progress to sitting upright with all of your weight on your heels, palms in your lap. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds.
  • Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose: Lie on your back, put a strap around the ball of the right foot, and extend your right leg up. Keep your head and shoulders on the floor and grab the strap with both hands. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes, and repeat on the other side.
Source: Greatist http://greatist.com/

Source: Greatist

 

Runner’s knee

Patellofemoral pain syndrome, the medical term for knee pain, is every runner’s worst enemy. Knee pain can have a number of different causes, including repetitive movements (such as pounding on the pavement), downhill running, strength imbalances or weakness in the hip muscles.

To prevent this common injury, keep your hips flexible and strong with these yoga poses:

  • Frog: Walk your knees as wide apart from one another as they will comfortably allow. Flex your feet strongly and bring the inside edges of your feet to touch the mat. The angle in both the knees and ankles should be no greater than 90 degrees. Lower down to your forearms. Gently push your hips back and downwards. Hold for 2 to 5 minutes.
  • Pigeon: Stretch your right leg out behind you, and bend your left knee so that your left foot is near your right pelvic bone with your toes pointed out. Slowly drape your body over the right leg. Repeat on the opposite side.

Pigeon-pose

 

IT Band Pain

One other cause of knee pain in runners is the irritation of the iliotibial band (IT band), a thick tendon that stretches from the pelvic bone down the tibia. The IT band pain can be caused by downhill running or unidirectional track running, excessive increased mileage, or weakness in the hips and glute muscles.

Stretching the IT band itself won’t fix the problem. To prevent it, do these yoga poses to stretch the muscles of the hips and thighs that pull on the IT band:

  • Supine Cow Face Pose: Lie on your back and cross one knee over the other. Hug your knees in toward your chest, while keeping your head on the floor. Hold for 1 minute, and then repeat with your legs crossed the other way.
  • Standing Forward Bend (variation): While standing, cross your right ankle over your left. With your knees slightly bent, fold forward and rest your hands on the floor. Reach your sitting bones toward the sky and move your ribs away from your pelvis to prevent your back from rounding. Hold for 1 minute, and then repeat on the opposite side.

 

Hamstring Pulls

This muscle group is the source of frustration for many runners. They are so strong and thick it takes time to open and flex tight hamstrings.

Try these 2 yoga poses to stretch them:

  • Standing straddle forward bent: Start by moving apart both legs as far as you can. Your feet should face outwards. Tilt your torso to the front and move your hands so that they are below your shoulders and your wrists in alignment with your ankles. Bend your elbows and try to keep your hips in the same plane in which your ankles are. Displace your body weight upon your feet and draw your quadriceps muscles upwards.
  • Plow pose: Lie on your back and bring your legs straight up in the air towards the ceiling. Bring your arms alongside your body with your palms down. Press into your hands and lift your legs over your head.

Plow-Pose

Any poses you want to add? Leave your suggestion in the comments below!

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6 Essential Foods for Runners

Posted on February 26, 2015 by | 2 comments

Suppose you could only add 6 ingredients to your must-buy list. As a runner, which foods should you choose?

A runner’s diet is important not for only maintaining good health, but also to boost energy, aid the recovery and shed some extra pounds.

So, before your next trip to the grocery store, make sure you add these 6 essential foods to your list.

Salmon

Salmon

Salmon should be included in every diet. This fish is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fats, which improve nervous system functioning and boost heart health by creating more elastic blood vessels.

Salmon also has protein, vitamins A, B and D and several minerals that are vital to a balanced and healthy diet.

In addition, salmon is a very versatile fish. Just add some fresh herbs and bake, grill, or poach it to put a healthy and delicious meal on the table.

Bananas

Bananas are among the best pre-workout foods for runners. They are an excellent source of carbs, with 0% fat, and are extremely high in potassium, which runners lose in sweat during exercise.

Bananas also help regulate muscle contraction, prevent cramping and are a “safe” pre-race food because they’re unlikely to cause gastrointestinal issues.

Whole Grain Pasta and Bread

Whole-grain

Pasta and breads are a runner’s best friends, before and after big workouts. They contain easily digestible carbs that help you fuel your runs and are ideal to restock spent glycogen stores.

But not all pasta and breads are created equal. Whole-grain versions contain more fiber, which promotes satiety and digestive health, additional B vitamins that are crucial to energy metabolism, and disease-fighting compounds such as lignans.

Instead of white bread or any baked products made with white flour, opt for whole-grain breads, pasta, rolls, crackers, and cereal.

Kale

If you want to add some green to your plate, kale might be one of the most nutritious options. Kale is a great source of vitamins A, B6, C and K, as well as iron and calcium.

Kale is also known by its strong anti-inflammatory properties, which can help runners to recover from low-grade inflammation resulting from exercise-induced muscle damage.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet-potatoes

A single sweet potato contains the always-important carbs and supplies more than 250 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant. They’re also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, iron, manganese and copper.

And you don’t need to do much to make them taste good. Cooked in the oven or even in the microwave, they always make a great side for dinner.

Eggs

Eggs are nutritional powerhouses! With just one egg you’ll be able to satisfy about 10 percent of your daily protein needs and ingest all the crucial amino acids your muscles need to recover from intense workouts.

You’ll also get about 30 percent of the daily value for vitamin K, which is crucial for bone health.

Eggs can be eaten at any time of the day. Put your creativity to the test and try some healthy omelets and frittata recipes.

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How to beat your 5K PR

Posted on February 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

You’ve been running regularly for some time and have completed a few 5K races. Now what? A new running goal is always a good idea. If you’re still not ready to race your first 10K, you might want to take your racing to the next level, by focusing on increasing your personal record.

Here are some tips for running faster 5K races:

Follow a 5K training plan

Follow a 5K training plan

To run faster and more efficiently, you might want to consider getting extra help. A friend who mastered several 5Ks, a personal trainer, a schedule, all these options are valid.

But if you’re used to running with your phone – that you use as a gps, music player or to take a few running selfies – Ease Into 5K might be the right training plan for you. Ease into 5K is a beginner’s running app that brings a new approach to training, more geared towards the needs of beginning runners and designed to provide lots of insights and motivation along the way.

By following a training schedule that’s specific for a 5K race, you’re more likely to see better results and improve your PR.

Add speed work

Speed workouts are essential for anyone who wants to run a faster 5K. If you’re aiming for a better PR, incorporate speed sessions into your training, including intervals where you sprint for short bursts of time.

Because sprinting can be hard on the body, make sure to start off with shorter sprints and gradually extend the length of time you feel comfortable running at an increased speed. For instance, you could start by adding sprints of 200m or 400m followed by an appropriate recovery period. As you get closer to race day, your body should be able to handle 800m or even 1km speed sessions.

Try some hill training

Try some hill training

To build up speed and develop muscle power, there’s nothing better than some short sharp hills. Hill running is great to strengthen up your leg muscles, increase your aerobic capacity and optimize your overall running technique.

Find a hill with a moderate slope (about six to 10 percent incline) that’s about 100-200 meters long. While running up the hill, keep your effort consistent and don’t let your running form fall apart. Recover by easy jogging or walking downhill backwards to avoid pressure on the knees.

To avoid injuries, incorporate hill training gradually. Start with 5-6 repeats and add another one each week, with a maximum of ten repeats.

Get stronger

A stronger runner is a faster runner. To become more powerful and more efficient, you need to strengthen the muscles that make you move.

Therefore, don’t skip the squats, planks, lunges, step-ups, calf raises and bent over rows. These exercises will target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core in order to make them stronger and injury-free.

Increase mileage

Increase mileage

To beat your current personal time, you will need to develop your endurance. You can accomplish that goal by regularly increasing your mileage every week.

Escalating the length of your longest run will improve your cardiovascular fitness and make you feel good about just running 5k on race day. Just make sure you don’t increase your mileage by more than 10% each week and remember you are aiming to run at a slower pace on long runs than your race pace.

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4 Common Running Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Posted on February 5, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Newbie or vet, the odds are the same: if you start running, it is very likely you’ll end up injuring yourself. At least half of all runners deal with at least one injury per year, and 25 percent of runners are injured at any given time.

Fortunately there are always preventative measures you can take to avoid the pain. The first one: know what type of injuries you can suffer from when you’re logging miles.

To help you stay safe and injury-free while working out, we’re now sharing four common injuries among runners, along with a few ways to prevent and stop the pain.

Runner’s Knee

Runner's Knee

Experiencing a discomfort behind, below, or around the patella (or kneecap) is a symptom of patellofemoral pain syndrome, the medical term for knee pain. This tender pain usually presents itself in gradual stages and gets worse while running or walking up and down stairs.

Knee pain can have a number of different causes, including repetitive force of pounding on the pavement, downhill running, strength imbalances, weakness in the hip muscles, and excessive or insufficient pronation.

To prevent it, experts’ advice is to strengthen the lower body, especially the quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, and glutes. If you’re already dealing with knee pain, opt for flat or uphill terrain and softer running surfaces. To treat the injury, experts suggest knee braces, anti-inflammatory medications, and if necessary, reducing the amount of running you do.

IT Band Pain

Iliotibial Band (IT band) Friction Syndrome triggers pain near the outside of the knee, due to the inflammation of the Iliotibial band, a thick tendon that stretches from the pelvic pone down the tibia. This injury represents about 12 percent of all running-related injuries and is very common among distance runners and marathon racers.

The IT band pain can be caused by excessive increased mileage, downhill running or unidirectional track running, stiff shoes, high-arched feet, and weakness in the hips and glute muscles.

To avoid it, you should work your lower body strength and follow a running plan that gradually increases your mileage and includes diversity to your training. To decrease inflammation and reduce pain, experts recommend specific stretches as well as icing, foam rolling, and taking a break from running if the pain persists.

Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles Tendonitis occurs when the tendon is under too much stress and becomes irritated.

This injury is typically the result of rapid mileage increase, excessive amounts of interval training, hill running, improper footwear, tight calf muscles or insufficient recovery time between workouts.

You can prevent it by strengthening your calf muscles and stretching them after your workout, and wear shoes that offer more medial support.

To treat achilles tendinitis, you should back off on the types of workouts that put extra stress on the tendon, such as interval training and hill climbing. Add some rest, anti-inflammatories, stretching, icing and you’ll get back on the path to recovery in no time.

Shin Splints

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries among novice runners and those returning after an extended layoff. The main symptom is a pain (aching, stabbing sensation) felt along the shin bone. Although this is not a serious injury, it could lead to a stress fracture, if left untreated.

Shin Splints can result from increasing workout mileage or intensity too quickly, running on hard surfaces, wearing the wrong shoe or a pair with too many miles, and tight calf muscles.

To avoid them, you can take some preventative measures, such as strengthening your lower body muscles and investing in sneakers with shock-absorbing insoles that support the arch. If you’re already looking for treatment, try icing the shins for 15-20 minutes and keeping them elevated at night to reduce swelling.

Have you already dealt with any of these injuries? How did they affect your training plans?

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Yoga for Runners: 5 Poses You Should Try

Posted on January 29, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Are you feeling sore, tight, or even achy after a run? Then you should probably review your cross-training program and consider including yoga in your workout routine.

Among other benefits, Yoga can reduce the risk of injury, improve your strength and flexibility and help you to recover from long runs and races faster.

If you’re willing to give it a try, here are five poses you should practice on the mat to boost your performance as a runner:

Downward-Facing Dog

Downward Facing Dog

Benefits: Helps prevent shin splints, knee and foot problems, and IT-band syndrome. This pose stretches the hamstrings and calves, and creates length in the spine, in addition to opening the arms and upper back.

Instructions: Start on hands and knees. Bring the hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands and feet down into the floor. Lift your hip bones straight toward the ceiling and push your heels into the ground for the best overall stretch. Hold for five to 10 breaths.

Upward-Facing Dog

Upward-Facing Dog Position

Benefits: Strengthens your core and arms, while opening the hip flexors and stretching the whole front of the body.

Instructions: From Downward-Facing Dog pose, move into low plank position, by bending your elbows and placing your hands on mat in line with your lower ribs, wrists aligned under your elbows. Roll over your toes, pull your chest up toward ceiling and lift fronts of your thighs and hips away from floor.

Triangle

Triangle pose

Benefits: This pose helps to release the tension in your hips and glutes. In addition, it stretches the hamstrings and inner thighs and allows you to open and expand laterally.

Instructions: Step your feet wide apart. Turn your right leg, including your thigh, knee and foot, out by 90 degrees. Raise your arms to shoulder level with your palms facing down towards the floor and, on an exhale, stretch your upper body to the right. Place your right hand on your shin, ankle, or a stable support and raise your left arm towards the ceiling, with your palm facing forward. Take five breaths. Inhale and allow your body to come to standing. Repeat the pose on the other side.

Cobbler

Cobbler pose

Source: Bliss

 

Benefits: This pose opens the lower back, hips and inner thighs and also helps to release tight adductors.

Instructions: Sitting, bend your knees and draw your heels in toward your pelvis. Press the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop open to both sides. Don’t force your knees down to the ground, but let them drop naturally so you feel a gentle stretch. Lie down on your back and hold this pose for 1-10 minutes.

Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose

Benefits: Stretches the thighs, groins, back, and psoas. This pose also improves the flexibility in your hips, which will lead to better running form.

Instructions: Stretch your right leg out behind you, and bend your left knee so that your left foot is near your right pelvic bone with your toes pointed. Gently drape your body over the right leg. Repeat on the opposite side.

Is Yoga one of your favorite cross-training exercises? Which poses work best for you?

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Five weight loss tips for runners

Posted on January 23, 2015 by | 3 comments

Weight Loss by Running

Running burns out more calories than nearly any other exercise out there. The average man burns 124 calories per mile and the average woman burns 105, which makes running an extremely efficient way to lose weight. But it doesn’t always work the way you’d hope. Unwanted weight gain can happen to even the most health-savvy runner, specially if you don’t pay attention to the small details.

If you want to use running to lose weight, or you’ve hit a weight loss wall, here are some tips on how to be successful:

#1: Find out your caloric needs

Runners tend to overcompensate for the calories burned during their runs. This is actually a very common mistake and some runners even find that they gain weight, despite their training efforts.

If you want to stay healthy and lose weight by running, you must first determine how many calories you need and keep in mind that you’ll only shed pounds if you burn more calories than you consume.

To get a better estimate of how many calories you burn during your workout, you can use our running apps, or an online calculator, like Runner’s World’s Calories Burn Calculator.

#2: Fuel your training

Even tough runners have special nutritional needs, all the ground rules of healthy eating still apply. So, bad news, runners: you can’t just put that chocolate-covered donut in your mouth after your run.

The healthiest way to lose weight while replenishing your energy stores is to combine the right amount of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. You should also choose smaller portions over big meals and start eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

#3: Keep a food journal

One efficient way to prevent you from consuming too many calories is to keep a daily log of what you eat. It’s much easier to improve your diet and eliminate certain foods from it when you have a record of how many calories they add to your total intake.
In fact, a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that participants who kept a food log doubled their weight loss.

#4: Don’t run on empty

Have you ever heard that your body will burn more fat it you run on an empty stomach? If you did, forget it.

Instead of burning fat immediately, your body uses the carbs stored in your muscles first. When those run out and your body starts to burn fat, your energy levels decrease abruptly, forcing you to slow down and burn fewer calories than if you had properly fueled up.

To avoid feeling exhausted after a few miles, you should fuel your training for optimal performance. Try eating a 150-calorie snack containing easily digestible carbs and a little protein one hour before your workout.

#5: Log more miles and increase intensity

There’s no doubt: the more miles you run, the more calories you burn. According to the National Runners Health Study, runners who ran the greatest amount of weekly mileage were the leanest. Therefore, if you want to lose weight while running, you need to extend your runs every week.

In addition to logging more miles, you should be increasing intensity as well, which can translate in incorporating more speed work or interval training into your running routine. These workouts increase your muscle mass and improve your resting metabolism, causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.

Is running helping you to lose weight? What other weight loss strategies worked for you? Share them in the comments below.

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7 Tips to Improve Your Treadmill Running

Posted on December 3, 2014 by | Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, we shared some tips for running in cold weather. Back then, the freezing temps were not stopping us from hitting the road, but recently the cold weather and the icy roads convinced us to move our workout to the treadmill.

We bet some of you are already doing your runs indoors, so we decided this would be the perfect timing to share some tips to make your treadmill running more effective, enjoyable, and safe!

Remember: you can still use your Bluefin apps when you’re working out on the treadmill!

Treadmill running

Choose the right treadmill clothes and running shoes

Because the temps indoors are higher, you’re likely to sweat a lot on the treadmill. Keep a towel handy, consider wearing lighter training clothes – such as a well-fitted technical T-shirt and a quality pair of shorts – and a sweatband or wristbands to catch excess sweat.
Even though the treadmill belt is a softer running surface, you can wear your regular running shoes, as long as they are clean. But you might be more comfortable wearing lighter, less cushioned footwear.

Hydrate during your run

When you’re running on the treadmill there’s little air resistance to help to keep you cool. Therefore, you can lose more water running on a treadmill then you would if you were running outdoors. To maintain good hydration levels, keep within your reach an easy to use waterbottle that you can operate with just one hand.

Don’t forget to warm up

It’s very tempting to just jump on the treadmill and start working out at your set pace. But you should allow time for a warm up to help make your workout as safe and effective as possible. To warm up right, walk or run at a slow, easy pace for 5-10 minutes.

Use incline to your benefit

Running on a flat treadmill (incline at 0%) is very similar to running down a slight decline on the open road. Since there’s no air resistance while running indoors, you should set the treadmill inclination to 1 – 2% to better simulate outdoor running.

But if you want to challenge yourself by increasing your base incline amount, avoid setting the incline to more than 7% – this may lead to Achilles tendon or calf injuries – and running at an incline of more than 2% for your entire run.

Always mind your posture

When running on the treadmill, try to maintain the posture you would have if you were running outside, by keeping your arms away from the handrail or console and at a 90 degree angle.
Also, the treadmill tends to pull your feet backward, so you’ll need to pull your feet from the belt before they are driven away in order to keep your body upright.

Focus on improving your stride count

Paying attention to your stride will help you to minimize the impact transferred to your legs and run more efficiently. In fact, elite runners can run about 180 steps per minute.
It’s very easy to determine your stride count. Just count how often one foot hits the belt in a minute and then double that number.To improve your stride count during your run, keep your stride quick and short, and your feet close to the belt.

Don’t forget to cool down

As it is tempting to skip the warm up, it’s also easy to hop off the treadmill when your workout is done. But if you want to prevent dizziness or the feeling that you’re still moving when you step off the treadmill, you should allow about 5 minutes to cool down. Before you get off the treadmill, do a slow jog or walk at the end of your run to allow your heart rate to go below 100 bpm.

Did you also stop running outdoors and start running on the treadmill? How did it affect your training plans?

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