Run Forest, Run!

Glenn Karisch

ISSA CYFT

You might remember that famous line from the movie Forest Gump.  When a not-so-bright young man finally broke out of the leg braces that had held him back finding that he was a really fast runner, really fast.

 

As a coach and youth fitness trainer, I want my athletes to succeed.  I work to find out their strengths and weaknesses and plan activities or workouts to make them better more agile, strong, quick, and powerful.  For my soccer team this year, I am adding activities to build these skills on top of the typical soccer skill building work.

 

But the truth is not everyone is naturally fast and the common thought for many years is that you cannot coach speed.  But sport science is showing us differently.  At college levels, coaches take gifted athletes and subject them to specific routines and exercises to fine tune their technique and make them faster, stronger, etc.

 

With scholarships on the line, many parents take their young athlete to specialized training facilities which subject them to all the same activities and exercises that college athletes endure.  This effort pays off as weaknesses are pinpointed and fixed and strength is increased making today's elite high school athlete perform at levels once seen only in college.

 

What does this mean for the recreational athlete in Lee County?  A tune up in your technique may help you break away from the "leg braces" that have been slowing you down. 

 

Here are three areas a young athlete can tune up.

 

First, your posture.  When running, work to keep your body stiff and still.  Any twisting or excess body movement decreases running efficiency.  Strong core muscles - abdomen, oblique's (sides), and back, make for a solid foundation.  From this foundation your legs can generate more power. You can strengthen your core muscles with a few simple exercises.

 

·        Abdominals can be strengthened through crunches (sit ups) or with static (stationary) exercises like the "plank" where a person holds a straight body while resting the upper body on their elbows. Hold this exercise for as long as possible, rest, then repeat five to ten times.

Crunch

 

 Plank 

                              

·  Obliques or side muscles can be strengthened with the same plank type movement only turning on your side. Again, hold this exercise for as long as possible, rest, then repeat five to ten times.

Side Plank

  

·  For the back, superman is in order.  Just lay on your stomach and arch your back with your arms out in front and legs extended, like a superman pose while laying on the floor.  Make sure not to extend the head too high, your head should be the same level as your arms.  From the starting position, laying on your stomach with arms and legs flat, arch your back, hold for five to ten seconds then return back to the starting position.  Depending on your fitness level, repeat this ten to twenty times.

Superman

 

Second, arms.  Arms should be held with a 90-degree angle at the elbow and swing at the shoulders when running. One of the most difficult things for runners to work on is pulling the elbow back behind the body as far as the opposite arm moves forward. Stretching the shoulder by pulling the arms together and behind the back can improve flexibility. Throughout the forward and backward movement, the elbows should be kept at 90 degrees.

Finally, legs.  Ideally, the knees should bend enough during the swing-through phase to bring the heels above knee level. The more the knee bends, the easier it is to swing it quickly though to prepare for connecting the foot with the ground on the next step. Land on your forefoot or the forward part of the foot which has the elasticity to handle the impact of the running stride. The heel does not. Use this natural shock-absorbing mechanism to cushion your landing.  Legs should make fast circular motions with minimal noise at impact as feet hit the ground.  It should feel as if you're riding downhill on a bicycle and keeping up with the pedals. The faster the athlete can get each foot on and off the ground, the greater the speed.

 

If you need further explanation of these exercises or have comments and/or questions send an e-mail to FitnessTrainingCoach@msn.com.

 

Until next time,

Glenn Karisch

ISSA Certified Youth Fitness Trainer

 

The views and information presented in this article do not reflect the opinions of Lee County Live or its advertisers.  They are the creation of the author and are presented for entertainment and informational purposes only.  You should consult your doctor before you begin any exercise or training activity, change your diet, begin a sport, or consume any dietary supplements.