Leave a Comment:
(13) comments
Hello,
What do you think about pool running for cross training?
Jane
ReplyThat is a superb question, Jane. The short answer is that I haven’t tried it myself so I don’t have an informed opinion. The longer answer is that if you can do it so that you move your pelvis, counterrotating your upper and lower body, it should be fine. I’ve never had a client who was doing pool running whose movement habits suggested they were doing counterprodcutive cross-training. Do you do it yourself?
ReplyHello,
What do you think about pool running for cross training?
Jane
ReplyThat is a superb question, Jane. The short answer is that I haven’t tried it myself so I don’t have an informed opinion. The longer answer is that if you can do it so that you move your pelvis, counterrotating your upper and lower body, it should be fine. I’ve never had a client who was doing pool running whose movement habits suggested they were doing counterprodcutive cross-training. Do you do it yourself?
ReplyI did some pool running whilst injured on the advice of my physio. It might have helped or it might have distracted me whilst the injury got better by itself!
ReplyThat seems to be generally the story with pool running. And getting exercise does help you heal from injury faster. So my semi-informed opinion here is that it seems harmless and injured runners may as well do it, as long as they don’t try to stiffen their torsos in the pool!
ReplyI have Aqua run with an Aqua belt for bout 6 years at least once a week. I have found this cross training to be effective. I’m very mindful of my posture in the water keeping my shoulders over my hips and knees and ankles. I also try to allow the contralateral arm and leg rotation. I use the elliptical as well at least once a week and I now understand why this machine may be counterproductive and even effecting my dry surface running. Thank you for this helpful blog post!
ReplyHi Sue! Thanks for your comments. Hopefully my article made it clear as well that keeping your shoulders over your hips is counterproductive — it’s the torso that needs to counterrotate, not just the limbs!
ReplyI took up Tai Chi and Chigong while recovering fro a bout of sciatica. Seemed to help the sciatica and I’ve kept it up since returning to running. I think it helps with my general mobility and many of the movements turn the hip so I guess/hope its good for runners.
ReplyYes, you do get the benefits of turning your pelvis and making even more complicated shifts of weight in Tai Chi. Danny Dreyer created ChiRunning on that concept, and he’s one of the only other people out there I know of who actually talks about the pelvis needing to move. That’s the main reason people get such relief from knee pain when they do Chi Running. The thing to be careful of when doing Tai Chi and running is that Tai Chi is all about coordinating yourself for groundedness and stability, which is the opposite of running. So as long as you can remember that you’re going to dance over the ground when you run, not root yourself to it, you’ll be fine.
ReplyThinking of kettlebells – which are really just weights, the mystique surrounding them amuses me – I think the filter of transverse and frontal plane movement for the pelvis would exclude the signture movement which is the kettlebell swing. This is the classic hip hinge. However….the other basic movement often prescribed might be a better fit – the Turkish Get Up.
http://www.performancesportstherapy.net/2014/10/turkish-get-up/#more-669
So mcuh weight training thogh seems to emphasise a solid trunk/hips.
ReplyI did have Turkish Get Ups in mind, though let it be said that the classic kettlebell swing can do wonderful things to free the hip flexors, and it is a good example of the pelvis driving the movement, even if it’s not in the key planes for running.
Reply