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Choosing the right trainer for you!

There are so many trainers out there to choose from, it can become a bit of a minefield when looking to buy a new pair.

I’ve put together some ideas and advice for you to think about;

 What are you going to be using them for?

Running? Weightlifting ? CrossFit? Walking? Tennis?

Each shoe is designed with something in mind; a running shoe, typically isn’t the best shoe to be wearing in the gym for weightlifting or CrossFit style training.

For training in the gym, you want a nice stable heel, a bit of a heel drop and not too much cushioning. This gives you a nice stable base. Whereas for running, particularly long distances, you may want something with a little more cushioning.

Do you have any pre-existing injuries or issues?

Existing injuries should be taken into account when choosing your shoes.

For example;

  • If you have a history of Achillies issues, shoes with a zero heel drop probably aren’t the most suitable due to the extra strain on then tendon.
  • If you’re suffering with a painful big toe, a slightly stiffer shoe might be more appropriate to prevent excess strain through the joint.
  • Do you suffer with osteoarthritis in the knees? A shoe with more cushioning may give you a bit more shock absorbency for your knees.

 Do you have particularly wide or narrow feet?

Different brands come up in different sizes to suit the various foot shapes. If you have a slightly wider foot, you need to accommodate this. Don’t try to squeeze into a pair of trainers just because you like them (I’ve definitely been very guilty of this in the past!).

‘Altra’ running shoes are great for people with wide feet, they have a really wide toe box to allow for splaying of the feet when you run!

 What sort of surfaces are you running on?

Are you running on road, on rough trails, on grass, on a treadmill? All of these factors should be considered when choosing a shoe!

 What sort of distance are you running?

This will potentially impact your choice; you may be quite comfortable in a light minimal shoe for short distances but as you increase your distance you might find you need something a little more supportive.

 Should you get your gait analysed?

If your planning on running, I would say yes! If you’re looking for more of a ‘gym’ shoe Its not necessary!

There are a few things you should bear in mind when;

  • Make sure it’s by someone who knows what they are doing. A lot of running shops provide gait analysis but it’s not always by someone experienced.
  • Make sure they’re looking at your feet, ankles, knees and hips when you’re running. Not just your feet.
  • Try to ensure the shop sells a variety of brands. Certain brands are better for different people so you want to have some different options.

 

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Runners Knee

Runners Knee

The knee is the most commonly injured area of the body during running with ‘Runner’s Knee’ being the umbrella for a number of conditions such as anterior knee pain syndrome, patellofemoral malalignment and ITB syndrome. Although they are classed under Runner’s Knee, they can be common in other sports such as walking, skiing, biking, jumping and field sports.

Runner’s knee causes a dull, aching pain around or behind the kneecap dependant on the condition. For example ITB syndrome will cause aching on the outside of the knee. You may feel these symptoms when you are:

  • Walking
  • Climbing or descending stairs
  • Squatting
  • Kneeling
  • Running
  • Sitting down or standing up
  • Sitting for a long time with the knee bent

 

If you are experiencing knee pain I recommend you see Osteopath or Sports Massage Therapist to assess the root of the problem, especially if it is recurring. There are many causes of Runner’s knee such as:

  • Overuse of the knee
  • misalignment of the kneecap
  • complete or partial dislocation of the kneecap
  • flat feet
  • weak or tight thigh muscles
  • inadequate stretching before exercise

Depending on the cause of Runner’s knee will depend on how it is treated, but if you are experiencing any symptoms there are a few things you can do to relieve them.

Rest – This will reduce inflammation and therefore reduce pain in the knee. Resting doesn’t mean you need to do nothing, you can still train your upper body, do yoga or pilates  giving the knee sufficient rest. Due to common fears, resting will not create a dramatic drop in your running fitness, if anything it will enhance it. Use short term recovery for long term health benefits Rest and Recovery are key parts to training, which are massively overlooked. When planning your training regime, factor in rest time during the year, I normally take off time for a week or two in the summer after my races have finished and a week or two over christmas as well as some downtime after big races. Look at any major sport, they have an off season where they take a few weeks to ease their training off, recover and reset. They then start pre season and build that base back to ready for the next season.

Ice – 20mins at a time and wait at least 1hour before icing again. The more severe the inflammation will require more ice treatment.

Mobility – If certain muscles are tight, they can pull the knee and place added pressure on the joint, some basic yoga moves and mobility exercises can help to free up the joint and reduce symptoms. If your patella isn’t tracking properly then you may need specific exercises to realign the knee. It is always best to seek professional advice if you are unsure of what treatment or rehab you need.

Strength Training – Once the pain is reduced, strength training can significantly reduce Runner’s Knee symptoms and reduce the risk of it returning. Studies have shown that greater strength in the glutes provides more control at the knee joint when landing during the running stride. Below are some good exercises to kick start the glutes

Slingshot Clams

  • Place a resistance band around your knees
  • Keep the hips stacked on top of each other and don’t let the top hip roll back as you open the hip.
  • Perform 10 reps on each side, repeat for 3 sets.

Glute Bridge

  • Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor and knees are at 90deg
  • Rest your head back and place your hands down by your side
  • Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up so the shoulders, hips and knees are in a line
  • Repeat 10 times for 3 sets

Slingshot Crab Walks

  • Place a band just above your knees
  • Start with your feet hip width apart
  • Take a large step out to the side then bring the trailing leg back into hip width apart
  • Keep your knees tracking over your feet and make sure they do not cave in.
  • Take 5 steps to one side, 5 steps back repeat 3 times.
  • Have a rest
  • Perform this for 3 sets.

Strengthening the rest of the legs including the quads, hamstrings and calves are all key to a strong running stride. Squats, lunges, deadlifts and calf raises are all key moves that will build up a base strength in the legs and core. If you are unsure of technique, reps, weight etc for any of these moves, don’t hesitate to drop me a message and I will be more than happy to help you with this.

Written by Andy Glen – Running Coach

https://finishing-line.com/

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Tennis Elbow! What is it? What causes it? What can I do about it?

What is it?

Tennis Elbow, officially known as ‘Lateral Epicondylitis’ is inflammation of the tendon that attaches to the outside aspect of the elbow (Normally Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis). Although commonly seen in tennis players, its also caused by a variety of other things.

What are the symptoms?

Normally patients present with pain and tenderness around the outside of the elbow, at the point at which the tendon attaches. They may also experience pain down into the forearm and in some cases there may be localised swelling.

Picking things up can exacerbate the symptoms, often I find that people particularly notice it when doing normal daily things like picking up the kettle to make up a cup of tea!

Repetitive movement of the wrist may also aggravate the symptoms.

Is it tennis Elbow or Golfers Elbow?

its important to differentiate between the 2 prior to commencing any form of treatment or rehab; Tennis elbow occurs on the lateral aspect of the elbow (outside). Golfers elbow occurs on the medial aspect (inside).

What causes it?

Tennis Elbow is normally caused by repetitive wrist movements, such as playing tennis or using a skrewdriver etc. The forearm muscles that extend the wrist become overworked and the point at which they attach to the elbow becomes irritated and inflamed. This then leads to pain and dysfunction.

How do you treat it?

In most cases, tennis elbow can be treated conservatively (i.e. with manual therapy such as osteo/physio and exercises).

Your Practitioner will assess your symptoms and perform a full examination to ensure that Tennis Elbow (or lateral epicondylitis) is in fact the correct diagnosis.

Every patient is different and the treatment will differ from person to person but generally speaking;

Treatment normally involves a combination of soft tissue and articulation to the elbow and forearm. They will most likely also treat the shoulder and wrist and possibly even the thoracic spine and neck. This is because 1) As a result of the tennis elbow you may have started to compensate elsewhere and/or 2) The reason it occured in the first place may be because of an issue or restriction elsewhere.

In some cases they may also choose to use Medial acupuncture alongside the treatment.

This will then be followed up with exercises you can do at home. These will normally involve a variety of exercises including; eccentric exercise for the tendon, exercises to address any restrictions elsewhere that may have lead to the injury in the first place, and some self massage or trigger therapy work.

The Osteopath may advise a tennis elbow strap whilst doing activities that particularly aggravate the symptoms. The theory behind these straps are to create a false insertion point for the muscle to take the pressure off the attachment site in order to allow it to heal.

If conservative treatment doesn’t resolve the issue, In some more severe cases a corticosteroid injection may be advised by your GP.

Think this might be something you’re suffering with?! Why not pop and have a chat with one of our therapists?

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Is Running Bad for Your Knees? Andy Glenn

“Running is bad for your knees”

This is a statement I hear all the time, one that has developed with no real evidence. If you are of healthy weight, have healthy knees and are not subject to osteoarthritis then there is nothing to back up that running will cause osteoarthritis in your knees. Sure, there are risks of injury through running, but this is also true of swimming, cycling, weight lifting and of course… being inactive. The knees are the most prone area to injury in runners but there are ways we can reduce this risk. Build the points below into your regime to help minimise the risk of injury during your running journey.

Strength Training

Running is a whole body exercise, strengthening your legs, hips, back and abdominals can improve your running stride and delay fatigue. Variations of squats, deadlifts and lunges are fundamental exercises to factor into your strength training and with good technique will strengthen your legs, core and back. Many knee injuries can be linked to weak or imbalanced muscles, often coming from the hips. Isolating the glutes with exercises such as glute bridges and clams help stablise the hips and knees and therefore reduce the risk of injury.

Periodisation

Your running schedule should not be the same all year round, periodising your training will improve your speed, strength, power, aerobic capacity etc, reduce the risk of injury and will keep it interesting. Structure your training into 4-8weeks blocks each with a different focus to improve your training. Starting with a base foundation fitness and muscular endurance is a good place to start before moving onto strength and power stages. There is an inverse relationship between volume and intensity, meaning that when one increases, the other decreases. During strength and power phases the intensity of your training will be very high but the volume will need to drop to allow your body to recover and get the most from your sessions. As you are starting to build your distance up and endurance becoming the key focus, the intensity will drop.

Below is the most basic chart you will find on the relationship between intensity vs volume.

Treatment

Self Treatment – Stretching, self massage, mobility training

These are all things you can do yourself at home. Stretching can be done in front of the TV in the evening to improve any extra tight muscles you have, more importantly you need to be doing dynamic stretches before you train to warm the muscles up, and stretches after training to help return muscles back to their original length before your session. (Check out our free 5km running plan on our homepage for some pre and post running stretches).

If you have any knots or tight muscles, applying some pressure to the area can help alleviate these. If you aren’t sure what you are doing, ask a professional for some advice.

If you are not moving correctly the risk of injury is greatly increased… performing some moves in the gym or at home to help mobilise joints and muscles can greatly reduce the risk of injury.

Professional Care – Sports Massage, Osetopathy, Physiotherapy, Coaching

Living with pain should not be normality (sore muscles after a workout is allowed) if you are suffering with muscle or joint pain, get checked out by an osteopath or physiotherapist and get the problem sorted. Life and training will be much more fun if you aren’t in pain!

I recommend our friends at Herts Pain & Injury Clinic who I see regularly to keep me in check and injury free!


Regular sports massage will help muscles recover and work out any knotted or tense muscles that have tightened up. Pre and post race massages are also great to ensure you go into your race as prepared as possible and recover faster!

Having a professional coach to structure your training can prevent you from over training, make you stronger, faster, fitter and ultimately help you enjoy your target race! Want to have a chat about how a coach could help you with your running? Contact Us now and we can see if our coaching style is suited to you!

Written by Andy Glenn

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Preparing for your ski holiday!

It might only be October…but it’s never too early to start getting excited about the ski season!! Now’s the time to get yourself prepared for your trip. Whether you’ve been skiing since you could walk or its your first time, there are definitely steps you can take to reduce the chance of injury and make the holiday more enjoyable (and less exhausting!)

The 4 main area’s you need to address are: 

  1. Strength
  2. Flexibility and mobility
  3. Proprioception (balance)
  4. Aerobic fitness

 

Strength!

Its time to start working on those leg muscles. The stronger your quads, glutes and hamstrings are the easier you’re going to find it when you get on the mountain. Not only will this help stop that horrific thigh burn you get after a steep mogul field… it can also reduce your chance of injury.

 

Flexibility and Mobility

If you do fall over whilst skiing, the more flexibility you have the less likely you are to strain or tear something. Improving your mobility can also help the efficiency of your skiing and prevent overuse injuries. Get yourself into a regular stretch routine; concentrating on hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, quadriceps, calves and thoracic and lumbar mobility or find yourself a local yoga class!

 

Proprioception

Proprioception is the awareness of your body and where it is in space. We talk a lot about proprioception in the rehabilitation of various injuries, particularly knee and ankle injuries.

When you’re skiing, proprioception and balance is so important!! Your body needs to be able to adjust to any unexpected lumps, bumps or changes in terrain! Every single turn your body is working hard to keep you upright!! If your balance and proprioception is poor, you’re going to really struggle to stay upright on your ski’s!!

 

Aerobic Fitness

If you are generally ‘fitter’ you won’t fatigue quite so much, you’ll be able to ski further, faster and for longer without struggling. Not only does this reduce your risk of injury it also allows you to make the most of your holiday. So go out for a jog, swim, cycle or long walk – it will improve your holiday!!

 

 

If you have any questions or would like to speak to 1 of our osteopaths get in touch via email info@hertspainandinjury.co.uk  or give us a call on 07766569368.

 

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