Monday, July 25, 2011

Flexibility & Stability.

(source)

Flexibility & Stability are necessary as an athlete.

After a weekend of running 8 miles & a good cross training workout the following day my quads weren't very happy with me. I did not stretch near enough & I knew it when I woke up this morning with pain in my quads. 

Today I ran a total of 6 miles while including 4 x 800 sprints. It was by far one of my best workouts where I pushed my body to get out of its comfort zones. Trina & Nicole were there to hold me accountable & cheer me on as I pushed through those last sets of sprints. (I love those girls!) I knew exactly what I had done & I knew exactly where I didn't want to go so I held back just enough to keep from making my legs worse. I took time to stretch, ice, & rest afterwards. 

One thing my husband stresses to me is to have a strong core. Not only do we need to be flexible but we also must have stability. If you lack these components you are more prone to get an injury because you are unable to control your movement during a run or any physical activity for that matter.

Today's Tip: How do we do this?

Flexibility: Make it a point to stretch after every time you workout. Take the extra 10-15 minutes. It is so worth it. 

The Worlds Greatest Stretch is a great stretch if you don't have a lot of time. 

Stability: Add a basic plank circuit to your workouts. Do a plank for 1 minute, rest 15 seconds, plank for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, plank for 30 seconds, rest. 
Repeat if able.


These are just a few basic tips to help you get started! 
Remember that flexibility and stability are a key component to preventing injury! 



Keep your body balanced today!



No comments:

Post a Comment