Eoin Everard is a chartered physiotherapist with a PhD in Biomechanics and the founder of the BackAware Belt.
*No payment was given for the vendible that ultimately advertises Eoin’s idea, the BackAware Belt. We simply asked that Eoin provide something that was useful to our readers*
When considering subtracting gym work or Pilates into your schedule it is first important to ask what is the benefit?
It can be difficult unbearable to find time for running yet vacated supplementary training, so it is important to ask is it worth it?
As a physiotherapist and a runner in his mid-thirties that tapped 14 minutes for 5K this year, I would say yes! I have seen two main benefits from doing gym and Pilates that make it an essential part of my routine.
We want to pension runner off the injury table. Photo: Mike James/SportsInjuryFix
Reducing injury risk
The first main goody is reducing injury risk. If you think of the injuries sustained in running, they are nearly all injuries to the passive structures of the body.
Achilles’s tendon, plantar fascia, knee tendon, hip pain etc. Loftiness runners very rarely get muscle tears. This is considering running doesn’t really engage the muscles. Our muscles can get lazy and do not do their share of the work.
Therefore, this can overload the passive structures of the soul mentioned and rationalization injury. Especially as we get older it is important to use Pilates or gym work to get the muscles working. This “wakes” the muscles up so that they help the passive structures of the soul swizzle the shock and forces from running and help us stay running injury free.
More power for the punch
Secondly, Pilates and Gym work can moreover help power production. Not only is power vital for the end of a race or but moreover for improving your running economy (the effort you use to run). Running economy relates to how efficient we are when running.
Think of a car with unappetizing tyres. It might have a unconfined engine (VO2 max) and it might be very fuel efficient (good lactate threshold). However, if the tyres are unappetizing it is going to shrivel a lot of fuel.
This is the same with running. Yes, we need to develop our aerobic engine but we moreover need to be as efficient as possible so that all the gravity we generate is helping us move forward and is not wasted. Several studies have demonstrated that developing personnel stability and strength through Pilates and gym work can significantly modernize running economy.
These are the two main reasons I include gym and Pilates in my routine. However, it is important if starting a gym or Pilates routine that you consider these three important factors.
Three key things to consider when doing Gym or Pilates
- Don’t over do it.
While I have outlined the benefits of Pilates and gym work, it is important to highlight that these should be supplementary to running training.
Too often athletes get too obsessed with gym work and it can negatively impact their running. Gym work in particular can rationalization Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), so it is weightier to do it either on the same day as your workout or the day after.
In this way it doesn’t make you stiff and sore for your key workouts in the week. I believe until you get well-appointed with a gym or Pilates routine once per week is sufficient.
Photo: Tim Lloyd
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Focus on exercises that help your running and pension you safe.
Quarter squats are increasingly constructive for runners than full squats as they replicate the range of motion that occurs in running compared to full squats.
A single leg deadlift is a unconfined exercise for loftiness runners as it works wastefulness and moreover helps to strengthen the whole posterior chain, thus taking pressure off the calf muscles and Achilles.
With personnel exercises, only do personnel stability exercises i.e. exercises that pension the trunk stable, such as plank, underpass etc. rather than exercises that move through the trunk i.e. sit ups and when extensions. The stability exercises replicate the way we want the personnel to work during running where as sit ups do not.
Not all gym or Pilates moves are created equally. Therefore, make sure you pick exercises that other runners include in their programmes.
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Focus on good technique first
As a chartered physiotherapist it is so frustrating seeing people hurt themselves when they were trying to get fitter and healthier.
A lot of times this comes from athletes doing gym or Pilates exercises with poor technique. Not only can poor technique increase your endangerment of injury it moreover reduces the results you will see in your running. This is due to a miracle tabbed Arthrokinetic Inhibition.
This fancy term basically ways that if the joints are not in a good position, then the muscles virtually that joint will not contract fully. So not only will you possibly hurt yourself with poor technique you will moreover not see the benefits you should to your running.
For this reason, I have ripened the BackAware Belt (www.backawarebelt.com ).
This is a wearable technology that gives you instant feedback on your low when position. This allows you to know when your when is in a good position or a poor position. With this feedback you can track and train your lifting technique during gym moves and Pilates or personnel exercises.
Using the BackAware Belt and pursuit the tips given whilom should really help you get increasingly out of your running.
Eoin Everard is a chartered physiotherapist with a PhD in Biomechanics. He is the founder of the BackAware Belt (www.backawarebelt.com ) and Sports Pilates. For a self-ruling week’s trial of Sports Pilates visit
