Tag: Injury Prevention

  • Accessories: Little Things That Really Work

    Accessories: Little Things That Really Work

    Accessories can help keep you healthy, happy and safe. These are the little things that can help make your running and walking experiences more enjoyable, help keep you injury-free and help with improved performance.

    We’re all individuals with different needs and goals. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. Sometimes you don’t really know what works and what doesn’t work until you try it. This list will shed some light on options you may not have thought about. Best of all, you can find them all here at GFR!

    Common Accessories found at Gallagher Fitness Resources

    • Anti-Chafing products protect from blisters and hot spots.
    • Anti-Blister pads, bandages and dressings protect healing blisters or prevent them before they happen.
    • AquaJogger is a water belt designed to allow for impact-free exercise in the pool.
    • Compression gear reduces fatigue through decreased muscle vibration, increases circulation and improves oxygenated blood flow by accelerating venous return for faster recovery and reduces long-term overuse injuries.
    • Fuel products keep the body properly energized and hydrated during workouts. Electrolytes, carbohydrates and protein are all valuable nutrients that can be used before, during and after exercise.
    • Gloves are important when the temperature drops, so stay covered and be protected from the elements.
    • Hats are useful for warmth and protection from moisture as well as shielding the eyes and skin from the sun.
    • Hydration belts and handheld water-bottles allow you to bring much-needed water or electrolyte drinks on the go.
    • Hydroflask is a double wall vacuum insulated stainless steel bottle that maintains hot and cold temperatures.
    • Inserts such as orthotics can provide support and cushioning in addition to what the shoes already have.
    • KT Tape is used for pain relief and support, injury prevention and faster recovery.
    • Massage Tools loosen tension and increase elasticity, helping to prevent and treat injuries, as well as helping muscles work more efficiently for improved performance. Self myofascial release is an alternative or enhancement to deep tissue massage.
    • Music Carriers worn on your arm or on your waistband are touch screen compatible and come in a variety of sizes.
    • Pepper Spray repels angry animals… and people.
    • Reflective gear and flashing lights allow you to be seen in darker conditions. Be seen – be safe.
    • Shoe bags are handy smaller bags for your dirty or wet shoes or gear, fitting nicely in a locker or larger bag.
    • Smart ID lets you take important personal information with you in case of emergency.
    • Socks made of technical fabrics help wick moisture and prevent blistering. Cotton is not recommended!
    • Sport-Wash gets the stink out of technical fabrics and doesn’t leave behind a residue.
    • Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun as well as wind and rain.
    • Sweaty Bands keep your hair out of the way and come in a variety of styles and colors. Better yet, they don’t slip!
    • Watches track your workout’s duration. Some also monitor heart rate or track pace and distance with GPS or an accelerometer foot pod. Calorie counters and interval timers for run/walk alerts are also available.

    Check out some of the Accessories sold at Gallagher Fitness Resources

    View Accessories through our online store link. Look under Categories and Sub-Categories!

  • Women’s Clinic Post Clinic Tips

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    Now that the Women’s Beginning Walking and Running Clinic is nearing the end, here are some special Women’s Clinic Post Clinic Tips to help you stay consistent. Remember conversation pace and your heart rate guidelines and be patient as you continue to improve your fitness. Most of all, have fun!

    Walkers:

    Leopards and Cougars: Repeat the last 4-6 weeks or your group or begin the next group (Leopards switch to Cougars and Cougars switch to Jaguars). Jaguars: repeat the last 4-6 weeks. If you are thinking about being a Panther in the next clinic, keep walking consistently until then. If you have been consistently walking for the last 12 weeks, without injury, and you wish to transition to running, consider a 20-second easy jog every 5-6 minutes of walking.

    Any walkers can meet Cat Alumni 5:30pm each Tues/Thur at GFR or whenever it works for you. Copy e-mails from your cat’s group and contact one another to arrange to walk together.

    Resources for Walkers:

    Willamette Wanderers: http://willwander.weebly.com/

    American Volkswalk Association: http://www.ava.org/

    Oregon Trails State Volkssport Association: http://www.walkoregon.org/

    Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. – Soren Kierkegaard

    Panthers (1st Walk-to-Run Transition Group):

    Upon completion of the WC Panther plan, you are a runner, congratulations! You’re off to a great start and here’s a plan that has worked successfully for other Panther alumni.

    Interim until the next clinic begins, repeat the last 4-6 weeks of the Panther plan, (yes, repeat it) or begin the Cheetah plan. Go at your own pace, to the best of your ability and modify as needed. Arrange to meet other Panther alumni 5:30pm Tues’s and Thur’s at GFR and do it together. The key is to remain consistent.

    Next Clinic: Repeating the Panther group or moving to the Cheetah group depends on how you are doing once the next clinic begins. It will depend on your general health (are you injury-free?) and how consistent you were during the interim.

    Cheetahs (2nd Walk-to-Run Transition Group):
    Repeat the last 4-6 weeks of the Cheetah plan. If you’ve been consistent through the clinic, feel free to begin the Bobcat plan. Go at your own pace, to the best of your ability and modify as needed. Arrange to meet other Cheetah alumni Tues/Thur evenings at GFR and do it together. Staying consistent is key. Being a Bobcat in the next clinic depends on your consistency during the interim. Although walk breaks are always an option, Bobcat homework does not include them.

    Bobcats (Running Group):
    Arrange to meet your Bobcat buddies 5:30pm Tues’s and Thur’s at GFR and run together. Sign up for 5k’s and 10k’s. Be a Bobcat next clinic. Getting 18-24 months of consistent running and a few 5k’s and 10k’s under your belt is highly suggested before considering a half marathon. If you have not run consistently for 18-24 months and have not run a few  5k’s and 10k’s, please consider being a Bobcat again in order to give yourself a more solid base for which to build upon for safe half marathon training.

  • Logging

    Keeping track of exercise sessions and how we feel during exercise allows us to see improvement, helps us learn to avoid mistakes that lead to injury and helps us stay accountable and consistent. Logging can also be a great source of inspiration, both to yourself and to others.

    More on logging:

    • Provides information on how weather conditions, clothes, shoes and food affect exercise
    • Provides information on favorite places to exercise
    • A “journal of your journey” says John “The Penguin” Bingham
    • No matter where you are at this moment, a year from now you will have traveled to a new place
    • Helps you track physical and emotional change
    • Allows you to feel great enjoyment and accomplishment looking over past experiences
    • What may seem like trivial data today can be the basis for analyzing progress or meeting challenges in the future
    • Reflections on times when things went well often lead to future success in meeting your goals
    • Allows you to analyze what led up to an injury or less-than-satisfactory performance
    • Past problems can help you make powerful changes – if you have the right information written down
    • The accounts of your successes can often lead to more success
    • One of the main reasons why we don’t log is because we don’t want to know the truth!

    Tip from the Big Cat Kahuna:

    • Secure homework slips onto an 8 ½ by 11-inch sheet (4 weeks per sheet)
    • Record actual minutes walked or run each day and total your minutes at the end of the week
    • Leave space after each week to write notes: weather, time of day, route, shoes, how you felt, what you wore, who you went with, what you learned, goals, etc.
    • Have fun!

  • Breathing Awareness

    Do you practice diaphragmatic or “belly” breathing? Do you breathe when you stretch? Correct breathing – slow, relaxed “belly” breathing – is important for effective stretching, rolling out and many other activities. Good breathing helps us relax, increases blood flow throughout the body, and helps relieve built-up tension. With practice, correct breathing is a simple, yet highly effective tool.

    As you breathe in, the diaphragm presses downward on the internal organs and their associated blood vessels, squeezing the blood out of them. As you exhale, the abdomen, its organs and muscles, and their blood vessels flood with new blood. This rhythmic contraction and expansion of the abdominal blood vessels is partially responsible for the circulation of blood in the body. The rhythmic pumping action, referred to as the respiratory pump, also helps remove waste products.

    The respiratory pump is important during stretching and rolling out because increased blood flow to muscles improves their elasticity, and increases the rate at which lactic acid is removed from them. Work on slow, relaxed breathing when you stretch and roll out.

    BREATHING AWARENESS EXERCISE

    Observe your normal breathing pattern without making any changes, nor controlling the breath in any way. Simply observe, and notice the quality of your breathing, depth, evenness, sound, smoothness, roughness, rate. Let the breath come and go in its own natural rhythm.

    Follow the breath from moment to moment, and develop sensitivity by the direct experience of feeling the breath as it enters and leaves the body.

    Breathe in and out the nostrils.

    Feel the breath, and follow it, the moment it enters your nostrils, through the nasal passages, throat, trachea, bronchi and into the lungs. Let the exhalation be a long, slow release.

    Notice whether or not you are breathing equally into each nostril and lungs. Be aware of tightness and restriction in the rib cage. Notice the quality and amount of expansion in the ribs and lungs. Do both lungs expand equally? Into which part of the lungs do you mostly breathe?

    If you practice breathing with awareness, the quality of your breathing will improve with little effort.

    BREATHING EXERCISE #2

    How can I relax and bring my heart rate down? Practice diaphragmatic breathing. Here’s an exercise. It takes practice, so be patient and persistent.

    Get comfortable, either sitting, or lying on your back with pillows under the knees or lower legs on a couch.

    1. Breathe in slowly and deeply, using diaphragm, 4-6 seconds (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, etc)

    2. Hold your breath for about three seconds

    3. Slowly begin to exhale, counting for twice as long as the inhale, and gently pushing from down low for the last 2 or 3 seconds to get that last bit of stale air all the way out.

    Repeat steps 1-3, two more times for a total of three times. Next breathe normally for ten breaths. Then repeat the whole sequence. Although it takes practice, this is a relatively simple relaxation tool and it works really well.

  • Stretching

    STRETCHING

    Done properly, stretching can do more than just increase flexibility. Benefits include increased relaxation, increased body awareness, reduced risk of injury, and reduced muscle soreness and tension. Unfortunately, stretching is not always done properly. Therefore, the benefits are not always realized. Common mistakes include stretching cold muscles, overstretching, performing exercises the wrong way, and shallow breathing.

    Click here for breathing tips.

    OVER-STRETCHING

    Occasionally, the progression of sensations you feel as you reach the extreme ranges of a stretch are localized warmth of the stretched muscles, followed by a burning (or spasm-like) sensation, followed by sharp “ouch!” pain. The localized warming usually occurs at the muscle’s origin or point of insertion. When you begin to feel this, it is your first clue that you may need to “back off” and reduce the intensity of the stretch.

    If you ignore (or do not feel) the warming sensation, and you proceed to the point where you feel a definite burning sensation in the stretched muscles, then you should ease up immediately and discontinue the stretch! You may not feel soreness right away, but you probably will the next day. If your stretch gets to the point where you feel sharp pain, it is quite likely that tissue damage has already occurred and may cause immediate pain and soreness that persists for several days.

    Click here for Trigger Point Therapy information to help your stretching be even more effective!

  • Trigger Point Therapy

    TRIGGER POINT THERAPY

    Trigger Point therapy is an effective injury prevention strategy, increasing muscle elasticity and functionality. It’s like doing your own deep tissue massage. Trigger Point therapy helps you gain a better appreciation of which muscles are tight and how to release them. IT Band Syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, Piriformis Syndrome and other common conditions are addressed through TP therapy. You can learn to take care of yourself by treating the cause of a problem, not just the symptoms. You can minimize the aches, pains and conditions that steer you off the path toward your goals, and you can function at a higher level.

    What are trigger points?

    Pain related to an irritable point in muscle or fascia, not caused by acute local trauma, inflammation, degeneration or infection. The painful point can be felt as a nodule or band in the muscle, and a twitch response can be elicited on stimulation of the trigger point. Palpation of the trigger point reproduces the feeling of pain, and the pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle harboring the trigger point.

    What is muscle elasticity and why is it important?

    Muscle elasticity is the muscle rebounding to its natural state. It is important for sustaining optimal performance without factors of fatigue and injury. Proper muscle function is key for flexibility, balance, power, stamina and injury prevention. An inelastic muscle is like a rope. The muscle loses its ability to lengthen and rebound. In some cases, the rope-like muscle has knots. You cannot stretch a knot out of a rope, or a knot out of a muscle.

    How does the use of Trigger Point tools give me elasticity?

    The TP Massage Ball, TP Footballer and TP Quadballer work to improve the body’s performance by increasing elasticity within the muscles, allowing them to rebound to their natural state. This is achieved through increased blood flow and elevated oxygen use and reduction of scar tissue and muscle adhesions. The tools knead out the adhesions, scar tissue and knots within the muscles. The kneading and the increased blood and oxygen combine to increase elasticity, making the muscle function like a bungee cord instead of a knot-filled rope.

    What is the difference between elasticity and flexibility?

    Flexibility describes how far a muscle can stretch, without regard to how elastic the muscle actually is. Elasticity is the ability of the muscle to rebound to its natural state after it has been stretched. If you tried to stretch a knot in a rope, it just gets tighter. If you stretch a bungee cord, it returns to its normal state. Factors of aging, wear and tear and biomechanical dysfunction due to inelasticity of the muscle and the surrounding connective tissue and fascia can significantly reduce the range of flexibility.

    Gallagher Fitness Resources has been selling Trigger Point therapy tools since 2007 and offering classes since 2008.

    Contact: 503-364-4198 or E-mail Susan for more information or to schedule a Trigger Point session.

  • KT Tape: Saluting Running Specialty Retailers

    KT Tape would like to thank all the specialty retailers out there who accommodate the needs of those athletes continually striving for their PR’s. Kinesiology therapeutic tape is great for all sports, and is especially helpful to runners and their specific needs. Please read the nice things KT Tape has to say about stores like GFR!

    Trusted by millions, KT Tape is used for common sports injuries such as ITBS, runners knee, shin splints, hamstring strain, plantar pain, and other common running aches and pains. Click to read: Saluting Specialty Retailers.

  • Recreational Level Guidelines

    RECREATIONAL LEVEL.
    Has experience running 5k’s, 10k’s, Hood-to-Coast, half-marathons, or marathons and prefers to keep goals general in the midst of a busy life. Sees running as a social outlet. This plan provides the structure necessary for improvement and the flexibility to run half-marathons instead of marathons. Be better prepared for Hood-to-Coast, or run marathons as active vacations in faraway places.

    This level offers a suggested “up tempo” day on either Tuesday or Wednesday each week. This workout helps build strength and develops pacing skills. It can be adapted to fit your goals. The best workouts are the FUN workouts!

    The workouts allow runners the flexibility of completing multiple half-marathons in a year or a few marathons at a leisurely pace. Most of all, the workouts for the Recreational Level are designed to keep the injuries away.

    AVERAGE WEEK: On average the Recreational Level Program calls for

    • Days Running – Four Days suggested (usually Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday)
      • Monday is an easy run day
      • Tuesday or Wednesday is occasionally a slightly more intense workout
      • Thursday is always a recovery/easy run day
      • Saturday is either a longer day or a second moderate workout depending upon the week
    • Days Cross-Training – Two Days suggested (usually Sunday and Tuesday or Wednesday)
    • Day OFF – One Day Off each week (usually Friday)
  • When should I replace my shoes?

    Q: I have a question about shoes. Specifically, when do I replace them? How long are they good to run in before they begin to break down? I know when I feel like I should get new shoes but is there an average shoe-life time if I’m running 4 days a week from 5-15 miles each time?

    A: Thanks for your shoe inquiry. The industry standard for replacing shoes is 350-500 miles. Some get the upper range, some get the lower range. At 120 pounds, I break mine down in 350 due to my biomechanics.

    In addition to biomechanics, other factors influencing shoe replacement may include: 
    Ball-of-foot, arch, heel, shin, knee, or hip aches; surfaces you run on; shoe type; original quality; other activities the shoes are used for; exposure to extreme temperatures and general care of the shoes.

    Here’s the info you provided: 4 days a week from 5-15 miles each time. 
    And here’s the math: 
    4×5=20 miles/wk = 80 miles/month x5 months = 400 miles. 
    4×10=40 miles/wk = 160 miles/month x2.5 months = 400 miles.

    So your shoe-life range at 5-10 miles per day is 2.5 to 5 months. 

    Hope this helps. Thanks again!