By Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC
Las Vegas Informer
Employ bodyweight exercises to increase your health and fitness. Bodyweight exercises help athletes develop greater balance, coordination, strength and endurance.
Cross Training: The performance of several types of exercises in a training routine is known as cross training. Cross training simultaneously develops numerous phases of fitness. Cross training is vital for runners. Bodyweight exercises are a basic type of cross training that runners should perform to improve their running performance.
Bodyweight exercises are extremely versatile. They can be performed virtually any place. The gym, home, backyard, the park, a hotel room and even the office are ideal locations for bodyweight exercises.
A plethora of bodyweight exercises exist. Bodyweight exercises utilize the athlete’s bodyweight for resistance.
Runners: Bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges help runners develop hip, glute and thigh strength. These multi-joint exercises recruit the primary running muscles and require a large amount of motion. Use these two fundamental exercises as the focal point of your bodyweight training to improve your running performance.
Proper technique is a must. Work with a certified fitness trainer to learn proper technique and to formulate a training routine that compliments your running goals.
Squats: Squats are nicknamed “The King of Exercises” for a very good reason. Squats are a physically demanding exercise that increases coordination, balance, strength, endurance, heart health and lung power. Squats target a number of large muscles, especially the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. The squat is a functional exercise that improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
Proper technique is imperative to optimize results. Basics of proper squatting technique: Hold your back in a straight upright posture throughout the entire movement. Never lean forward. Look straight ahead to keep your neck aligned with your spine. Do not tilt your head upward or downward. Lower yourself in a controlled manner. Never bounce at the bottom position. Your hips should move backwards as if you are sitting down in a chair. Push yourself straight up with pressure throughout the entirety of both feet.
Numerous variations in stance, depth and arm/hand position change the center of gravity therefore tax the muscles and joints differently.
Stance width can be narrow, shoulder width or wide. Whichever stance you utilize, make sure you hold your feet in line with your knees.
Depth may be shallow, parallel or deep. Go down to a comfortable depth. Always work through a pain-free range of motion. Limited muscle flexibility and/or limited joint range of motion may force you to use a shallow depth. If that’s the case then utilize a shallow depth to not overstress your body.
Vary your hand positions to maximize benefit. Hand positions include: Hands on hips, arms straight overhead, arms straight in front of you, arms out to the sides and arms behind your back. Use your imagination to incorporate as many arm position variations as possible. Options include using a different arm position every workout, using a different arm position every set or using a variety of arm positions within one set.
Lunges: Develop balance, coordination and strength with lunges. Target your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes with bodyweight lunges. Use lunges in place of or in conjunction with squats.
Stand with one leg forward and one leg back. The front foot should be flat on the floor. The heel of the back leg should be raised and only the forefoot should be contacting the floor.
Proper technique is a necessity to prevent injuries and maximize benefit. Lower yourself straight down in a controlled fashion. Never let your back knee contact the floor. Continuing hitting your kneecap on the floor can lead to a patella injury. Never bring your front knee forward of your foot. Bringing the front knee in front of your foot overstresses the knee tendons and is a precursor for patellar tendonitis.
Hand positions can be varied to increase difficulty, target the muscles at different angles and increase the emphasis on balance.
Walking lunges are an outstanding variation. The alternating aspect of walking lunges recruits the muscles symmetrically and increases coordination. Walking lunges can be incorporated in between sprints, after a run or in between weight training sets. Use walking lunges to keep your heart racing and the blood pumping to your leg muscles while your lungs recovery from an intense sprint or set of weight training.
Safety: If a spine, hip or knee condition prevents you from executing squats or lunges then employ other beneficial exercises.
Recovery: Squats, lunges and running are demanding weight bearing exercises, don’t overdo it. Allow your body ample time to recover between training sessions.
Conclusion: Bodyweight squats and lunges increase aerobic and aerobic fitness while developing the muscles used in running. Add bodyweight squats and lunges to your training program to increase your running performance and lower the potential for injuries. Break your personal running records by adding bodyweight squats and lunges to your training routine.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC is the owner and treating doctor at Championship Chiropractic. 8871 W. Flamingo Rd, Suite #202, Las Vegas, NV 89147. His web address iswww.ChampionshipChiropractic.com. He can be contacted at (702) 286-9040 and DrO@ChampionshipChiropractic.com.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello’s mission is to educate and inspire others to live healthier, fitter, more functional lives.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC is the author of the book “Running: Maximize Performance & Minimize Injuries: A Chiropractor’s Guide to Minimizing the Potential for Running Injuries.” He writes a weekly health, fitness and nutrition column for The Las Vegas Informer. He is published in OnFitness Magazine, LiveStrong.Com, SpineUniverse.com and EHow.com. He has educational health, fitness and nutritional videos on Informer TV, Livestrong.com and YouTube.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC proudly handles Standard Process Supplements and Foot Levelers Orthotics.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC is an award-winning public speaker. He has spoken to numerous groups on the importance of health, fitness, exercise, ergonomics, nutrition and injury prevention.
Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC is a fitness enthusiast. Functional kettlebell training, running and bike riding are his favorite types of exercise.
Before pursuing his career in Chiropractic, Dr. Donald A. Ozello DC served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Bremerton, SSN 698.