As a strength and conditioning coach, I have often been approached by friends and acquaintances for tips on training and lifestyle. Their needs are quite different from those of the athletes that I usually work with. Most of them lead busy lives, fitness and health coming only as an afterthought. Some are trying to find time to work out, with running being a popular option. Keeping these factors in mind, I list below a few tips — first for the busy individual, and then for a beginner runner.
TOP TIPS FOR A BUSY ADULT
1 Learn a new skill (can be a sport or any other activity that requires mindfulness in movement). Activities that connect the brain and the body are very useful in keeping us younger.
2 Avoid overeating and follow a balanced diet instead of a trendy diet, which will not stick. Since our food habits are based on our behaviour, culture and social surroundings, a diet that works for someone may not necessarily work for another.
3 Do not be afraid to try resistance training. Multi-joint resistance training helps us maintain muscle mass as we age and supports us in our day-to-day functioning. Find a qualified practitioner who can teach exercises with good technique.
4 Take a walk with your loved one whenever possible. Good company, especially in natural surroundings, can help enhance positive hormonal changes.
5 Do some dynamic, slow, controlled mobility work every day, covering all major joints of the body. This is flossing for the joints. We floss our teeth, so why not our joints?
6 Get enough quality sleep (seven to nine hours), try and wake up at the same time every day and make sure you get good quality sleep (avoid blue lights emitted by electronic devices at least two hours before going to bed). Keep the bedroom dark and quiet.
7 Meditate at least 10 minutes a day. The easiest way to do this is to sit in a comfortable position and focus on inhalation and exhalation (breathe in cool air and breathe out warm air as slowly as possible through your nose).
8 If yo
u are reasonably fit and enjoy endurance exercises, add some high-intensity aerobic training two-three times a week. Try cycling or swimming if you have knee or lower back pain. Go 20 seconds at a high pace, then slow down for 40 seconds to recover, and repeat five-six times, depending on your fitness. If you are very fit you can change the duration, the resting period or the intensity of the workout.
9 Be careful but not afraid of doing house chores that require you to bend and reach, such as mopping the floor. Precision in movement is key.
10 Drink enough water throughout the day. Keep in mind the demands of the season and of your tasks.
GOLDEN RULES FOR A BEGINNER RUNNER
1 Build volume gradually — think 10-20 per cent increase every week if you are new to long-distance running. For example, if your longest run is 5km currently, then try not going beyond 6km (20 per cent) the following week. Remember, in the beginning it is not about the duration but more about the quality of running for long-term success.
2 Make sure you get enough healthy fats (avocado and walnuts), carbohydrates (unprocessed, such as legumes and sweet potato) and proteins (chicken and eggs, or chickpeas and cottage cheese if you are a vegetarian) in your diet to give you energy for the runs.
3 Add dynamic stretching prior to your runs. Dynamic stretching is about gradually building the range of motion across all the major joints in your body. Include hip circles, ankle circles, shoulder rotations and upper- and mid-back exercises (Cat and Camel).
4 Perform static stretching and slow relaxed breathing after your runs. Static stretching helps relax the muscles that are used in running, such as quadriceps (front of thigh), calves (back of lower leg), hamstrings (back of thigh), upper- and mid-back, and gluteals (buttocks). You can hold each stretch for two minutes in a relaxed position, with slow, relaxed breathing through your nose.
5 Follow a high/low model. That is, if you do a hard session one day then do a relatively easy session the next day.
6 See a qualified fitness coach for a resistance-training plan. The right resistance-training plan will help you get faster — contrary to popular belief that it makes people slower. It will also help you avoid wear and tear on your joints. Resistance-training exercises should include full-body programmes incorporating major muscle groups such as legs, shoulders and back. Exercise machines for leg extensions and leg curls are of little value to runners as they train muscles in isolation. Running requires integration of all joints.
7 Recovery is king. Make sure you get at least one full day of recovery from running. More is not always better, particularly when you get fitter.
8 Invest in a nice pair of shoes. Do not blindly follow trends. Asics (I have no affiliation with them but enjoyed running in them) are generally good for most runners but if you have any foot issues such as excessive pronation (collapse of the foot towards the inside), then check with a podiatrist before buying.
9 Try and run on a softer surface if you are new to long-distance running. Surfaces such as grass and turf can help avoid excessive impact forces initially. Once you build the required strength with the right technique, you can gradually move to a harder surface.
Kaushik Talukdar is a strength and conditioning expert, and a lecturer at Auckland University of Technology. He’s also the author of Sports Fit: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice. Find him on Facebook
@ Kaushik Talukdar Performance
