Pictures of race day are available!  Thanks to the team at McKinsey Development.

Video of the start line can be seen here!

Read all about it!  Bodies in Motion 5k raises $20,000!

Beginning your stretching exercises with “cold” muscles is definitely not beneficial to your body.  Natalie Swick, head trainer at Kettle Run High School, suggests “starting your workout with a 5-7 minutes light walk or jog to get your blood flowing and warm up your muscles.”

Then, she says, get a good stretch of each of the muscle groups you will be working. This will both prevent injuries and allow maximum efficiency during your workout.

“With the force that running puts on your muscles and joints, tightness and soreness can set in if your body isn’t prepared for it,” adds Swick.  Making sure you hold each stretch for about 30 seconds will allow your muscles to lengthen accordingly.

Complete your run routine with another 5-10 minutes of stretching to help cool your body down and allow good oxygen flow into your muscles.   (Looking for a supplemental activity will make your body more nimble? Including yoga as part of your weekly training is a great way keep your body flexible and limber. )

We’ve teamed up with the athletic trainers from Liberty and Fauquier to shoot a video on using proper stretching techniques for runners that you mind find useful.  Take a look!

For many endurance athletes, running long distances is their passion.  However, interval training really develops and improves aerobic capacity.  If you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness level, incorporate a day or two of interval training ( 1 example: 20 minute intervals of 30 second sprints followed by 4 minutes of active recovery).  You will achieve great results in less time!

Buy a foam roller and begin to work on tissue quality.  Many endurance athletes develop trigger points and overuses – these are issues that will cause injuries over time.  Regular soft tissue work followed by a good stretching routine would be time much better spent than logging more miles.

Endurance athletes are training to resist fatigue.  In order to set the body up for success, the athlete needs to be stronger.  Work should be focused on knee and lumbar spine stability through a strong core and lower body program. Results can be achieved with strength programs that focus on mobility and stability through the lower body and strengthening the core.

If you are getting bit by the endurance bug, congratulations!  Just be sure to incorporate additional and beneficial training techniques that will enhance your running and allow you to be injury free!  Always seek the advice of a health and fitness professional if you unsure or need help!

About the author:
Kim Forsten owns and operates Old Town Athletic Club, Parisi Speed School and Warrenton Pilates. She has been a certified personal trainer, master group fitness trainer, master step instructor and certified nutritionist since 2000. Her specialty certifications include Pilates, senior fitness, pre/post natal exercise, Body Training Systems, and Zumba, to name a few. Kim maintains business affiliations with IDEA, IHRSA, NFBA and served as a Board Member of the Fauquier Hospital from 2002-2008. Old Town Athletic Club has received the Best of Warrenton for health clubs the last six consecutive years, and has been recognized regionally for its outstanding group fitness programming.

Heather Suders, Registered Dietitian at Blue Ridge Orthopaedic and Spine Center says, “while we all have different fitness levels and nutritional goals, we have one thing in common – we all have to eat.  Good nutrition and exercise go hand in hand.  The foods that you eat have a direct impact on the way your body performs during a workout.  Eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will benefit people of all levels.”  She also recommends taking a hard look at your portion sizes. “While you do not necessarily need to strictly count calories, you need to be mindful of how many calories you are putting in your body. Sticking to one serving of most foods is a great way to start. You will still satisfy your craving for a piece of chocolate cake with a small piece, and will save yourself the guilt of ‘eating horribly’ or ‘cheating’ on your diet.”

Almost anywhere you look, you will find oversized portions of various foods which are no doubt contributing to the obesity epidemic. Did you know the average size of a bagel today is actually 4 servings of grains?  Becoming familiar with nutrition labels can help.  Suders also suggests when reading a nutrition label, “start by looking at the serving size and serving per container.” For instance, if the serving size is one cup and the serving per container is two cups, this means you should have two separate one cup servings out of this container of food.  “For many individuals, measuring your foods for a few weeks can be helpful until you are able to better visualize actual portion sizes. Nutrition labels contain a wealth of information, so do not hesitate to ask an expert if you have any questions.”

According to Fitness Trainer Paige Waehner, “the key is to safely reduce your calories so that your body can continue to function as well as burn more calories.  Experts generally recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week in order to preserve your muscle mass and keep the weight off permanently. Your job is simply to make better choices that will help you reduce your calorie intake from 300 to 500 calories each day.”

Statistics we should all be concerned about…

• In 2010, the Center for Disease Control stated that 26% of adults in the state of Virginia are considered obese.  That means that 1 out of every 4 adults has a Body Mass Index of over 30!  These numbers are only getting worse.
• In the last 20 years, the number of overweight children as doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled.
• According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 5.8 million children and adults in theUnited States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.
• The health consequences of being overweight during childhood include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, joint problems, liver problems, and sleep and emotional problems.
• About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes.

To calculate your Body Mass Index, click on either of these two links.
         (Calculate your BMI)               (Calculate your child’s BMI)

Great Resources for Food and Fitness

Did you know the food guide pyramid has been replaced by the Choose My Plate Model?  To learn more, visit www.Choosemyplate.gov.  It has many great resources including what foods are good for you and how exercise plays a role in weight loss.

The Daily Plate
     An excellent source for tracking what you eat each day
The A, B, C’s of weight loss
     26 tips to help you succeed at weight loss
Weight Loss Tips
     Find healthy eating, fitness and diet tools for healthy weight loss
Fitness Benefits of Running
     The fitness benefits of running

American Diabetes Association

www.diabetes.org

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

www.eatright.org

We are committed to treating not just injuries and physical ailments, but rather the whole person, by offering a wide range of specialty programs designed to support treatment. Specialty programs includeMassage Therapy, Medical Nutrition and Aquatic Physical Therapy.

In health care, success is driven by patient satisfaction, and that success is earned one patient at a time. Our primary mission is to provide the highest quality of care using the most advanced orthopaedic practices and individualized treatment plans. Our team of surgeons, pain management physicians,physician assistants, and physical therapists take pride in addressing each and every aspect of patient care – from initial consultation, diagnosis and treatment through recovery.

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