Maintaining Runner's Form

How often do you think about your form when you’re running? Most often, we’d guess, you really don’t. Whether you're running outside or on a treadmill, we don't imagine you're usually thinking of how you should be holding your body. If you did, however, you could increase your performance and your endurance. Not only that, but you could lessen your chance of injury if you’re holding your body the correct way while you’re running.

Let’s start from the top & work our way down!

Mind: So this isn’t as much about the way you’re physically holding yourself as much as it is about what your mental state is. Don’t over-think while you’re running. This is meant to be a stress-reducing exercise, so clear your mind and just run.

Head: Keep your head up! Looking down means that you’re probably leaning forward which will create more stress on your lower back.

Eyes: Keep them forward:

Jaw: Hold your mouth open while you run that way you will breathe both through your nose & through your mouth so you get the most oxygen through your run.

Shoulders: Relax! Tensing up your shoulders takes energy away from what you could be using to cover more distance on your run.

Hands: Lightly cup your hands. Just as tensing your shoulders takes energy, so does clenching your muscles in your hands while you run.

Back: Be upright. Don’t bend at the waist or hunch since this restricts breathing and blood flow. Tall posture ensures your hip flexors & abductors are in prime function which decreases the chance of injury.

Ankles: Lean forward on your ankles to help push yourself along.

Feet: There is no one correct way to use your feet so use whatever kind of foot strike feels right to you!

Follow these tips for optimal running stance and you will be amazing even yourself with the difference it makes1

Original: http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/run-faster-longer-stronger-and-injury-free

Be Done With Those Post-Run Headaches

You know those days when you feel like that run on the treadmill or elliptical could go on forever and you would be fine with it? Maybe you are running off stress or maybe you're just filled with a ton of energy. You feel great; not at all dizzy, or overheated, or hungry, or feeling any pain and then an hour or more later, a dull headache moves in. 

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Headaches can be caused from a couple reasons. One of them being that you are not consuming enough water throughout the day. Maybe not just drinking water, but incorporating water-filled fruits & vegetables like bananas or sweet potatoes. 

Once the actual run starts, if it's under an hour or when it's cool out, hydrating during your workout isn't necessary. If you're running longer than an hour, it's hot, or you're sweating buckets, mix an electrolyte package with your water. 

Something you may not realize is the time of day that you are running also matters. When you run early in the morning, stay hydrated the night before and sip 8 ounces of water 15 minutes before heading out. Later in the day, you should have a water bottle on you all day and drink from it frequently. 

Low blood sugar levels can also cause headaches. One to two hours before your workout, have something quick such as a fruit and nut bar, whole-wheat toast with nut butter, or a small bowl of cereal. After your run, you’re going to want a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

A tightness in the neck or shoulders can also contribute to causing the headache. Take time after your run to stretch out the neck, shoulders, and upper back then reward yourself by relaxing in a hot shower and give yourself a little well-deserved upper-body self-massage.

If none of these tips seem to be working for you, it's best to see a doctor to make sure there isn't a more serious underlying issue.

Original: http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Prevent-Postrun-Headaches-35399990

Cardio Myths Vs. Facts

Those of you who love to hear your elliptical gearing up at the end of a long day can agree that nothing beats cardio. And of course you know how fantastic it is for your heart and that it's a great calorie burner, but there are some cardio myths out there masquerading as fact. We want to make sure that you have all the correct information to work with so here are five of the biggest cardio myths:

MYTH: For weight loss, cardio is the one & only answer.
FACT:  Of course if you’re pushing yourself on that treadmill or elliptical day in and day out, you will drop weight and you will drop it fast. Cardio alone, however, burns away both fat and muscle, which of course you don’t want.  Make sure the weight you lose is the right kind of weight. You need those muscles!

MYTH: Cardio workouts have to be at least an hour long to matter.
FACT: All body movements burn calories, not just the ones that keep your heart pumping for over an hour. To burn them more efficiently, in fact you should introduce high-intensity interval training to routine which can elevate your metabolism so that you could still be burning up to 38 hours after your workout. Even 10 minutes at a high intensity is beneficial. And a recent study suggests that short, infrequent bouts of slow running can do your heart good.

MYTH: Cardio on an empty stomach torches maximum body fat.

FACT: The idea that if your body doesn't have available food calories, it'll dip into the body's stored supply, thus losing inches & lbs, is simply untrue. Fat burn is consistent whether you’ve eaten before a workout or not. In fact, your body needs energy which comes to you in the form of food. Having a pre-workout snack will actually help you perform better, thus burning more fat in the end.

MYTH: It's important to stay in the "fat-burning zone" if your aim is to burn fat.

FACT: This one is half true. But it's total calories burned (those pesky calories out) that matter for weight loss. A higher intensity workout gets more of those lbs off.  

MYTH: You can skip a legs' strength workout if you've ran or biked.
FACT: Although it may seem like you're working your legs and glutes, you aren't getting any muscle building benefits by running or biking. Building up these large muscles in your body help boost your metabolism so you need to do strength moves along with your cardio. And as an added bonus, strength workouts will make you a better runner and cyclist.

Original: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-myths-debunked?cid=Synd_Popsugar_CardioMythsStopBelieving_Content-Fitness_August14_CardioMythsStopBelieving