chi running

elantan

Thanks for all the help so far I do appreciate it - and sorry for hijacking the thread a bit Eletan - but hopefully some of this info will be useful to you to - so you don't get into my situation



please dont apologise, your not hijacking, it's all about learning to run properly and safely so any help is welcome, and other people that may choose to read this thread may find it useful as well

elantan

Fire_Fox wrote: »

http://www.backfitpro.com/pdf/selecting_back_exercises.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WaBfk0vgJI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG85gXBiAmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukmaW9CmSU
There are other Stuart McGill entries on YouTube that might be worth exploring although I have to say I don't like how he teaches, he lets her back dip!

right i have my excercise for the evening thanks, gonna show mr el them as well as he has a really really bad back and has been doing the totally wrong excercises so will show him this

wish you lived closer to me i would pay you to show me the correct way of doing things ... we need more people like yourself that has knowledge so that we dont land up injured

thank you very much

gleek1

I know, listening to your body is hard!!! Especially if your heart is saying you can cope with more. FireFox posted some good advice about corework above - some of the exercises I have been doing perhaps aren't so great after all..

I would definitely ice ice ice . Try to get some of that inflammation down. Ibuprofen is not usually a good idea if you are going to run - will mask the pain and so you can make things worse - but it is meant to help with inflammation too

Maybe go for a swim...? I still stand by the recommendation of a floatation belt to pool run. I think I might buy one for myself. Cycling can be good too - try and see if it hurts. If it is OK then i reckon you are good to go.

gleek1

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I'm OCD with clients, all over them with correction be that one to one or group. I was lucky and found two amazing group exercise instructors when I first stated exercising, one was totally into technique/ posture who jollied you through tough sessions and the other a sadist and I picked up elements of both.

If you can't do a good arm and leg raise by now something may be wrong with how you engage and hold the transversus. Maybe when you add in the arm go back a level with the leg, just slowly slide the toe lightly along the floor so you have a *little* help with the balance. Really don't worry about going high with arm or leg, the second the weight is off the floor the muscles are taking the strain and a leg is a heavy little beastie. No kicking or jerking, it's supposed to be a controlled move. Also consider standing balance training - standing Pilates, foam roller work or Swiss ball (kneeling on it is my personal favourite) as you see fit. Shutting your eyes when doing any balance or stability work is a great progression, just be safe.

It took me a lot of Pilates classes to 'get' core activation/ control and I had to drop all the crunches and the like. I'd spent so long working the superficial muscles with my abs domed there was total dominance, the instructor kept telling me I was doing it completely wrong and to drop back to the remedial level which was incredibly frustrating for someone supposedly fit.

But she was right and it taught me a great lesson I brought with me to my work practice. The thing is with Pilates it's fine to feel virtually nothing yet it requires concentration, which is the opposite of what we do in standard ab work. Some of the muscles you are trying to activate and strengthen are tiny, they will never be able to scream at your brain.

Things have changed a lot in the last ten years or so with core stability, there was a series of studies (EMG analysis?) where sports scientists/ biomechanics dudes stuck needles into muscles and measured the pressure during formal exercise and normal everyday movements. That way they learned which muscles where being activated and how much and at what point, which turned things on their head a bit.

Turned out many of the traditional gym abs exercises put unacceptable levels of stress on the spine, or worked the hip flexors far more than the abdominals. :eek: They also learned that those who are healthy/ never injured switch our core muscles on milliseconds BEFORE we start to move, but some of those with old injuries or caesarian sections switch on milliseconds AFTER we start to move the limbs which leaves us vulnerable.

Thanks for the encouragement. Fire Fox. I think I have probably been raising my arm too high to maintain good form. I am really bad with the Swissball. Kneel on it - ha - not a chance!!! I can't balance on a wobble board thing - really really really bad at it!! But i will take it slowly and will definitely put more time into this. On plus side, I did lots of hip stretches last night, and actually feel a bit better today.

Thanks so much again

elantan

gleek1 wrote: »

Maybe go for a swim...? I still stand by the recommendation of a floatation belt to pool run. I think I might buy one for myself. Cycling can be good too - try and see if it hurts. If it is OK then i reckon you are good to go.

i do this already when i go swimming, i didnt realise there were floatation devices that helped lol ... i just keep going as fast as i can so i dont drown lol ... i would liken it to running in the water, exactly the same as i would on the treadmill only faster ... is that the same thing?

Fire_Fox

elantan wrote: »

right i have my excercise for the evening thanks, gonna show mr el them as well as he has a really really bad back and has been doing the totally wrong excercises so will show him this

wish you lived closer to me i would pay you to show me the correct way of doing things ... we need more people like yourself that has knowledge so that we dont land up injured

thank you very much

If your husband currently has back pain he should check with his GP or better still a physiotherapist or advanced Pilates teacher and start with the remedial level - those are the standard versions. Remember the spine is a complex series of joints with multiple muscles ligaments and tendons, there is not one thing that can go wrong there are many, training on current pain/ injury can sometimes do more harm than good.

The easiest level of four points kneeling is just drawing the abs in no limb work, then moving onto arm only no leg involvement. Easier level of the curl is with the arms/ hands supporting the lower back, not necessarily even lifting the head (which is quite weighty so quite a challenge) just getting a contraction.

You might find the original textbook in a library to see the images and show the doctor, or I could try to photocopy and post the pages out, but that might take me weeks I am not the most organised/ well person at present.

I don't generally charge I mostly work salaried, I'd make a rubbish personal trainer because I hate spending other people's money I always want to get them a freebie or MSE price. :rotfl: But thanks that is sweet.

Fire_Fox

gleek1 wrote: »

Thanks for the encouragement. Fire Fox. I think I have probably been raising my arm too high to maintain good form. I am really bad with the Swissball. Kneel on it - ha - not a chance!!! I can't balance on a wobble board thing - really really really bad at it!! But i will take it slowly and will definitely put more time into this. On plus side, I did lots of hip stretches last night, and actually feel a bit better today.

Thanks so much again

You'd be surprised: I've not yet had anyone unable to kneel on the ball nor hurt themselves trying, although I don't do it with every client (never tried with much older/ fragile clients, I don't fancy breaking someone's ankle, but plenty of beginners or the middle aged with poor proprioception). IMO it can be easier than standing on a wobble board, your centre of gravity is lower and you don't have weak ankle musculature to contend with. It's all hips and deep core which are big strong muscles, albeit lazy in some of us. If you have access to a wobble board try kneeling on that for confidence, you can't fall off!

You need something really sturdy to hold onto and should sit back and down as if in a half squat. Barre or handrail in a fitness studio, heavy/ stable piece of gym equipment, trusted male friend or larger/ stronger female, I've even used a radiator but you need to be sure they are very securely attached. There is a technique to getting into position, you want to be able to support a lot of bodyweight on the sturdy support as you 'hop' your second knee on. Tighten abs, fix your gaze on a point, keep letting go for milliseconds at first but keep your hands millimetres away from the sturdy support at all times, practice practice practice.

If you kneel up too upright or buttocks forward it's very hard and you risk rolling backwards so you have to put your feet down behind the ball or smashing your face forwards! As long as you keep your knees forward of your hips you should only roll/ fall off slowly to one or other side which gives you plenty of time to softly put a foot down and of course your hands are right next to the support. It doesn't matter if you roll off fairly quickly and repeatedly, even a few seconds is training your nervous system which muscle fibres to fire which is a big part of fitness not simply muscle strength.

Don't know why beginners try to get on the ball in the middle of the room putting their hands on a wobbly surface, that is making it needlessly difficult IMO!! The way this girl hops on is the closest I can find, but it's a lot easier with a proper support you can lean weight on rather than just fingertips against a wall. Of course you don't extend your arms until you are confident however long that takes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdxvuLhfZs4

gleek1

I'm not worried about falling off - but as long as it is not cheating using something to balance!! I have a very very sturdy chest of drawers at about the right height - I am going to practice practice practice!!

gleek1

elantan wrote: »

i do this already when i go swimming, i didnt realise there were floatation devices that helped lol ... i just keep going as fast as i can so i dont drown lol ... i would liken it to running in the water, exactly the same as i would on the treadmill only faster ... is that the same thing?

So the flotation device I think lets you run more naturally - gives you better form because you are not fighting to stay upright.

I haven't done this, but I know several people who have when injured with shin splints and after 4 or 5 weeks they were even fitter than they were when they started. But I would def say to get an aqua jogger or similar - around 20-30 on amazon..

How are you feeling today/