Right food, correct exercises, appropriate fitness gear, along with the enthusiasm to be fit assure one a happy and healthy life. Cardiovascular activities, particularly running, is one of the most convenient and effective steps to attain fitness. ANANYA BORGOHAIN explains how
Fitness is not just a privilege, but also a necessity in today’s time; and cardios are an essential means to attain it. Running, for instance, is neither time-bound nor costs anything. And yet it has the potential to change a one’s perspective of life. In fact, no amount of weight training, crunches, or dieting is effective unless one indulges in cardios. One can tone one’s muscles with specific exercises only after one loses the overall layers of body fat through cardios. So, as Delhi gears for a very important marathon today, here are a few necessary steps which every runner should pay heed to.
PREPPING THE DEBUTANTES
The first step for any fitness enthusiast is to get motivated. Push through the mental blocks and the rest will be a cakewalk. Read fitness literature, watch health lectures online or just talk to friends about it, for starters. Contemplating to join a health club, gym, a training centre, taking up a sport, or designing one’s own fitness routine comes second. Once one is familiarised with how to pursue a regime, things begin to fall in place.
Cardios, they say, are the most effective and convenient form of working out. One could brisk walk or run almost anywhere outdoors. In fact, doing so for 30 minutes for four to five days a week is sufficient to rejuvenate and keep a person healthy.
Sports scientist and leading fitness brand Puma’s running expert Shayamal Vallabhjee says, “Marathon preparation is all about balancing your running time and the quality of the mileage you put in. One also needs a structured programme. It’s not advisable to be running a half marathon without ideal prep especially if you’re not a seasoned runner. Everyone should put in at least 10 weeks of prep, building up to a weekly mileage of twice the race distance”.
Actor Milind Soman, who at 50, completed the Ironman Triathlon this year — the toughest in the world with a 3.86 km swim, 180.25 km bicycle ride and 42.2 km run, without a break — had mentioned that running barefoot strengthens body’s ability on the ground. Soman runs barefoot and believes that it strengthens the runner’s posture, focus and control while running. He also added importance to breathing correctly, mentioning that most people are not familiar with how to breathe correctly while working out.
In a study by Dennis Bramble and David Carrier, both of the University of Utah, they mentioned that the greatest running stress happens when one’s footstrike coincides with the beginning of an exhalation. If one begins to exhale every time one’s left foot hits the ground, the left side of the body will suffer great running stress.
And one should be breathing diaphragmatically at all times. Champion runner Budd Coates simplified the breathing techniques as such:
n Keep your upper chest and shoulders still.
n Focus on raising your belly as you inhale.
n lower your belly as you exhale.
n Inhale and exhale through both your nose and mouth.
RECOMMENDED DIET
Any form of workout for fitness or weight loss can be marred by the wrong food habits. Results will not show until physical activities are complimented with a balanced diet. leading Indian golfer and Puma athlete Sharmila Nicollet says, “It is important to keep yourself hydrated and to pay attention to your meals before a marathon. load up on carbs in the days before the marathon to give you that energy that you need; pasta is a good option, but avoid over eating. To keep your meal light, stick with vegetarian food as it doesn’t make you feel sluggish.
Try and follow this regime at least 3-4 weeks prior to the run to give you the best results”. Foods like lean meat, green vegetables, salmon, berries, fruits, yoghurt etc are strongly recommended too. leading fitness instructor leena Mogre wrote in her book this year that whenever one has any food, it is advisable to eat food that has many colours. Through a healthy mix of tomatoes, capsicums, onions, carrots, green vegetables, and so on, the food looks more attractive and appealing.
At the same time, speaking against health supplements, she suggested to consult a dietician for a food chart and advice. In fact, she mentioned that consumption of too much protein, especially lab-made protein is unhealthy and makes people bloat. The body is not able to release the enzymes and digestive juices that are needed because they are consuming lab-made food. A supplement is taken in addition to one’s daily food and it can never replace the real meal. In fact, supplements could serve a purpose if you one is on a special diet or is travelling with an access to a balanced diet.
PREVENTING INJURIES
For every runner, injuries are an expected menace. From a minor ache to severe ligament tear and beyond, running, when done incorrectly, could cause major health damages. Mogre, whose doctoral research also covers studies on injuries, has also encouraged to move the lower limbs more and not bend during cardios like on the cross-trainer, to avoid injuries. Walking or running on a treadmill at a very high speed could injure neck and shoulders too. Excessive inward rolling of the ankle could injure the foot muscles and ligaments.
Vallabhjee says, “The best way to prevent running injuries is to stick to these simple exercise science principles — Progressive load: Do not increase your weekly training mileage by more than 10 per cent; Individuality: Every runner is different and the physiological responses from training may vary person to person. Respect the fact that what works for someone may not work for everyone; Specificity: Run 60 per cent of your mileage at race pace; Recovery: Sleep is the most important weapon in your recovery arsenal so make sure you have adequate sleep”.
Nicollet adds, “Post a marathon it is very important to stretch out your muscles so they are relaxed. A cold bath or an ice bath to soak your muscles helps easy post marathon aches and pains and further relaxes the muscles. Most importantly, eat well and hydrate yourself to get your strength and energy back after the run”.
Earlier this year, Dave Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, suffered from a traumatic brain injury and hypovolemic shock after he slipped off a treadmill. Hence, these injuries should not be ignored in the slightest.
RUNNING GEAR
Running socks prevent irritating seams and have a drying capability not found with normal cotton socks. So it’s pertinent to pick them for running. A running belt is as important for long runs to pack water and necessary supplements on a tough route. A good pair of running shoes is indispensable as it provides arch support against the vertical forces created while running.
Nicollet says, “It’s very important to have the right shoes and work out gear for specific exercises and runs as the wrong gear could cause serious injuries. I use Puma clubs and wear their apparel for all my tournaments”. Warm-up is very necessary before an exercise programme so that the body could respond better. It is also advisable to have a prior medical check-up done.
NIGHT RUNNING
Vallabhjee says, “The levels of carbon dioxide produced by plants is less than 50 per cent its stored capacity at night. The night levels rise because of the lack of sunlight. Sunlight causes a photo chemical reaction that releases oxygen during the day which causes levels to rise at night. Physiologically there haven’t been too many cases of runners who have suffered from this drop in oxygen at night. Some people prefer it as the pollution levels are lower and temperatures are cooler. It’s worth a try if you’re keen. But, stay safe. Wear reflective clothing, run in a pack and run at a pace of 50-60 per cent of max heart rate — that is, stay in an aerobic zone”.
TIPS FOR WOMEN
While it is not recommended for pregnant women to run marathons, periods could also be uncomfortable for many. It’s considered advisable to use tampons instead of sanitary pads, wear comfortable clothing and run slow when menstruating. Nicollet slightly disagrees and says, “Running or exercising during one’s period is no different, unless you are dealing with bad pain due to cramps. If the cramps aren’t too bad, go for a light run, exercise helps reduce such pain. Periods are not a restrictive factor to work out or run and one should continue with their work out regime as far as possible”.
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