Marathon Tips from BJU Osteopath and Marathoner, Dr. Jeff Cauver
Over the weekend, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) staff volunteers were on hand to support as 30,000 runners took to the streets of Beijing to show us what their legs could do.
One by one, under some of the bluest skies we've seen this year, competitors crossed the finish line, and our doctors, nurses, and volunteers were there waiting for them, ready to provide them with water, massages, and care.
Because we at BJU promise in our slogan to be With You All The Way, we also had stations all along the race course for runners suffering from cramps, chafing, and discomfort to stop and get help (or simply some rest!).
If you were inspired by the tens of thousands of runners last weekend and want to try getting into running yourself, read on for Dr. Jeff Cauver's tips about checking if your body is up for the challenge. In his article below, he explains how to tell if your muscles have any imbalances. These could cause injuries down the line if you start running without addressing them.
Running uses your body as an interconnected machine, with every muscle group working together. You may mostly run with your legs, but your core muscles also play a critical role in getting you to the finish line. Having a strong core is essential for balance, flexibility, breathing, and endurance.
Exercising deep core muscles is much more challenging than normal core work, but it improves your efficiency and helps you maintain proper form as your muscles get fatigued during a tiring run. Many runners only work the surface core muscles, which can make it difficult to improve or, worse, can open them up to injury.
Range-of-Motion Tests
1. Trunk Rotation:
• Sit in a chair nice and tall with your legs uncrossed.
• Throughout this entire test, keep your hips facing forward.
• Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand at the base of the spine.
• Slowly rotate your trunk to the left.
• Repeat on the other side.
It may be helpful to have someone watch you as you do this test and answer these questions:
- Is it easier to rotate to one side than the other?
- Are you rotating farther to one side than the other?
- Do you feel your hips or trunk pulling away from a full, upright position on one or both sides?
If the answer to one or more of these questions is "yes”, you may have some muscle imbalances in your trunk area.
2. Leg Lift:
• Lie flat on your back.
• While keeping your knee straight, slowly raise one leg as high as you comfortably can.
• Repeat with the other leg.
Questions:
- Can you lift one leg higher than the other?
- Do your legs lift straight up or are one or both legs trying to angle themselves?
- Can you lift your leg up without bending your knee at all?
How high you can lift your leg will vary by person, but if one is easier to lift or can go higher than the other one, this can be cause for concern as there is no reason why both legs shouldn't be equal. Also, this should not be a painful exercise. If it is, that is another sign of imbalanced muscles.
3. Hip Rotation:
• Lie flat on your back.
• Rest your legs so they are about shoulder-width apart.
• While keeping your knee straight, slowly rotate one leg in and then rotate your leg out.
• Repeat with the other leg.
Questions:
- Can you rotate more on one side than the other?
- Do you experience any pain during this test?
- Can you rotate your legs without bending your knee at all?
Again, range of motion may vary from person to person, but both sides should be the same, and there should not be any pain or discomfort during the test if your hip muscles are properly balanced.
Next Steps
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the questions in the range-of-motion tests above, this is a sign of muscle imbalance. It is important to recognize these imbalances and try to even out the stress you put on your muscles. It may also be beneficial to consult a professional who specializes in the musculoskeletal system. As an osteopath and a certified fitness instructor who specializes in stretching to balance the body, I can help identify muscle imbalances and provide in-office assessments with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). I can also help design at-home training programs to help regain balance in your muscles.
This article was written by Dr. Jeff Cauver, who is Section Chief of Beijing United Family Hospital's (BJU's) Integrative Medicine Department. He was educated and began his career in Paris, France before moving to Beijing and joining Beijing United Family Hospital as an expert in the spine and musculoskeletal issues. At the Beijing Marathon last weekend, he helped elite runners recover with massages once they crossed the finish line. To make an appointment with Dr. Cauver, call our service center at 4008-919191.
Additional research comes from Active.com.
Keen to start long-distance running but not sure how to fuel your body for those long runs? Check out nutritionist Suiqian Liu's tips.
Want to start running to get into shape? Once you make sure your muscles are balanced and up to the task, read up on how to stretch and warm up properly before running or working out.
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