* One-on One Coaching Sessions in the radius of 25 miles (Coach is based
in the Antioch area.)
* Strength & Conditioning Program designed for runners or anyone involved in running
sports.
INTERESTED IN GROUP TRAINING WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR CLUB?
A Runfitter Training Group can be formed
amongst your friends and colleagues.
If you have a regular gathering of people you run with or you want to challenge
yourself and friends
to prepare for an upcoming race, Runfitter Training may be just the focus and energizer you need!
Runfitter Traning will be a fun, group-training experience with personal attention to the individual athlete.
And it will provide your group with professional guidance at a fraction of the
cost of personal training!
Coach Tony
would be delighted to meet you and your group.
OR
Consider joining my established groups in East Contra Costa County;
See "What's NEW" Button
for more information about our new
Spring Marathon coaching program!
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEEDS!
Contact Coach Tony at 925-757-7531 or at runfitter46@gmail.com
POSTURE: “SIT UP! QUICK SLOUCHING!"
These phrases would more likely be heard at a young ladies’ finishing school, or from your Mom, than among
a group of sweaty runners after a training run for their next 10K!
That advice would have come from me
if they were working in my Runfitter program.
Because a daily posture with hunched shoulders and bent back or off-kilter pelvis will create more suffering
for sports-minded people than the general sedentary population.
When the 33 vertebrae of the spine
is left to distort from its optimal alignment, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, shoulders, low back and legs are
forced to support you in an imbalanced way.
For the body’s tissue, over time, comes to recognize
the poor posture as “normal”. This distortion will be an impediment
to achieving proper techniques in your sport.
Pro and elite athletes know that posture must be practiced
throughout each day, not just during athletic activity. I have always been impressed with 4 time Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter,
Michael Johnson. Not only does his running form show a very upright torso, but I have never seen him in a posture other than
optimal.
In interviews & in photos of him while out and about,
he seems to carry his torso in fullest form.
Poor posture contributes to restricting the space in
the rib cage around your lungs. With a lessened lung capacity, your endurance will be subpar!
It
also slows the blood flow through the muscles, meaning less of a “flush” of metabolic waste, including lactic
acid. Thus the pain threshold for an endurance athlete will be a lot lower for someone with poor posture.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR REMINDING YOUR SPINE TO “PERK UP”.
At your desk: position chair height
so hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees with both feet flat on the floor. Hieght of computer screen should be positioned
so you don’t have to tilt your head up or down. The reach to keyboard or desk top should not put stress on the shoulders;
i.e. they shouldn’t be elevated or rolled over.
PAY ATTENTION:
When standing
please keep the knees “soft”. With your knees bent just a few degrees, it will keep your hips from rolling forward
and will take pressure off your lower back.
Imagine there is a string pulling upward from the very
top of your head, like you’re a marionette. Pull your shoulders back, lift your rib cage, and tuck your shoulder blades
down.
WHILE IN MOTION:
Hold your head up, looking to the horizon, when walking and running.
Avoid crossing your arms in front of you as you
run, as it can waste energy better used to propel you forward instead of using it to re-center your torso.
AT REST:
If having low back pain, you may try mild neck support, and legs elevated
on pillows when lying on your back.
You could also try lying on one side, a pillow under the head
taking up space between it and the shoulder, Tucking your knees toward the torso, while on your side, may bring some stretching
relief to the low back area.
