Many people tend to use the cold weather as an excuse to not workout. It is so much more appealing to sit on the couch by that nice warm fire instead of going out in freezing temperatures. I have done this many times myself but for many I think they have a legitimate excuse of just not knowing if it is ok to go outside to workout when the temperatures drop into the 20′s or below.

Here are some things that we want you to be aware of when exercising in the cold. If you take the proper precautions it is completely safe for you to exercise when the temperature get real cold.

Stay hydrated - This is a mistake that a lot of people make. We tend to not drink as much when it is colder outside so make sure you are hydrated before you go to workout. You will still sweat if you follow the next piece of advice about your clothing.

Make sure to wear layers – Wearing multiple layers is a great way to combat the cold weather. Start with the lowest layer (closest to your skin) as a dri-fit type material that is designed to get the moisture off your skin. Try to not do cotton as this will absorb the moisture which can cause some problems for you as you begin to sweat because it can freeze and cause you to become chilled. Also make sure your layers are easy to remove or add back on based on how warm or cold you are. When you exercise your body can make it seem like it is 30 degrees warmer than the actual temperature.

Protect your extremities – I grew up in Denver and I remember my mom always telling me that I lose the most heat from my head so I always had these awesome winter hats to wear. This is key if you are going to be exercising in the cold. Wear some type of protection for your head. Also make sure to wear some gloves on your hands so you do not develop any frostbite. Double up on socks can also be a good idea to help keep the feet warm.

Talk to your Doctor – If you have asthma or any other type of respiratory issues make sure to ask your Doctor if it is safe for you to be exercising in the cold. The cold can make certain types of respiratory issues more pronounced which can have a dramatic impact on your ability to exercise.

Understand when it is too cold – These tips will help you to be able to exercise in the cold but do remember that it can get to be too cold. One thing many people forget about is the windchill factor. make sure to take into account the windchill when you are outside. If this drops the temperature down below 10 degrees it might be time to think about staying on the couch by that nice fire!

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This brought up the topic of muscle memory and if such a thing existed. There is no doubt that our body can develop patterns. I would even argue that we inherit some of these patterns when we are born. Genetic factors play a major role in the development of our muscular systems. I do not have major study results to prove it but raise your hand if you physically resemble one or both of your parents is some way.

How we develop these patterns I think can be attributed to the 4 Laws of Training. If you have not read those posts I recommend that you do. We feel it is the framework for understanding how to train the human body for maximum results. Law #2 states that the more of a specific stimulus our bodies get, the greater the anatomical change you will create. For instance the more heavy weight training you do, the stronger and more dense your muscles will become. In the example of running, my client had developed a pattern in her past when she ran all the time that created what she believed to be her “normal” stride.

Law #1 states that our bodies are designed to respond to stimulus. So the running she was doing was the stimulus that her body responded to. She ran very frequently so the constant supply of the same stimulus created a pattern. I believe this patterns to be what many refer to as muscle memory. The body has no choice but to react to the stimulus you give it. This can be a positive like building a consistent stride to run with, however, it can also be a negative if the stride you are building is not very efficient which will lead to poor performance and ultimately injury.

Our bodies are constantly changing, there is no staying the same. Think of everything you do during the day and the impact it will have on your body. The way we eat, the amount of water we drink, the amount of sleep we get, and of course the type of physical stimulus our bodies receive are constantly changing us. Depending on what type of stimulus you are giving it this can mean a change for the positive or negative.

So I believe there is such a thing as muscle memory. It exists in the form of a pattern that develops from consistently supplying the same type of stimulus to the muscles. If you do it long enough and with enough consistency you will create a pattern. The longer this pattern sets in, the more the body will use this pattern to perform the given task.

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First remember that there are multiple ways to stretch a muscle. The way we are going to discuss and to be honest is the best option in our opinion is to lengthen the muscle by contracting the antagonist or opposite muscle. What is the opposite of the Hamstring then is what we need to determine. The obvious answer is of course the quadriceps. We also want to make sure that the hip flexors are included in this as well. The reason for this is that just like the hamstring, the hip flexors and quadriceps are responsible for the anterior movement of the pelvis.

Since your hamstrings attach at the back of your pelvis, the movement of the pelvis forward or anterior then will pull on the hamstrings causing them to lengthen. Lengthening of the hamstrings then involves not only getting the body in a position to attempt to completely straighten the leg, it also requires the contraction of the quadriceps and hip flexor muscles.

Here are a few examples of some moves that will do this for you.

The basic leg lift is actually a good way to start when gaining flexibility in the hamstrings. To perform the move make sure that before you begin to lift the leg you have contracted the muscles of the quadriceps as hard as you can and pull your toes back towards you. Now lift as high as you can until the knee wants to bend, then lower it back down.

The next move is similar to the leg lift but know you use the arms to assist in getting the leg a little higher than you can with just your muscles. Make sure that with the assistance of the hands that you are still contracting the muscles of the quadriceps and hip flexors as hard as you can while you hold the stretch. Like Loren mentioned in one of the Fitness Tips of the Week, hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds to allow the hamstring to lengthen.

We have also done a few moves in our Exercise of the Week Program Like the Runners Stretch that are great examples of moves to lengthen the hamstrings.

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RUNNING WARMUP

Here is the complete Running Warmup for you to follow. Give it a shot the next time you are headed out for a run. We have taken the time to put together an intelligent warmup that incorporates the various components necessary to promote an efficient stride. Here is the extra descriptions for each move along with the number of repetitions of each.

Standing 3 Position Arm Raises – 10x each position (Stand with feet at hip width, arms relaxed by sides. Lift arms to the 12 o’clock position (arms straight overhead pointing behind). Repeat arm lifts at 10 and 2 (arms halfway between overhead and straight out from sides) and finally at 9 and 3 (arms straight out from sides.)

Windmills – 10x each direction (Stand with your feet out much wider than the hips and your feet pointing forward. Now place you arms straight out to the side at shoulder height. From this position bend and twist from the waist as you bring your right hand down to your left foot. Stand all the way back up, then go to the other side)

Standing Cats & Dogs – 10x (Stand feet hip width apart, hands on thighs, and knees bent. Arch back up like a scared cat and push chin to chest, then lower back toward floor and raise head up. Repeat alternating between the two positions.)

Standing Quad – 30 seconds each leg (Stand in front of a chair on left leg, place left hand on chair for support; bend right knee and pull heel toward glutes, reach down with right hand and hold right foot. Keeping knees even and hips square to chair, squeeze right glute and slightly press hip forward and hold. Switch legs and repeat.)

Runner’s Stretch – 30 seconds each side (On hands and knees, place left heel directly in front of right knee, stand up keeping your feet in place and straightening both legs. Keep both thighs tight and bend over front foot. Rest hands on floor or chair and hold.)

Standing Hip Flexor Stretch – 30 seconds each side (Stand with hands on hips, right leg out in front of you and left leg behind. Bend both knees allowing your left knee to drop toward the floor. Hold this position with left leg a few inches above the ground and then without raising your hips, try to straighten your left leg. Switch legs and repeat.)

Rotational Stork Walk – 20 steps (stand with hands behind head. Pull left knee outside and up to 90 degrees and bring knee back to shoulder width while keeping foot under knee (one fluid motion). Step forward while lowering left foot toward the floor and repeat with right leg.)

Lateral Lunge Walk – 15 steps each way (Stand with feet under hips and hands behind head, bend right knee and take a big step to the side with your right leg. Standup by straightening right leg and bringing left leg underneath hips. Repeat then switch directions.)

Full Squats – 10x (Stand with feet directly under hips and toes pointing forward. Place hands behind head and pinch shoulder blades together. Without letting heels come off the floor, squat down as far as is comfortable and back up; repeat.)

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Some of the Athletes I coach were discussing this topic today. They were doing a workout for our winter track program in our indoor training center. At the end we went outside to do some sprints to open up their stride and it turned out to be significantly colder than I had anticipated. I was worried this would be a detriment but they all said it was a relief since the training center was getting pretty humid from the sweat and heaters.

I laughed when I heard this because I understand my runners well enough to know they would not choose to run in the very cold temperatures. From there the debate continued as to when the best temperature or time of year was to run.

I personally am a fan of late summer and early fall. The Spring in Oregon tends to be still quite cold and usually very wet. I remember a few years ago during a High School Track and Field Season we had 12 days of nice weather. Thats 12 out of about 90. The summer in Oregon is typically very nice but I do not run long distances as well in the heat. Late summer or early fall ends up being just about perfect. Not only is the scenery incredible with the changing of the leaves but the temperature is right around the 60 degree mark most days.

For many of you I would imagine that your climate determines a lot about when you prefer to run. Pleas share with us what is your favorite time of year to run wherever it is you live. If you have pictures, send those over as well and we will feature it in a future post.

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FULL SQUATS

Full Squats or Free Squats are one of the more common exercises we use at the end of warm-ups and cool-downs to introduce proper loading into the hips, knees, and ankles. With the progression of the warm-up exercises leading into this one all designed to properly align the skeletal system, this moves help to reinforce this anatomically correct position.

Next week we will be putting together the complete video warm-up with each of the exercises along with the number of repetitions or time to do each one.

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Stair Routines have been a standard of many workout programs for who knows how many thousands of years. Stairs are a tremendous training tool to help develop more power and efficiency in your stride. One of the major limiting factors that runners suffer from is a lack of proper muscle sequencing in their stride. To have an efficient stride it requires the proper muscles working in sequence. The stride should be initiated in the muscles surrounding the pelvis such as the iliopsoas and rectus femoris.

The major benefit of the stairs is that the stimulus it gives the muscular system is to lift the knee. Think of how many different strides you see from the various runners on the street as you are driving around town. The differences in all these strides is in relation to the improper muscle sequencing in their stride. Some runners have legs that make circular motion to initiate their stride while others have more of a shuffle. We could go on for hour about the differences in stride patterns and if you want more info on it, follow this running efficiency link to a post we did awhile ago.

The stairs help force the body to initiate the linear movement of running in your hips. If you have some stairs anywhere near your typical running route I highly recommend that you stop and take a few minutes to take advantage of what they have to offer. Start with simple moves like high knee walking. Use about 20-30 stairs and simply walk up with one foot on each stair, lifting that knee as high as you can before you step onto the stair.

Continue to repeat this now going up 2 stairs at a time, then 3 stairs and keep going until the height of the stair is too much for you to do with correct form. Make sure you keep your shoulders up tall throughout the moves and place your hands on your hips.

No take a similar approach to running on the stairs, start with one stair and then work your way up progressively. If you are not currently doing stairs, take the time to add them to your current running program. It will make an impact by helping to apply the stimulus to your muscles that will increase your overall efficiency.

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Standing Hip Flexor Stretch

You can never do enough lengthening of the hip flexors with the amount of siting we are forced to do as a part of our jobs. This is the main reason why we decided to add an additional stretch for the hip flexors as a part of the running warm-up. This is a great stretch that can even be done throughout the day to help break the tightness that we suffer from as we sit.

Try adding this in a few times an hour to help keep your hips in better alignment for your running workouts.

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There are many theories as to why people are suffering so many injuries when training for the simple act of running. I guess simple act may be the wrong way to say it since many individuals do not find running simple at all. In our opinion the injuries are coming from high levels of muscular inefficiency. Individuals who have not been training correctly, or at all, have muscular patterns in their body that makes them unable to perform the act of running for longer distances without high risk of many common running injuries.

In the article they are discussing that one of the major causes of injuries is actually the “high-tech shoes” that people are training in. We could not agree with this more. Recently we have discussed the importance of doing your warm-ups barefoot. The feet just like any other area of the body consist of many different muscles that require consistent training in order for them to continue to perform their given tasks of skeletal alignment and movement. Many shoes runners currently run in act almost like a cast. They can drastically limit the amount of stimulus that the muscles of the feet receive.

There is a link in that article to another interesting document that I thought was a great read. It was a paper written about how evolution made us great distance runners. I am not a believer in evolution personally but I still find it quite fascinating.

If you are a runner make sure you are taking the time to be barefoot as a part of your training. I have had great success with runners in the past using their warm-ups as a chance to apply stimulus to the muscles of the feet. Just like any other muscle in the body, those of the feet must be trained in order to perform.

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Spread Foot 3 Position Arm Raises

We are just 2 exercises away from completing your Running Warm-up. Following them we will do one more video in this series that will go over the proper sequence and reps to make it complete. The 3 Position Arm Raises are a great example of an exercise you can do to help prepare the upper body for running. This is a very commonly overlooked component of preparing to run.

As we run it is very common for our upper bodies to have to compensate for lack of efficiency in our stride. This can lead to serious amounts of tightness in your upper back. Moves that ensure proper movement of the thoracic spine and scapulas can help to limit these types negative side effects on your longer runs.

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