Free run. Discounted Food. Sounds like a great Friday to us!
Come join us at 6:00pm on March 9th for a 5K run, starting and ending at Buredo on Connecticut Ave. $5 off meals for MINT members and their guests!
Rock N Roll Marathon – 2 MORE WEEKS to GO!!
Why do I keep getting the same injuries when I run? – Part 1
Are you frustrated with constantly dealing with same running injuries over and over again? Are you tired of thinking you have recovered only to have the same injury come back several months later? Read on to find out why you are dealing with repetitive injuries.
A wise man once said “running reveals weakness and if you run enough, injury is not too far away.” When you run, you experience 2-3 times the force of your own bodyweight!.. with every step! Over the course of a run you experience an extreme amount of force through your joints which can lead to injury.
What if you could get to the underlying cause of your injuries that keep plaguing you and keep you from doing what you love? What if you knew exactly what to do to prepare for your upcoming 5K,10K, or even half marathon?
Research has shown that up to 80% of runners will experience some injury during their running lives.
The most common injury they will experience is knee pain. The knee is a simple hinge joint that is wedged between your hip and your foot, and the reality is that your knee is usually not to blame!!
Knee pain is usually either a result of poor hip control or over-pronation issues. Pronation is a natural motion of the foot that happens when your foot contacts the ground and your arch goes inward. Over-pronation is when your arch collapses too
much, placing increased stress on all the joints above.
In Part 2 of this blog post (stay tuned next week – March 3, 2018) we will discuss about what to do about your over-pronation issues. The first joint above the foot/ankle just happens to be your knee, and often takes the brunt of any issues in the foot.
Poor hip control and hip muscle weakness is another common problem that leads to increased stress on your knee, and we will explain more about how to avoid this issue in Part 3 of this blog post ( stay tuned week of – March 11, 2018)
So to answer the question in the title of this blog post: if you continually get the same injury as you ramp up your mileage, then rest and/or whatever “treatment” you’ve had to solve the problem is not removing all the underlying causes of the injury.
In today’s unfortunate healthcare world, clinicians are often forced to see many more patients per day than they should. If a patient has knee pain, they only have time to look at the knee … but as you’ll see in the next two articles, this will often lead to missing the whole story, and therefore failing to address why you keep getting the same running injuries over and over again. If you need help, Call my office at once at (202) 670-8874 or visit me at the Mint Health Club to schedule your 30 minute consultation to see how Physical Therapy can help. Don’t delay–schedule now so we can assess your specific issue and get you fit and injury-free for the Rock N Roll Marathon on March 10, 2018.
Flash Sale! Personal Training Promo
Flash sale! 50 pack stock-up promo
Extended by popular demand
$10/session off lowest rates
No expiration date on these sessions/cannot be purchased with discounted gift cards
Let’s Talk About Food!
Dear Foodies,
Let’s talk food! It’s no secret diet and nutrition play a major role in our lives. Without proper nutrition, the body cannot and will not adapt to forced change, i.e. maintenance, bulk or shred. When we don’t eat upon waking and then workout; we deprive our metabolism of fuel to burn for energy shutting down ATP.
In addition to the harsh physical effects there are emotional and mental effects. Nutrition is a vital role in our moods, cognitive response, neuro receptors, sleep, and of course our eating patterns.
What to do before and after a workout:
- Eat! Eat! And Eat! Before a workout.
- Carb based and medium glycemic foods like bananas, apples, nut butters are great pre-workout fuel.
- Hydrate before workouts. Try to consume water before working out to avoid dehydration.
- Post workout is time to replenish and recover. A low glycemic carbohydrate and high protein diet is great to begin rebuilding muscle tissue and also restore energy.
- Eat organic, pesticide free, no – GMO, hormone free foods!
Most importantly and to put it simply, the body is a fantastic and beautiful machine. Treat it well through whole organic foods and it will be good to you!
By: MINT Studios GM, Liz Harvey
How To Determine If You’re Too Sick To Exercise
Getting sick is inevitable. In fact, most adults usually get two to three respiratory infections each year. However, we all have obligations that cannot wait, especially if it’s a newly made New Year’s resolution. It can certainly feel like a huge setback, and more
so when it involves a new focus on getting healthier. The past 3 weeks, we’ve been hearing a lot about the rampant flu. Just 2 days back, NBC had a story covered on this year’s flu epidemic.
Last week, I came down with a bad cold, and it totally affected my ability to engage with people in my life let alone exercise. Thankfully, I bounced back quickly. A number of my patients have been asking me this week, whether it is okay to exercise when they’re
feeling sick. So I figured, I’d write a blog post with some helpful tips about it.
Common sense should tell you that if you have a little cold, then scale back the intensity and duration of your workout. However, there are instances where you should back off completely and take time off. Here are some considerations so you know the difference.
Let us start with an easy rule to remember–if your symptoms occur from your neck up, then it’s alright to perform a light exercise routine. If, however, your symptoms travel below your neck–stay home! In other words, if you have a common cold, which is often
limited to upper respiratory symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose, then it is usually okay to exercise. However, if you are experiencing general achiness, Gastric symptoms, chest congestion, or profound weakness, then stay home and drink plenty of fluids.
Now let me clarify one exception to the “above the neck” rule, and that being whether you have a fever. Since a fever is going to raise your body’s core temperature, which will also most likely get you dehydrated, you do not want to add insult to injury by taxing
your body with any type of exercise workout. In addition, once your fever has broken or you have recovered from a bad illness, it is best to avoid exercising for at least the next 24 to 48 hours. Moreover, when you do finally resume your exercise routine, do not pick up where you left off–ramp up slowly.
Now, under normal circumstances (aside from being sick and exercising), regular, moderate activity can help your immune system which, in turn, helps to prevent future illness. Note–the key word being moderate. Whenever you perform extreme exercise
at very high levels, then you compromise your immune system (think running a marathon).
Your New Food Timeline
When focusing on our diet, it is important to not only look at what you eat and how much of it you’re eating, but you need to also pay attention to when you eat. For instance, fruit is a healthy food, as a general rule, but for those looking to lose weight they should make sure they’re not eating fruit in the late afternoon and evening. Fruit is high in carbohydrates, sugar, and is slow to breakdown. So, although you may be opting for a bowl of fruit as a snack or dessert instead of a cookie, you may not be doing as much for your diet as you may think.
Begin aware of the time of day, when planning meals and snacks, is an easy way to make small, effective changes. Below are some other insider tips to help you more effectively plan your food for the day, because let’s be honest, we’re always thinking about the next meal we’re going to eat.
• Your largest meal should be breakfast or lunch
• Yes! You can eat carbs (the more complex the better) but eat them early in the day
• Aim to eat something every 2-3 hours. This helps keep the body fueled and can help speed up your metabolism.
• Keep your carbs low in the afternoon and evening. Look for veggie or greek yogurt snacks.
• Remember to always stay hydrated and drink a lot of water throughout the day.
By: James Parker Ashley
