I have just ventured back to running and it has got me thinking. There are loads of runners where I live…and I mean loads! I can see them running along the estuary near my house at all times of the day. There has been a heightened hive of activity recently with the marathon season beginning. I also have several clients who run but come to me because they are looking for an exercise class to complement their running schedule.
If you think about running, road running especially, it is very linear. In other words, you just go in one direction all the time. Trail running is a little more multi-directional as you tend to hop from one boulder or safe bit of ground to another. But while running is great for cardio fitness, burning calories and building endurance, it does not really build strength. Too much running may also lead to injury, especially if a runner ups their mileage too fast.
This is why running coaches advise their clients to include strength training in their schedule. It not only helps runners recover from injury and prevents further injury, strength training also helps runners run faster and for longer.
I am already sorted for strength as I do an online class once a week, but what about my Zumba and Pilates classes, do they benefit me too?
According to Women’s Running UK, dancing is great for flexibility and dexterity, and helps your range of movement in the ankle and hip joints. For me, it is also about changing direction by coming out of that linear range of motion and using your body in different ways. In Zumba, for example, you wiggle your hips, wave your arms in the air, rotate your shoulders, twist from side to side, and much more, while listening to great music and having fun. You also cover a decent distance! One of my clients recorded the distance she covered during a recent class and clocked up 4.5 miles!
In terms of Pilates, the experts say it makes you a better runner! Pilates was the subject of a recent article in Runner’s World. In a 2018 study, trained runners who took part in a 12-week course of Pilates (consisting of two one-hour sessions each week) significantly improved their 5K time! This is because stability and core strength are essential for an efficient running technique and to help you avoid injury.
I appear to have done this running thing the wrong way round! I was already doing the strength, the dancing, and the Pilates, and then started running, but maybe it was the right way round and I will see the benefits as I have a good foundation in place. I am also positive I can benefit those clients who have come to me to make themselves better runners.
But more than that. I love doing different exercise disciplines. I have no doubt they make me fitter, stronger, and more resilient, but variety also keeps it fresh. With strength on Mondays, Zumba on Tuesdays, and Pilates on Wednesdays (and that’s just online), I am working on every part of my body in a different way. Chuck in a run or two, and I am all set!
This blog was not supposed to be about running, in particular, but more about how exercise variety can be of great benefit to everyone. However, as I have managed to make this blog about running, I just want to wish all the London Marathon runners the very best of luck for this weekend.
If you want to add some variety to your exercise plan or add strength – or Zumba or Pilates for that matter – to your running schedule, then contact me to find out more about my online and in-person classes.