Post by mbeveridge on Jul 21, 2010 4:19:32 GMT -5
Interesting 'tip' from Matt Fitzgerald's recent book, about the best alternative cross-training activity for an injured runner :
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The most frustrating part of being injured is knowing that your hard-earned fitness is deteriorating [...and so runners may be] tempted into resuming training too soon"
"In my opinion, the next best thing to running on an antigravity treadmill is steep uphill treadmill walking. Research has shown that the human brain uses the same motor pattern to run or to walk briskly on steep gradients [...and so it] is a highly specific way to maintain running fitness. But impact forces are reduced drastically"
"Set the incline on a treadmill at 12-15%, increase the belt speed to 4mph or so [and you'll see from your HR that you can match normal run intensity]"
"The only limitation is that ... it is not a nonimpact activity [...so] cannot be done pain free with all injuries [...eg.] Achilles tendon strain"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antigravity treadmill is $25k. Swimming and rowing stimulate the cardiovascular system, but are arm-dominant. Cycling is the usual alternative, and is nonimpact. Aqua-jogging is presumably less effective, and certainly less convenient than a treadmill, (but is nonimpact)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The most frustrating part of being injured is knowing that your hard-earned fitness is deteriorating [...and so runners may be] tempted into resuming training too soon"
"In my opinion, the next best thing to running on an antigravity treadmill is steep uphill treadmill walking. Research has shown that the human brain uses the same motor pattern to run or to walk briskly on steep gradients [...and so it] is a highly specific way to maintain running fitness. But impact forces are reduced drastically"
"Set the incline on a treadmill at 12-15%, increase the belt speed to 4mph or so [and you'll see from your HR that you can match normal run intensity]"
"The only limitation is that ... it is not a nonimpact activity [...so] cannot be done pain free with all injuries [...eg.] Achilles tendon strain"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antigravity treadmill is $25k. Swimming and rowing stimulate the cardiovascular system, but are arm-dominant. Cycling is the usual alternative, and is nonimpact. Aqua-jogging is presumably less effective, and certainly less convenient than a treadmill, (but is nonimpact)