Today’s Tips for Titsey comes from our own Yogangster... Emily of @empoweryogauk . We’re probably all familiar with this yoga pose but Emily explains exactly why this is great for runners!
DOWNWARD DOG *There are many benefits to Down Dog (core training, shoulder strengthening)- but my favourite is the stretch in the back of the body, especially in the hamstrings and the calves. * From kneeling, tuck your toes and send your bottom up to the sky
* The distance between your hands and feet is roughly the distance of one of your legs (roughly!)
* Keep hands shoulder width apart * Feet hip width apart
* Bend your knees and draw your stomach towards your thighs so that you can lengthen your spine and send your hips super high into the air
* As you slowly begin to straighten your legs and bring your heels closer to the floor, you’ll get a greater stretch in the hamstrings - and keep that nice long spine
Top tip: keep the knees bent if your hamstrings are really tight, or place blocks under your hands - down dog is not about getting your heels to the floor, it’s more about having that length in your spine 😊
#titsey10k2019 #running #runwalk #womensupportingwomen #oxted
Today our run club founder and (she’ll be annoyed at me for saying this but it’s true) world leading women’s health physio, @physiomumuk shares her latest strengthening Tips for Titsey with the THE BRIDGE...over to Emma:
🗯If you have had physio before then this you may recognise this as a fairly standard rehab exercise which it is. It is also good for running performance purposes too. Despite It not being terribly functional it is still a versatile and valuable exercise to have in any running strengthening program. 🗯It targets the posterior chain, namely gluteus maximus, gluteus medius (bum muscles), hamstrings, back extensors, abdominals and can challenge the calf muscles if you chose a suitable variety. It also challenges lumbopelvic hip control.
In women it is important to consider these factors as hip strengthening is a little more important due to our biomechanics and these muscles during pregnancy become weakened. Why not engage the pelvic floor too when doing this exercise? Exhale, squeeze and lift your pelvic floor and lift your bottom. Attempt to hold whilst at the top, keep breathing and on the way down release the pelvic floor. 🔺It’s important to consider form and control for all variations of bridge and progress as your form allows. 🔺Do not
Hold your breath,
Over arch low back
Sink your bottom 🔸Do Keep pelvis square 🍑Double leg bridge
There are at many variations and progressions but here are a few.... 0. Biases the glute max and back extensors. Aim for 5 reps 30sec hold, 30sec rest in-between
0. Make this more calf specific, raise up onto the tip toe of one foot and repeat as above swapping legs on each rise.
0. Make it more hamstring specific extend the knees by 20 degrees 🍑Marching bridge
Challenges single limb support- master the double leg first.
Increases demand on glute Max, glute med, back muscles.
Aim for reps as per double bridge 💭How do you like to bridge? Is this one you use in your strength program?
#olrc #run #runner #titsey10k2019 #strongnotskinny #womenshealth #physiomum #oxted #postnatal #menopause #womensupportingwomen #runwalk
Ask any runner and they will shudder when you mention the “a word”...Achilles. So brilliant Emily @empoweryogauk has provided us with some Tips for Titsey to aid stretching the Achilles’ tendon... MALASANA • Garland pose
This pose helps to improve your posture, stretch your back, elasticize your knees and ankles, and help improve your digestive function.
In addition to strengthening and stretching the feet and ankles and increasing mobility in the hips, the pose allows the back muscles to broaden.
If you are tight in your Achilles’ tendons your heels may not reach the floor, doing the pose with your back or bottom near a wall can help with this, or reaching out to a secure shelf in front and holding on with your hands.
How to do the pose: * Place feet as wide as the mat, toes spilling off - the wider the feet go the more space you’ll give yourself * Take a deep breath in, and on your exhale with hands to heart centre bend the knees into the squat
* Try to keep length in the spine, if you feel it’s rounding too much, a bolster or a block underneath the bottom will help with this * Place your elbows inside the knee creases if you can and breathe * Try to hold for five breaths initially, then build up to ten, fifteen and twenty * Slowly release out of the pose when you feel you’ve had enough
#titsey10k2019 #running #runwalk #oxted #womensupportingwomen
More Tips for Titsey...and this one is a real treat for a Friday when we might be flagging and need a reminder to be kind to ourselves... the brilliant Emily from @empoweryogauk shares the first in a series of tips, saying: “This stretch might make you grimace, but it’s worth it, so long as you ease into it gently - its great if you suffer from plantar fasciitis, which is a common problem for runners. • Start by getting down on all fours and turn your toes under so that you are on the balls of your feet.
• Ensure that your toes are spread evenly.
• Slowly begin moving backwards, inching towards a kneeling position, if comfortable, sit all the way back on your heels with a straight back.
• Ease back on to all fours come into the tops of the feet this time.
• Press your hands into the floor and lift up your knees to provide the counter stretch for your feet.”
Thank you Emily! 🥰 #titsey10k2019 #running #runwalk #oxted #womensupportingwomen
