Get Flexible, Run Faster

Dave K

Some portions of the following blog entry are excerpted and modified from a recent Asphalt Green Swim Team Newsletter.

Countless studies have shown that exercise is beneficial for our body and mind, but less attention has been paid to flexibility. However, doctors and physical therapists agree that it's a vital part of keeping our body fit and strong. "Flexibility is the third pillar of fitness, next to cardiovascular conditioning and strength training," says David Geier, the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, and a spokesperson for the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

In fact, flexibility can help our body reach its optimum fitness level, may play a role in injury prevention, and can even contribute to staving off conditions like arthritis and more serious illnesses.

Here's how it works: When you stretch a muscle, you lengthen the tendons, or muscle fibers, that attach it to the bone. "The longer these fibers are, the more you can increase the muscle in size when you do your strength training," says Geier. That means that a more flexible muscle has the potential to become a stronger muscle, too.

In turn, building strong muscle fibers may boost your metabolism and your fitness level. Flexible muscles also make everyday activities easier on your body and may decrease your risk of certain injuries.

For more information and the full article from CNN Health that was the source of the info in this blog entry and that includes descriptions of five 15-minute exercises, click here.

To read Flyer blog posts on yoga for runners, click here.


Run Fast!
(Or Run Goofy!!)

Dave K
Flyers Blogmaster