How Joe The Runner Eliminated His Knee Pain Using 3 Exercises He Learned During A 5 Minute Consultation With A Health-First Fitness Coach
 So, my brother, Joe, who lives out of state, showed up in town for an unexpected visit. We got together to catch up, and during the madness, he mentioned that his knees have been bothering him while running. Apparently, ever since he started training for his first half marathon last year – which he crushed, by the way – his knees have always been giving him trouble. It was just a slight annoyance at first, but it’s gotten so bad over the past several months that he really couldn’t run without being in pain, which meant very little running for him at all.
When he mentioned it, I immediately asked him if I could take a look. Truth be told, I think I actually caught him off guard because he looked back at me with a befuddled expression, indicating that he was thinking, “what, right now?“
But I insisted with, “come on, let’s do it. It’ll only take a few minutes, and I’d like to try my hand at figuring this bad boy out.” And he agreed!
So, I asked him a few questions about the issue he was having, looked at how he moved a little bit, and I even man-handled his legs for a minute. While we were playing doctor, I quickly discovered that along with the ever-so-common hip tightness and immobility, Joe’s iliotibial bands (ITB) were extremely tight – unnaturally tight – which is a very common issue among runners. These tissues are supposed to be springy – almost rubber-band like – but his were like steel cables (much like mine had been in years past).
So, I said, “I think we’ve found the problem” (or, at least a problem). And over the next few minutes, I taught him a few exercises that would help to alleviate the tension, increase his range of motion, restore the tissue quality, and put a bounce in his step, if you will. I had no idea if it would actually eliminate the knee pain or not, but at first glance, it looked like it was the primary contributor and I knew it was worth a try. And heck, it wasn’t going to hurt him and would do him some good regardless of the outcome. So, 5 minutes later, we were done. I’d given him a few exercises to work on regularly and we got back to whatever nonsense we were up to before. A few days later, Joe returns to his home state.
About a month later, I received this comment on my Facebook wall…
Continue reading 3 Exercises In 5 Minutes: No More Knee Pain When Running
A Quick Primer On How Running Is Supposed To Be + A Short Exposé On How To Run Properly
All right. Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not saying you’re a dummy, but I am saying that some runners, out there, do dumb things – but not you! We cool? Cool.
Now, let’s face it. Running is a pretty simple activity. Just put one foot in front of the other, as the old saying goes. But somehow we’ve managed to severely over-complicate this fundamentally-human, natural movement skill. And we’re paying the price for it – in spades. No matter what research you look at, injury rates among runners are at absolutely absurd levels – to the point where I actually catch myself doubting the brilliance of the human race. But I don’t dwell on it, and fortunately, there is other evidence out there to the contrary. Thank God.
Now, if we could travel back to science class, something we learned is that pain is an indication that something is wrong. And running injuries are almost always a sign that something has been wrong for a long time. And so, it could be argued that 50-90% of runners have been doing something wrong for a long time. And this tells me that there are some serious flaws in how we approach running, in general, in our culture – basic, fundamental flaws that are undermining our health, fitness, performance, and chaining our self-confidence, self-worth, and literally disabling people physically and mentally. I know. Serious stuff, right?
Note from the editor: run-on sentence FTW! Carry on…
Continue reading Running For Dummies, Idiots, Nitwits, And Other Normal People Like You And I
The question has been posed in many different ways and from several different angles. Is running a dangerous and destructive activity that recklessly creates problems and injuries in the human body or could running actually be considered the fountain of youth? Well, you’re about to discover a compelling argument for why running does not cause injuries and shouldn’t hurt. Period. Despite the fact that an estimated 50-75% of runners are reported to experience injuries.
So, if you want to stay injury-free so that you can become a healthy, strong, and resilient runner who joyfully experiences all that running has to offer, then study the seven all-too-common mistakes that runners make contained in the article below and keep your mind’s eye open to the deeper lesson contained in this article. It’s true that running has been given a bad name because it’s often been associated with high injury risk, but it’s also true that every single runner can dramatically improve their health, performance, and results using new evolving training methods that are rapidly becoming more available today. Just one idea from this article has the potential to be the key you need to be one of them.
Continue reading Finally, A Logical Explanation For Why 50-75% Of Runners Get Injured + The 7 Building Blocks of Becoming a Strong, Resilient Runner
Get Stronger, Run and Race Faster, Prevent Injuries, And Feel Great While Running With These Expert Insights From Running Coach, Jason Fitzgerald
 Jason Fitzgerald – Founder of StrengthRunning.com Yesterday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Fitzgerald, who is a running coach and founder of the website Strength Running. I stumbled onto his site about a month ago, and given that both running and strength are mega-interests of mine, I started to pour through the archives. I quickly realized that not only is this guy knowledgeable about running, but he gets the “big picture” of health, fitness, strength, and athletics.
I signed up for his newsletter to get to know him and his work a little better, and am really glad I did. This guy really knows his stuff, and the more of his work that I’ve read, the more I liked him. So, it was only a matter of time before I asked the question, “may I interview you for my readers?” He accepted without hesitation and we picked a date. That date was yesterday, and man, we had an excellent discussion about all-things running and strength training.
Who Should Listen To This Interview
So, if you’re a runner, it’s a no-brainer that you’ll not only enjoy the interview, but you’ll get several actionable takeaways that you can use to help yourself become a better runner. Remember that word actionable. And if you’re a struggling runner, and I’ve been there, too, bub, then that is all the more reason why this interview is something you won’t want to miss. And finally, if you’ve been thinking about getting into running, and want to do it right (and not get injured like a staggering 50-90% of runners do, depending on which statistics you look at), then you’ll absolutely want to listen in.
We had originally planned on keeping this interview in the 30-45 minute range, but it was so good, we just kept going for over an hour. Admittedly, it was apparent from the outset that both Jason and I are hopeless training geeks. But hey, don’t hate now.
Continue reading Interview with Jason Fitzgerald about Strength Running
The Top 3 Strategies To Help Runners Strengthen Their Legs, Improve Their Performance, And Avoid Pain And Injury
It is exceptionally unnerving that it’s actually rare to find a dedicated runner who does not experience aches, pains, and injuries on a regular basis. I’m struck speechless at the fact that this activity, which is inherently natural for humans, can cause so many problems in the body. And make no bones about it. Running injury rates are practically stratospheric, and we have an epidemic of weak, injured runners on our hands. They don’t call it “runner’s knee” for nothin’, after all.
In fact, I’ve heard it said that running is one of the top 10 forms of physical recreation, and also one of the top 10 highest injury-producing forms of recreation. Now, I don’t know if that’s statistically accurate or not, but I do know that running is extremely popular and that a lot of runners are running injured. And I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a big – BIG – problem. If that wasn’t enough already, many runners have even accepted that running in pain or running injured is totally normal – that it just comes with the territory. And you know what? That kindof makes me think that we need a new paradigm shift for running. Those little aches and pains are the bane of runners around the world, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Now, a couple weeks ago, a woman asked me if I had any solutions for strengthening the legs in order to help prevent running injuries. I had to tell her with a calm demeanor, “Why, yes. Yes, I do.” What I really wanted to do was squeeze her by the arms and gleefully exclaim, “Do I ever!”
Continue reading An Unconventional Guide On Strength Training For Runners
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