What can I do to increase my stamina when it comes to running, anything more than 10 minutes is totally exhausting even though I am fit for swimming and cycling? Running is a physically challenging activity that must be developed gradually over time. Spend two sessions a week preparing your body for the action of running: resistance training of the lower limbs to develop muscular strength and endurance and a focus on flexibility is vital.
Dedicate three specific days a week to running and give yourself differing goals for each running session. For example day one may be to complete a series of 5 minute runs, day two may be to run as long as you can at a low rate of intensity, day three may be to alternate between walking, jogging, running changing discipline every minute or so. Look to increase your duration and intensity and build a base level so that after six weeks your aim should be to run 25-30 mins in duration.
Why is it that I can run well on a treadmill but when I run outside I find it much harder? There are two reasons for this. The first is that you encounter no air resistance whilst running indoors; the second is because the treadmill is actually providing some of the movement that outside you must produce by yourself. This movement is the pull phase of the stride, which indoors is provided by the treadmill belt. For these reasons, if you are training for an outdoor event then some training must be completed outside.
How do I choose the correct trainers for running? – There are so many! Without having your gait (the way that you walk/run) assessed it is very difficult to tell which trainers to go for. Good running shops will have staff who are trained to assess gait and then advise on training shoes but this is an inferior solution to seeing a Podiatrist. A podiatrist, with the help of video analysis, will be able to tell exactly what movements are occurring in the feet and ankles and can subsequently build orthotics to go into your training shoes, as well as advise you on exactly which shoe to buy. As a general rule you should ensure that your shoe is adequately cushioned with the correct level of support for your running style.
What are the benefits of using a Treadmill? The Treadmills within The Third Space allow you to achieve an effective aerobic workout through walking, jogging or running without having to worry about the lousy British weather, the fume content of London air or the fact that it’s dark when you go to work and dark when you leave. Our state of the art treadmills allow you to vary your speed from 0.1 to 20 mph for those who fancy a crack at trying to achieve ‘the 3 minute mile’. Treadmills are generally considered better for your joints than pounding pavements and variable positive and negative elevations allow you to simulate a variety of outdoor terrain patterns without having to hunt around town for the perfect slope. Each treadmill is fitted with an individual entertainment system allowing you to escape to your space as you train.
What are the origins of Running? Let’s be honest, it would be fairly hard for us to track down the exact origins of running but it would be fairly safe to assume that when prehistoric man met his first grizzly bear, he didn’t just casually walk away! But as far as the sporting implications of running go, we do know that the first Olympic Games in 776 BC consisted of a single race – the 200-yard sprint. Indeed, this sprint down the length of the stadium remained the only event until in 724 BC when Athens was rocked by the excitement of a new event in the Games – 2 lengths of the stadium or the ‘400 yards’. Running was obviously the in thing as four years later a third event was added – the distance race of 4,800 yards. Pentathlon and wrestling weren’t to feature on the line up for another 12 years.
What are the origins of Circuit Training? Ever wondered how the elite Paras and Marines managed to march across the Falkland Islands with backbreaking loads and fight up hill battles having spent the previous weeks crammed in troop ships? The answer (other than a screw loose) is circuit training. Circuit Training was pioneered by the Armed Forces as a means of keeping soldiers and sailors fit when in confined areas such as ships or secure camps.
As an adaptation to conventional circuit training, Circuit Weight Training (CWT) was first developed in England in 1953 as a formal type of training in which an individual goes through a series of scheduled exercises in a specific sequence. Circuit training boomed in the 1970s as our fast-paced society wanted “Mc Training”- training that was quick and easy yet would do everything from improving fitness, burning calories, reducing the risk of heart, to building broad shoulders and the mythical six-pack.
What are the benefits of Circuit Training? Circuit training, like many of our classes, has technical and non-technical benefits. On the non-technical side, circuits can offer: Social – although you can do a training circuit on your own, are classes aim to attract a mix of members with differing abilities, but who all enjoy the buzz of working out as a group. Many of the exercises will involve working with a partner, which will naturally create encouragement and competition.