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Category: Professional Tennis

Want to Upgrade Your Running Routine? Try Cross-Country

Want to Upgrade Your Running Routine? Try Cross-Country

Running
running-shoe-close-up

For many running enthusiasts, it is essential to keep improving the workout technique and to keep things interesting. One way of doing this is it to try out different surfaces such as the treadmill, the street, and the track. However, new information is coming to light about the best way to upgrade your running routine: running cross-country on a trail. Why is trail running so beneficial for runners?

  • Running on trails is better for your body. A trail’s surface is much more forgiving on your joints—the stress of impact is significantly mitigated, making the trail a better place to run, physiologically speaking. Many runners suffer from knee pain, shin splints, ITB syndrome, or other injuries caused by running on a hard surface that puts a lot of pressure on the joints. For these people, trail running can be a life-changer. Trail running is also purported to help prevent most forms of tendonitis (unless you suffer from Achilles tendonitis, in which case, running on a harder surface may actually be better for you).
  •  Trail running works more muscles than hard-surface running does. Trail running involves literally watching your step—roots, rocks, and other small obstructions will compel trail runners to jump, hop, and move around the trail while staying balanced, which uses a wider range of muscles than one would use on, say, a treadmill. In addition, because the trail is softer than paved surfaces, your step depresses a bit each time your foot hits the grounds, requir­ing you to lift your leg and use more mus­cle each time you take a stride.
  •  Trail running requires intense focus. Trail runners not only get a full-body workout, but they also use their powers of concentration much more than treadmill runners. Trail runners find this type of mental workout exhilarating and energizing—and it may even help improve your concentration and memory on a day-to-day basis.
  •  Running in a natural setting is beneficial to your mental health. According to com, “An arti­cle pub­lished by Har­vard Med­ical School states this: ‘Researchers at the Uni­ver­sity of Essex in Eng­land are advanc­ing the notion that exer­cis­ing in the pres­ence of nature has added ben­e­fit, par­tic­u­larly for men­tal health. Their inves­ti­ga­tions into “green exer­cise,” as they are call­ing it, dove­tails with research show­ing ben­e­fits from liv­ing in prox­im­ity to green, open spaces. In 2010 the Eng­lish sci­en­tists reported results from a meta-analysis of their own stud­ies that showed just five min­utes of green exer­cise resulted in improve­ments in self-esteem and mood.’ ”

For trail running beginners, it is important to follow some basic tips, such as:

  • Obtaining the right kind of running shoes for trail running. Use the shoes you feel the most comfortable in. Do a little research if you don’t know exactly what you need.
  • Bringing water. You won’t be finding any drinking fountains out in the woods, so plan ahead and stay hydrated.
  •  Giving yourself plenty of time to complete your run. Don’t push too hard in the beginning—that’s an easy way to burn yourself out on what could be a beloved and effective full-body workout.
  • Maintaining focus. It is essential that you pay close attention to the trail. Remember—you’re not on a smooth treadmill or a predictable, engineered running surface; you’re in the middle of the woods on a trail with rocks and roots. If you lose focus, you may end up inuring yourself, and you truly do not want to be out in the middle of nowhere with a twisted or broken ankle. If you feel like your concentration is beginning to wane, slow down or take a break until you get your focus back.
Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Tennis Players

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Tennis Players

tennis-collage-200-300There are about 800 professional tennis players in the U.S. who regularly play in competitions sanctioned by the US Tennis Association (USTA). Dr. David E. Stude, a chiropractor and professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, estimates that up to 65 percent of them suffer at least one tennis-related injury. Although tennis elbow gets the most press among tennis-related injuries, chiropractors assert that they actually see more injuries to the lower extremities, as these are the areas that absorb the force created by the arm swinging the racket. Tightness in the shoulder blades of professional tennis players can lead to muscle pain and headaches, which chiropractic care can help to relieve.

Many professional tennis players make sure a chiropractor is available to them during tournaments to help keep them in top shape throughout a game that can sometimes last for several hours. Some of the top tennis players in the world are regularly treated by a chiropractor, including Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray said of his chiropractor, “Jean-Pierre (Bruyere) has been helping my game for years.”

At the 2011 Men’s US Open Tennis Championship, Serbian player Novak Djokovic was battling Rafael Nadal in the final. During the last set, he was experiencing enough lumbar pain to ask for a 10-minute medical time-out, during which he received chiropractic treatment. He walked back onto the court a renewed man, and went on to win the set and the championship.

According to Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam Women’s Tennis champion, “Chiropractic gives me the flexibility I need to keep me in the game.”

Ivan Lendl, a former number-one ranked tennis player and winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles, believes in the power of chiropractic care. He said, “I feel that chiropractic adjustments help to prevent injury…. I try to go twice a week to a chiropractor, sometimes even more during big tournaments. I feel I am much more tuned-up with an adjustment. I support chiropractic very much. I think it is great for sports. I think it’s great for anyone!”

Retired professional tennis player and coach Martina Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career, and believes chiropractic helped her to achieve this. Navratilova said, “A chiropractor was instrumental in putting my body back together. Alternative therapies will play a bigger role in our lives. After all, people like what works.”
More professional tennis players are getting on board with chiropractic each year, following in the footsteps of such greats as Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Tracy Austin and Billie Jean King, all of whom have enjoyed the advantage that chiropractic care brought to their game. It may help to improve your game too!