Global Sports: Suggested Conditioning Exercises For Long Distance Runners

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Suggested Conditioning Exercises For Long Distance Runners

By Daryl B. Chapman


People loves to run. Running requires all the muscles to move in accurate coordination. The muscles in one's upper body hold to work in an optimal running position ie head up, chest open, elbows bent, shoulders relaxed, and arms swinging. While the muscles in one's lower body and abdominal core constantly works during a run. It stabilizes one's trunk so it can efficiently move the legs and arms. Long-distance running requires a balance in energy, as it is very energy consuming. It requires psychosomatic determination and conditioning exercises.

What is conditioning exercise?

Conditioning workouts are workout maneuvers that increase athletic skill and physical ability but at the same time decreasing the chance of sports injuries. More than a few programs are formulated and these include weight training, aerobic exercise, plyometrics, calithenics, and workout based n real-life motions. These differ depending on fitness goals and athletes adaptability altitude to fitness and athletes level (beginners versus experienced).

The principle following this type of exercises is based on the fact that the body must go through certain challenges in order for it to acclimatize to the stress exerted in the body during exercise. To achieve excellent athletic performance, athletes use targeted, specific movements that mimic the moves used in the field or court.

There are two types of conditioning exercises - aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Aerobic conditioning uses oxygen to produce energy and it increases cardiovascular endurance and lung capacity. It includes any activity that increases heart rate and challenges heart and lung capacity. On the other hand, anaerobic conditioning does not use oxygen when producing energy. It is common for any sports to call for intense and sudden burst of strength or speed. A good example of this type of exercises are sprinting and weight training.

Following are the most effective conditioning exercises intended for long distance runners:

1. Core conditioning exercise. One of the most important muscles that one must condition is the abdominal core muscles. These muscles continuously work during a run as it stabilizes one's trunk to efficiently move the legs and arm. Some of the exercises for the core muscles include abdominal crunch, which is performed in sets of 20 or more to be done in a slow, controlled, repetition until muscular fatigue is reached. One may do abdominal crunch variations such as hands on ears or arms above the head, the squirm performed in 16020 repetitions per set, Leg push away, the prone plank and other prone plank variations, the staff, side hover and body weight high bridge.

2. Cardio-respiratory Endurance Exercise makes the heart and lungs to gradually and homogeneously work without strain. It is crucial to condition these two organs as to endure long distance running. It includes jogging, zestful warm up and timed 2-mile run or 16-minute run, or even the simple climbing up and down the stairs.

3. Sprint Work out/Interval Exercises/Form Running Drills increases one's capacity to run hard and fast over a long period of time. It includes light jog, stretch, dynamic warm-up, form running skills, sprints, and dexterity drills/plyometrics.

4. Dynamic Warm-up Routine is a commanding way to prepare for any physical activity. It does not take any more time yet is more specialized, effective and fruitful. Furthermore, it maintains the temperature inside the body because it involves constant movement. It also enhances coordination, motor ability as well as nervous system and prepares one's mind for the run ahead. Proper mental preparation is equally important to an athlete. Included in the routines are a half-mile light jog with a couple of static stretching. Dynamic movements to be performed each of the following for 30 yards are as follows: saxon side bends, torso twists, lean backs, high knees, butt kicks, walking lunges, walking leg kick/toe touch, carioca, explosive skips for height, long striders, donkey kicks, windmill twists, push-ups, mountain climbers, mountain jumpers, burpees, elbow or knee touches, lunge with knee raise, elbow/knee touches, lunge with knee raise, body weight squats, body weight squat jumps, hip crossover, scorpion, backward lunge twist and jumping jacks.

5. Form-Running Skills is as essential as endurance and resilience. For any race, a runner should be prepared with the required skills. To enhance one's competence, he or she may do the following: focus and pull, rotate and pull, hammer and squeeze, drive and hang, snap and extend and three-fourths stride.

6. Sprint Routine is important to ready a runner for the race.

Conditioning workout improves the capacity of one's leg to push against the ground, increase the frequency of strides and heighten the endurance of one's core and body muscles. It also improves the performance of the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular system. So before you run, make it a habit to carryout conditioning exercises, notably if you plan to run in long distance.




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