|
Tony gets a lot of questions whether he does strength, resistance or weight training as a runner and triathlete. In this episode he talks about strength, resistance and endurance training for athletes. Here are 5 quick benefits of why you should be doing that if you are a runner or triathlete!
3 Comments
Graston technique is a unique, evidence-based form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively address soft tissue lesions and fascial restrictions, resulting in improved patient outcomes.
When you combine Graston technique with some of the exercises we give you in the clinic it’s going to help you improve your motion and function. This tool kind of looks like a butter knife, some are in an s shape and are different in thickness and size.
With this stainless steel tool It works in a way that your hands or other tools cannot. This helps Set Graston apart because the whole patten is inside the edge and curvature. You can purchase a tool like it on amazon, but you won’t get the same results. Tony feels like when using it on himself and on patients it works great! Kinesio Taping is a stretchy, moveable tape. It comes in different colors and stabilizes the injured area lightly by adhering to the skin and applying pressure to the tissues the tape is wrapped around. This is very popular with Olympic athletes who use this tape to alleviate pain and improve blood flow!
They sell Kinesio tape at stores like CVS that you can purchase and use at home. It is important to make sure skin is dry, oil free, no lotion, and sweat free. You should try to not get the tape wet for an hour after it is applied. They say it's heat activated so you'll have a better adhesion if it is gently warmed up with a hairdryer- don't hold too close! Natural movement of the body will generate enough heat to give it a good stick as well! Mostly all tapes are water resistant. Just read the back of the box to make sure yours is! I believe they all offer water resistant tapes such as Kinesio, Kt and rock tape.  Cupping is supposed to draw fluid into the area; the discoloration is due to broken blood vessels beneath the skin. This is an ancient Chinese practice where the silicon cup will be applied to reduce skin-pressure by suctioning the air out. As this happens the muscle layer is going to be drawn into the cup and held.
We use Rock pods made by a company called Rock tape. These silicon cups stick to your skin to treat pain, mobility and movement function. Typically used on the neck, back shoulders, hips, thighs, lower legs, and upper arms. When the pods are applied they will use a negative or de compressive pressure. This will help treat chronic pain and relieve tension. Rock pods help treat chronic pain and relieve tension. The cups will bend to your skin and allow you to move with them. Our pods can be moved, and you can slide them to wherever you want! With our pods they can be left on while laying, sitting and even in your movements you do for sports. They can be used in all different ways. Sometimes you’ll see it creates those welts on the skin, that's the negative pressure drawing blood up to the surface. Cupping is usually always used with hands on techniques such as massage during your physical therapy session. Today Tony talks electrolytes! Patients have been asking Tony what he uses to replenish and what they should be using.
Each person has about 100 sweat glands that are about a quarter the size of your skin which makes you have about a total of 2.6 million sweat glands. The amount of sweat you excrete will depend on gender, fitness level, weather conditions, and altitude. The importance of sweating is to cool your body down. When you work out your body temperature will increase and can rise anywhere up to 3 degrees and that will trigger your body to start sweating. When that happens you'll lose water and electrolytes. What are electrolytes? Electrolytes are substances that have a natural positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water. They help your body regulate chemical reactions, maintain the balance between fluids inside and outside your cells! What do electrolytes do? Magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium are critical to body function. They help balance the amount of water in your body and help maintain body PH levels. How much electrolytes do you need? The amount of electrolytes you will need will vary by person. Tony’s favorite electrolyte supplement is UCAN Hydrate Powder. It comes with a scooper and you just add a little bit to your water! What are the signs of electrolyte imbalance? Signs of electrolyte imbalances can lead to decrease in performance, muscle spasms, weak, dizzy, tired, nauseous, constipated, dry mouth, dry skin,urine and pain. A large majority of muscle cramping can also be due to lack of muscle fitness too. So this could just mean you are overworking your muscles. This is why electrolytes are so important! They regulate and control the balance of fluids in the body. Stay hydrated!! Tony received one question in the clinic and on the website. The question was asking what kind of sneakers he would suggest for walking?! In last week's 5 minute Friday Tony talked about running shoe basics. So that will carry over into this week's episode!
There are a few differences between running shoes and walking shoes. Tony doesn’t see an issue in walking in running shoes, but some people say you shouldn't have that much of a heel toe drop.
Tony recommends these walking shoes:
Running Shoe Basics
Tony wore a different pair of shoes to work this week and got lots of questions on what shoes are good to use for running. So here are 5 tips on what you should consider when buying a pair of running shoes: 1. Shoe Size Shoe size is important because it is very important to wear the correct size shoe. Tony likes to buy his running shoes true to size, but the size you buy is up to your personal preference. You want to make sure your toes have room to spread wide and they shouldn’t feel constricted where they touch the end of your shoe. It is important for your heel to feel comfortably cupped in the back of the shoe too, this will make it so your foot doesn’t slip! Try on different shoes until you find the ones that fit and feel the best! 2. Stack Height Stack height is the amount of shoe material between your foot and the ground. This is expressed in the millimeter height of the heel and just below your toe. A high stack usually is 40 millimeters and has more cushion. Low stack height shoes such as track shoes are about 20 millimeters. Minimal and low stack height shoes are best for people who prefer feeling the ground over the cushioning of a shoe. Highly cushioned shoes are good for someone that prefers feeling the cushioning of a shoe instead of the ground. It depends on whatever you prefer! 3. Heel Toe Drop This is the difference between the level of the heel and level of the toe from the ground. Take one and minus the other and that will give you your heel toe drop. The greater the drop the steeper the angle from the ankle to the forefoot. The lower the drop is considered by many to have a lower impact on the stride. The lower the drop the more the Achilles tendon is going to have to work. The best amount of drop is a personal preference. Anything over 7 is considered a high drop and under that is going to be getting closer to that barefoot feel. Most shoes are at a drop of 6, but it’s up to you what you prefer. Tony sees it all the time when someone comes into the clinic and they just started running or bought a new pair of shoes. They feel like they get a new ache or pain while running and they aren’t sure what happened. This is because shoes have different stack heights so it creates different forces through the leg! 4. Stability or Motion Control Stability running shoes are best for over pronators or if you have more of a flat foot. These shoes are often more rigid and are made to support the arch of the foot, which will provide greater support through the midsole that can also extend into the heel. Stability shoes are something to consider if you get aches and pains! Motion control shoes can be a little stiffer and heavier than a stability shoe. Sometimes motion control shoes have some additional heel cup support and other features in the shoe that stop the foot from rolling when running. Stability and motion control shoes are both great options for runners and should be based on what works best for you! We have a patient that has just started incorporating exercise in their daily routine - they asked our physical therapists when the optimal time is to workout, morning or evening? Tony shares that he personally prefers exercising in the morning.
When determining which is best, morning vs. evening workouts, the most important factor to consider is what will work best for your schedule because the best workout is the one you show up for. However, there are other factors you can consider…. When you hear your alarm go off, sometimes the last thing you want to do is roll out of bed, lace up your sneakers and get to the gym. However, there are some really great advantages to a morning workout! For example, studies show if you plan on doing strength or cardio it requires your body to use stored fat - burn-time will last longer after a morning workout. Also, if you workout or lift in the morning it may result in a better night’s sleep. Additionally, studies show people who workout in the AM have a lower calorie intake compared to those that workout in the evening. With all that said, working out in the evening has its benefits, too. During an evening workout you might perform better and get bigger gains because you’re already warmed up and may be more motivated to workout. You may even have more power and endurance levels! An evening workout could be a great way for you to end your day. After a long day it can be a great way to de-stress and it may result in better sleep. Something you don’t want your workout routine to do is decrease the amount of sleep you get each day - sleep is just as important! Depending on your routine, exercising in the morning may mean waking up earlier than you should. Whereas, exercising in the evening may end up keeping you up. Ultimately, when choosing your workout routine, it should be based on what works best for you! Tony wanted to share his top 5 keys to running. He is an avid runner so he has some great tips! Read below to find out more:
Tony just ran the Pittsburgh marathon this past Sunday - completing the race in two hours and fifty one minutes. Preparing and completing a marathon takes a toll on your body so a good recovery plan is key. Tony is a seasoned marathoner and he has set steps he takes post-marathon - check out his nine step routine below:
|
AuthorDr. Tony Tanzi: Physical Therapist, Triathlete, Runner, Performance Coach 
Archives
July 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed