Here we are, early July, and still nowhere to get your indoor (air conditioned) fitness fix.

We are all hurting in this industry, whether it be financially, physically or mentally.  I know it is easy to succumb to the doom and gloom, but I urge you, with all your Smart Strength to resist that urge.

Change your mindset to gratitude.  We are in the prime of summer, with almost endless hours of daylight and sunshine.  Find your outdoor passion, there are endless ways to incorporate fitness into your favorite outdoor activities.  Even use this extra time to try something new.  It is always rewarding to jump out of the comfort zone.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel.  This too shall pass.  Use this time for positive, and you will be thankful to yourself for making lemonade out of lemons.

Attitude is everything.

Work Smarter, not harder,

Your trainer.

Alex

Runners are athletes.  As such, they should ideally train like athletes.   That means in addition to following your running plan, eating right and getting adequate rest, you should think about implementing some resistance training into your routine.

People often say:

The sport of running, is to simply run right?!  So why would I want to lift weights?  I don’t run the course with weights.  I don’t want to be big and bulky, it will destroy my mile pace, not to mention cause me extra fatigue lugging around all that muscle mass?!  Runners are supposed to be lean, mean, striding machines!  Not body builders!

I have heard all of these and more… still does not change my mind.  Here is why:

Injury prevention- Nothing strengthens connective tissue and bone mineral density like resistance training.  The extra challenge that adding a load to an exercise stresses the body to adapt.  This means increased rate of bone development and thicker, stronger connective tissue.  The body needs stimuli to adapt, and that is exactly what resistance training offers.  Running and the constant pounding on bones and joints can wear down the body.  Adding some resistance training will help combat those detrimental effects on joints and lower body ligaments.

Improved body posture and eliminating body discrepancies- Runners are universally known for having poor posture and lots of muscle imbalances (think tight IT bands, psoas muscle, shin splints to name a few).  The reason why is because they do one activity, in the same direction, all the time.  This causes our bodies to morph into a posture that best suits our activity (running) but doesn’t suit our need to be balanced.

Consider, when is the last time you ran backwards, laterally, jumped or sprinted…? If you hear crickets, you are in this category.  Running is great, but if all you do is the same pace, in the same direction for miles at a time, your body will start to crystallize to that specific movement.  Your muscles and posture will start to adapt to only moving that way, and they will tighten into being permanently in that position.  In addition, the muscles not being used will effectively “turn off” and will become increasingly harder to fire when needed.  This shows itself after time.  Runners very often have defined muscles that are used in running (calfs, quads) but have underdeveloped muscles that are not used in running (upper body, posterior chain).  This usually leads to injuries and overall aches and pains in those stressed areas, and poor posture and low definition in the areas not used.

Break routine re-introduce muscle confusion- Most runners I have known are very dedicated and regimented.  To the point where it becomes a negative.  They have been doing the same running routine for years.  This is great in the fact that they have developed such a strong fitness habit, but it can also cause us to crystallize to a point where we are not seeing the benefits we should be seeing any longer.  Our bodies have an extraordinarily strong desire to adapt to homeostasis.  If you are doing the same routine, day in and day out, even though your exercising, the body has adapted to it.  This means less energy expenditure and less positive benefits from exercise.  Think about it… if you are running miles at a time, and you feel no soreness and honestly, it is not that challenging anymore, you are crystallized.  Resistance training is the perfect way to bust up that routine, try some different exercises and movements, and finally feel that soreness I know you have been missing.  Plus, it will be mentally rewarding to try something new and fun!

In the same vein, I want to make you aware of the SAID principle.  This stand for Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands.  This is a bunch of scientific verbiage, but what it simply means is the body will adapt to what you demand of it.  That is why and how you can increase the mileage you run as you progress throughout your running program.  That same principle explains how you add weight to the resistance exercises you do as you progress through a weight training program.  The body is constantly adapting to its environment.  Resistance training and good programming will ensure that your body is adapting to get stronger every day, not crystallizing and becoming stagnant.  This is one of our guiding principles at Smart Strength… Another example of working Smarter, not harder.

Hey there, we want to hear your thoughts on how to make our new fitness center as safe as possible.  Please take a minute to answer our survey linked below.  The information will be used to make Smart Strength the best fitness center possible.  Don’t forget to leave your contact information.  One person will win a free trial membership.  Thank you for your time.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9HNBP8S

Work Smarter, not harder.

Since we are still under construction here at Smart Strength, and currently our state has closed fitness centers, many of us are going back to traditional modes to get our fitness fix.  Walks, jogs, swims or even good old gardening are hot on everyone’s agenda this time of year.  The weather has shifted gears and we need to take a few minutes to talk about how to exercise in the heat safely.

A couple of physiological changes need to be addressed when considering exercising in hot environments.

Acclimatization is a simple, yet essential rule to follow when working out in the heat.  We need to expose ourselves to the heat in increments.  Limit your intensity and time in the heat early on.  After a few days of training in the heat, you can start to increase your intensity and time, and monitor how you feel.  After a few weeks you will be fully acclimated, and probably supporting a nice tan too!

Hydration is key to working out in the heat.  It goes without saying that as we get hot, we sweat.  This is one of our physiological mechanisms to help cool us down through the evaporation of sweat from the body.  The same reason you feel chilled after getting out of a pool and letting yourself “air-dry.”  What is not understood by most people is just how much you sweat, and how much water you need to replace the loss.  The best way to combat this is to drink water early and often throughout the day.  Don’t try and gulp it all down right before your workout.  That will just make you feel bloated and wont effectively hydrate you.

Another aspect of hydration that is especially important in hot environments is how it effects our blood and its viscosity.  Think of lava.  There are two images we have all seen, the slow oozing lava, and the fast flowing hot lava.  That is a difference in viscosity.  As we exercise and heat up, our blood does similar things.  It becomes thinner, and more fluid, due to increased heat and flow.  We need water more than ever to help support this.  If we become dehydrated, our blood gets thicker, harder to push throughout our bodies, therefore not delivering as much oxygen to the tissues and waste removal from the tissues, and this effects our performance… and makes us feel ill.

Do not fear the outdoors and sunny weather however.  These topics can all be resolved with proper acclimatization and hydration.  Plus we all know and love the positive aspects of working out in the summertime sun.  We feel nice and limber, and enjoy the long beautiful days.

Cant wait to see you in beautiful downtown Albion.  Next time we will be able to train inside, with the AC running 😊

Work Smarter, not harder!