NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS, SPORTING GOALS

Happy New Year! The gym is packed and it seems, more that ever, that people are on a health drive.

What about you? What are your goals for 2009 - to lose weight and get fit, start walking, running, consider a 5k, enter a marathon, beat last year's time?

Whatever your chosen goal, I wish you the best of luck with it. My one word of advice would be, to make sure nothing gets in the way of you achieving your goal, why not consider having your trainers, running, muscle length and strengths looked at before you get going. Think of it as an MOT aimed at finding out and fixing something before it becomes unroadworthy! We do it for our cars, why not our bodies?

Making sure you have the right technique, kit and muscle activation going on is essential to minimise injury.

A quick check list of things to look at before contacting a physio for your MOT might be to work out how many miles your trainers have done, have they done as much as they're expected to do already? Do they still offer your feet enough support? Next try hopping, squatting, stepping up on a box. Does one leg fatigue more than the other? Is one leg tighter than the other when you stretch? Do you get any aches and pains either during or after you've run?

If any of your answers suggest you might have some work to do or need some help, seek the professionals. A good running shop for trainers is essential. Appropriate exercises to strengthen and lengthen muscles will make a world of difference and if you've got even the smallest ache make sure you get it seen to before you start running. It's only likely to get worse!

For more information about running painfree and/or to book you January MOT email enquiries@thephysiplace.com. If it's stretches you're after, check out the stretches in my earlier blog.


Hope it all goes well and have a great break.

Running the Bristol Half Marathon? How's your running training going?

I hope your training is proving fruitful and you're pleased with your performance and progress. But if not and you're either struggling or suffering why not get some help? I have had several people who have come for treatment recently with complaints of shin, heel and knee pain, calf and hamstring problems, low back and buttock pain. Sound familiar?

If it does and having tried everything you know to make the difference but still don't seem to be making the grade why not email me with the details of your aches/injuries and I'll happily give you some free advice (jemma@thephysioplace.com)