Runner's World

WARM-UPS FITNESS

WORDS: RICK PEARSON. PHOTOGRAPH: AURORA PHOTOS/ZAVE SMITH

1. NORTH AMERICAN MENOPAUSE S

OCIETY 2. BMC GENOMICS NOV 2017

JUNE 2018 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK 013

WHO STAIRS WINS

A new study^1 has found

that stair climbing lowers

blood pressure and builds

leg strength – particularly

in postmenopausal

women. Stair climbing

also aids fat loss and

reduces the risk of

osteoporosis. Women

in the study climbed

192 steps two to ive

times a week leading

to reductions in arterial

stifness and blood

pressure and increases

in leg strength.

LET’S GET DIGITAL

The Zwift Running app

(zwift.com/run) is

transforming the treadmill

experience ofering you

the chance to train with

others in the digital realm.

You’ll need to download

the app and purchase a

foot pod such as Stryd

or Milestone. You then

choose from a variety of

workouts and locations

and run with people

anywhere in the world.

Try this

50

Percentage of VO 2

max governed by

genetics and

environmental

factors according to

a study.^2 The rest is

down to hard work.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a quick simple and

cost-efective way to improve your running

form reach for the skipping rope. Skipping

can burn more than 1000kcals an hour but

its beneits for runners stretch far beyond the

aerobic. It also teaches you to land directly

underneath your body rather than out in

front and will help you to reduce your ground

contact time – a hallmark of quick eicient

running. In addition skipping can help to

increase calf and foot strength while giving

your arms a workout too. Seriously you’d

be hopping mad not to do it.

ROPE AND GLORY

Think skipping is just for 12-year-old girls and boxers? Wrong. It’s great for runners as

it builds calf strength boosts endurance and helps you reduce ground contact time

Use the correct

rope length. ‘If you

bisect the rope by

putting it under your

feet the handles

should reach your

sternum’ says

Ruth Martindale

Everyone Active

itness manager

(everyoneactive.com).

Limit your arm

movement. As

with running you

want to reduce

any unnecessary

movement so try

to let your wrists do

most of the work

with the rope.

Don’t jump too

high. ‘You’re looking

for quick shallow

jumps not huge

leaps: remember

the rope is only

an eighth of an

inch thick’ says

Martindale.

Feel the rhythm.

‘You can skip as fast

as you want’ says

Martindale ‘but

getting into a good

rhythm can make

it easier and much

more enjoyable’.

TRY THIS SKIPPING SET:

Do two repetitions of this set with a minute’s rest

between sets. Total time = 10 minutes

1 MINUTE OF SKIPPING

30 SECONDS OF HIGH KNEES

1 MINUTE OF SKIPPING

30 SECS OF SKIPPING (LEFT LEG ONLY)

1 MINUTE OF SKIPPING

30 SECS OF SKIPPING (RIGHT LEG ONLY)