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Exercise Program Design

The “New” Knee Ligament, Rediscovered

Hasn't the knee been thoroughly mapped? Perhaps. However, the following bold headline reverberated throughout the allied health community in 2013: "Doctors Identify a New Knee Ligament."
Really?

The Physiology of Sprint Interval Training

If your clients haven't already asked you about it, they will. High-intensity interval training is a mainstay in personal training programs and group fitness classes. There are several reasons why HIIT is a good workout, one of them being its brevity. Research indicates that the four most common barriers to exercise are not having time, feeling too tired, getting enough exercise at one's job, and having no motivation to exercise (Brownson et al. 2001).

Shoe Type Affects Running Speed

It’s logical to think heavier footwear can decrease movement economy and running time. The results of a new study get more specific.

Running Improves Brain Function in Young Runners

Looking to boost brain power? You may want to lace up those sneakers and head out for a long run, suggest researchers from the University of Arizona.
While there’s been plenty of study on exercise and brain function, these UA researchers wanted to know if a movement requiring little motor-control precision—like distance running—could affect neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. Most research to date has focused on older adults, but this study targeted younger minds.

Can Barefoot Running Prevent Injury?

There’s plenty of discussion about whether barefoot running helps runners or harms them. A new report suggests that females may benefit from employing this controversial protocol.

Treadmill Performance and Mortality Link

nterested in predicting how long you’ll live? Hop on the treadmill. That’s according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who have developed a formula they say can be used to predict 10-year survival.

To develop this formula, the researchers studied data for 58,020 individuals aged 18–96, who underwent standard exercise stress testing between 1991 and 2009 to determine how well their heart and lungs responded to walking at increasing speeds. Subjects were required to be free of heart disease.

Older Runners: Beware of Switching to Barefoot

Do you work with anyone who is interested in running barefoot or trading traditional running shoes for minimalist footwear? According
to research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2015 Annual Meeting, some runners over 30 who transition to barefoot have difficulty adapting to the potentially less injury-prone forefoot strike pattern.

Why Older Adults Should Run More

It’s best to slow down as we get older—or is it? A new study in PLOS ONE (2014; doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0113471) suggests otherwise.

Understanding and Preventing Common Running Injuries

Long-distance running continues to attract new enthusiasts throughout the world (Tonoli et al. 2010); its unique combination of benefits can help people to control their weight, improve cardiovascular function and fend off a host of chronic health problems (van Gent et al. 2007; van Middelkoop et al. 2008). But for all these advantages, running is hard on some parts of the body, often leading to lower-extremity injuries (van Middelkoop et al. 2008).

What Are Running Injuries, and How Prevalent Are They?

Health Profiles Of Extreme Marathoners

The potentially negative impact of extreme endurance events has recently been garnering attention. A new study takes a deeper look at the health profiles of event participants.

Published in PLOS ONE (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083867), the Ultrarunners Longitudinal Tracking Study included 1,212 active ultramarathon runners. Participants completed a Web-based survey that asked about training protocols, medical issues and running-related injuries in the previous 12 months.

Novice Marathoners Beware

According to www.findmymarathon.com, 529,435 people finished marathons in the United States and Canada in 2012. Although marathon running is a pop- ular sport, recent research warns that “amateur runners” who participate may increase their cardiac risk.

The Right Way to Train for a Marathon

To paraphrase an ancient Chinese philosopher, “A journey of 26.2 miles begins with a single step.” From the time the Greek runner Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce the Greeks’ victory in the Battle of Marathon, humans have had a compelling interest in taking that single step–and many more after it.

Does Foot Pronation Cause Injury?

When starting a running program, beginners always want to put their best foot forward. To avoid injury, many purchase a supportive shoe that minimizes excess movement in the foot. Researchers from Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark, suggest that this may not always be necessary.

All in the Family

Linda Pimentel, owner of Origins of Inner Strength Inc., in Mesquite, Texas, has made Pilates transformations a family affair. She frequently works with families, couples and mother-daughter teams. “I usually work individually at first, to establish boundaries,” she says. “For example, the mother needs to know that during our sessions she isn’t in charge, and the daughter doesn’t get to show off in front of mom.”

Biomechanics of Running In Various Conditions

Barefoot running has become increasingly popular. Many runners turn to minimalist footwear in the hope of mimicking barefoot running, but with more protection. But is running in minimalist shoes biomechanically similar to going barefoot?
No, say researchers from various Australian universities.