Me in the Dublin Marathon

Anyway, I heard of plantar fasciitis before, but when I started having pain in the arch of my right foot, just in front of my heel bone, I did not put two and two together. I visited my physiotherapist a couple of days after my 2.5-hour run where I initially noticed the pain in my foot. It was any easy diagnosis for him; I had all the classic signs of plantar fasciitis.

The real kicker however, was that he also diagnosed me with IT band syndrome at the same time (I wrote about that in a previous post). I was a mess and still had many miles of training to fit in before I lined up at the start line for the Dublin Marathon.

Image source: Spectrum Wellness

What is the plantar fascia?

The plantar fascia is a fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. In short, the plantar fascia is responsible for creating the arch of the foot. During walking and running, the plantar fascia is responsible for:

• stabilizing the bones within the foot when it makes contact with the ground;
• assists in absorbing shock for the leg; and
• helps lift the arch of the foot in the gait cycle.

What is plantar fasciitis?

Now that you know what the plantar fascia is, what does it actually mean to have plantar fasciitis? When the plantar fascia becomes irritated and inflamed, pain will result. This inflammatory process is called plantar fasciitis.

Symptoms

Plantar fasciitis can be identified by a few distinctive symptoms:

• Sharp pain in the heel that develops gradually
• The pain is most intense with the first few steps out of bed in the morning, but slowly subsides throughout the day
• During exercise the pain may subside slightly, but the heel becomes more painful after exercise
• It usually affects only one foot, but does occasionally affect both

The above symptoms were right on the money for my bout with plantar fasciitis. Before taking off into the streets for my morning marathon training runs, the pain in my right heel was very sharp. I would describe the pain like someone is taking a sharp peg and is digging it into the spot between the middle of the arch of the foot and the heel bone.

After about ten minutes of running, the pain slowly subsided to a point where I did not even notice it. The mornings were the worst. I literally hobbled into the bathroom in the morning to shower. From some of my own research, I discovered that the plantar fascia actually shortens when you sleep as your feet are typically in a pointed position. This means that the plantar fascia is contracted while you sleep, but when you take those first steps of the day and stretch the plantar fascia out again, the pain can be excruciating.

More to come!

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I will take a look at causes, treatment, rehabilitation exercises and avoidance strategies for plantar fasciitis.

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Deodorant: How does it work?

Deodorant basically does what is says it will do, that is, prevent unwanted odour (it does not prevent sweat). Our body odour is produced by the bacterial breakdown of sweat. Ingredients within deodorants are essentially designed to eliminate or mask the smell caused by the bacteria.

I have been using Tom’s Original Care Deodorant Stick for the past four years. Let’s take a look at the ingredients:

• Propylene glycol
• Water
• Sodium stearate
• Aloe vera leaf juice (organic)
• Witch hazel water
• Glyceryl laurate
• Fir needle oil
• Chamomile flower aqueous extract
• Hops [CO2] extract – help eliminate the odour
• Woodspice fragrance (natural) – helps mask the odour and smells like the forest!
• Caprylic/capric triglyceride
• Ascorbic acid
• Silica shells?
• Cymbopogon schoenanthus (Organic Lemongrass Oil)

For the most part, all of these ingredients are recognizable. I had a look at Tom’s website and was glad to see that they listed not only all of the ingredients in their deodorants (and all other products), but also the purpose and source of each.

Antiperspirant: How does it work?

Antiperspirants are designed to prevent our body from producing sweat by blocking sweat from reaching the skin. Aluminum is the active ingredient found in most antiperspirants. Aluminum blocks the pores so that sweat cannot pass through. There have been many claims that aluminum is linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. It appears that further research is required to totally validate these claims. Some types of antiperspirants contain forms of aluminum which have been found to interact with sweat to cause yellow staining on clothes. We have all seen this before on ourselves or a friend and wondered where the yellow came from. Well, mix an aluminum complex and sweat and there is the answer.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients for a typical antiperspirant: Old Spice Swagger Sweat Defence

• Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex GLY 19% (anhydrous) Cyclopentasiloxane
• Dimethicone
• Tribehenin
• Fragrance
• C18 36 Acid Triglyceride

Other than the aluminum, which I have mentioned above, I do not recognize any of the antiperspirant’s ingredients as being ‘natural’. Old Spice is not claiming to include only natural ingredients so; I do not fault them for that.

Summary: Use deodorant or antiperspirant?

I am not advocating the use of one or the other, but personally, I would much rather be using a product that contains natural ingredients if given the choice and would try to avoid aluminum is possible. Additionally, some dyes and fragrances found in antiperspirants and deodorants have been seen to cause allergic reactions and skin irritations.  This is another reason to go ‘natural’ if you can.

Other than Tom’s deodorant, Neal’s Yard is another natural deodorant that I have used and liked. There are lots out there, so do your research and take look at the ingredients of the antiperspirant or deodorant that you currently use.

Many elite athletes have chosen 7Systems not only because of its ability to support their training and recovery, but also because it meets very strict anti-doping regulations. The 7Systems supplement for endurance athletes has been approved in Canada by the Natural Health Products Directorate. This means that it must meet strict health and safety requirements before the product can be sold in Canada. So, any professional or recreational endurance athletes considering the 7Systems multivitamin can be assured that they only putting the best ingredients into their bodies. No promises on a Gold medal in London 2012 though!

7Systems is running an interesting contest, which is pushing recreational endurance athletes to improve their performances. I thought I would share it with you as there are some great prizes being offered and it may help motivate you to improve your time in the next race.

About the Contest

Let the Voting Begin

It’s time to VOTE for the athlete you want to see as a finalist in the 7Systems Improve 7% & WIN contest to see who can improve their race time by 7% or more over last year!

About the Athletes

Eleven athletes believe they can DO MORE this season and are looking for a little help from 7Systems endurance sport supplement.  Athlete stories are posted online and now it’s your job to vote for the athlete you believe can DO MORE.  Simply log in at www.7systemsuccess.ca read each athlete’s story, and VOTE.

About 7Systems

7Systems endurance sports supplement contains over 60 key ingredients.  Tested by high performance athletes, 7Systems endurance sport supplement is being credited by many athletes as a factor in their success.  It simple terms, many athletes feel that 7Systems helps them DO MORE.  Find our more at www.7systems.ca.

Attention all yogis; when was the last time you came across a great deal on yoga classes? Sure, we’ve all spent $30 for a week of unlimited classes at a new studio, but really, how many classes can you squash into just one week?

Back to the deal, the really great deal.  How does 50 classes sound? And what if I told you that these 50 classes would cost you only $30 total – instead of the $700+ that buying five 10-class passes would put you out?

Sound too good to be true right!? Well, lucky for you, it’s not.

Image via Flickr: jc5083

Enter Passport to Prana

The answer for all yogis of all levels looking to get their asana on without breaking the bank. A fixture in yoga communities across Canada and the United States, Passport to Prana, is hotter than a Bikram class and will leave you feeling more blissful than an hour long savasana. Here’s why:

The New Sunday Brunch

Forget your usual eggs Benny and mimosa filled Sundays mornings.  Round up your brunch crew and head to a yoga class instead. You’ll get in your gossip between vinyasas and leave feeling more refreshed than if you had helped yourself to second helping of seasoned home-fries.

Something For Everyone

Passport To Prana allows you to sample all levels of classes at studios across your city.  You can also experiment with which style of yoga suits you best. Looking for something slow paced and gentle? Try a Hatha class. Want a serious workout? Then Ashtanga or Power may be for you. Whatever your preference, Passport To Prana affords you the luxury to choose.

More Affordable than a New Lulu Lemon Top

….and will make you feel just as good.

At $30 a pop ($20 in some cities) Passport To Prana is a steal of a deal. Order your card online at http://passporttoprana.com and when it arrives (usually within 1-2 weeks) hit the mat at studios across your city.

See Your City with Yoga

New in town?  Passport To Prana is the perfect way to get to know the lay the land and maybe meet a few kindred spirits along the way.  Discover new areas, streets, communities, all surrounding the many participating yoga studios.  Full studio lists and their addresses (with maps) are available on the official Passport To Prana website.

Passport to Prana is currently operating in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. For more information, check out http://passporttoprana.com.

Related Articles:

The Power of Power Yoga
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What is kettlebell training and why is it such an effective training tool?

A kettlebell is a cast iron weight. It looks somewhat like cannonball with a handle attached.

The difference between a kettlebell and a dumbbell is that a kettlebell is designed so it can swing. This swinging motion creates an environment where the body has to use its inner stabilizing muscles to make micro adjustments while performing the exercise in order to maintain proper form.

There are kettlebell exercises that are unique to this piece of equipment (for example the Turkish get up or the swing), as well as exercises using the bell that are purely modifications on old favorites (cleans, clean and jerks, overhead squats).

What aspects of fitness can one hope to improve with kettlebell training?

As with any exercise tool, the benefits one gets from using the kettlebell will depend on how one utilizes it. As with any weight training regime, power and strength will be increased by performing less reps with a higher weight. Greater muscular endurance will be achieved by performing higher repetitions with a lighter weight. That being said, when done correctly and safely, the swinging motion involved in most kettlebell activities does recruit more stabilizing muscles that traditional weight training. Therefore the deep core will be challenged to a greater extent.

Also, the full body nature of most kettlebell exercises makes kettlebell training more functional than many traditional weight training programs. Thus kettlebell exercises can be a great addition to any sport or functional training program.

If you had to pick one kettlebell exercise to perform, what exercise would it be and why?

This depends on the clients level of fitness and their training goals. In general, if it is appropriate for the client, I love kettlebell exercises that are unilateral in nature or exercises that promote an environment where the distribution of weight is not centered within the body. These type of exercises challenge the core and have the potential to even out any right to left muscles imbalances within the body. Examples would be single arm swings (see the video below) or single are cleans.

My all time favorite kettlebell exercise may be the Turkish get up. It is a full body unilateral exercise so it really challenges the client to work the weak side of their body.

TRX Kettlebell Workout DVD

How do you incorporate kettlebell training into your client’s fitness programs?

The answer to this question depends on the client I am training and what their goals are.

If my client is advanced and or an athlete the sky is the limit when incorporating kettlebell exercises. Since their core, nervous system and joints can handle multi joint exercises, I love to incorporate cleans and swings into their full body routines to improve their power and core strength.

That being said, there are a lot of ways to include kettlebells, or the principles of kettlebell training, into all levels of exercise programs. For example, for less advanced clients include only one or two kettlebell exercises within a training plan and / or use lighter kettlebells or perform only one portion of the full kettlebell exercise (for example do one portion of the Turkish get up to work the client up to performing the full version).

Sometimes a gym does not have light enough kettlebells to be safe for all clients, or a client is too intimidated to use the bell. In this case, I use some of the principles of kettlebell training without the actual bell. Unilateral (1 sided) training is a big part of kettlebell training so I get a client to do a squat holding one dumbbell at their chest like they were holding a kettlebell. This challenges their core because the weight is not evenly disrupted throughout their body, but the client does not actually have to hold the bell and have it rest on their arm.

Kettlebell Basics with Steve Cotter (via Underground Wellness)

Other kettlebell training resources:

Full Kontact – Steve Cotter’s website

Dragon Door Kettlebells

Alwyn Cosgrove.com – Kettlebells for Cardio

Mark’s Daily Apple – Kettlebellin’ for Strength

All football players need to have a strong core. A strong core is important because it will significantly decrease the likelihood of injury and it will make you a fitter, stronger player. Run faster, kick harder, be strong on the ball and stay healthy with the core training exercises for football players in the video below.

The TRX for football video includes the following exercises:

1. TRX Hamstring Runner – This exercise works the important posterior chain muscle group (think hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back). These muscles are crucial to avoiding injury and in developing great running speed that all footballers need.

2. TRX Mountain Climber - Helps build stability in the legs while also challenging the core significantly.

3. TRX Lunge – Leg strength and knee stability is essential for football players. Build single-leg strength and stability with the TRX Lunge.

4. TRX Burpee – Add some cardiovascular conditioning the TRX Lunge by performing the TRX Burpee.

5. TRX Mountain Climber with football – Add some sport-specificity to the TRX Mountain Climber by incorporating a football. This is a challenging core exercises.

6. TRX Assisted Footwork Drills – Improve your foot speed while engaging the core with this core exercise. Add a football to this exercise to make it even more sport specific.

The TRX Suspension Trainer is available in the UK from TRX Fitness.

Related posts:

1. TRX Suspension Trainer: The Ultimate Core Workout

2. Q+A With TRX Suspension Trainer’s Fraser Quelch

While I took many things away from my experience at the Lanta Thai Boxing Stadium, one particular aspect of the fight made a fitting parallel to an office worker’s life. It took me a few rounds to notice, but it then became very clear.

Between each round, the fighters have 2 minutes to rest, hydrate themselves and receive some on-the-go coaching from their trainer. When the bell rings signaling the start of the next round, the boxers jump to their feet in preparation to go to battle again. The trainers then pulled each of the boxers feet high into the air (as high as their head…yes, these guys are flexible!) to stretch out their hamstrings. Thai boxers rely heavily on flexibility in their hips and hamstrings in order to kick their opponent with power and pinpoint accuracy. Sitting down for 2 minutes between rounds places the hamstrings in a flexed position and thus, the need to stretch them out to their optimal length is essential. Without flexibility, the boxer not only risks losing the fight, but also injury.

After the quick hamstring stretch, the Thai boxers place their arms on and lean back against the ropes, facing the middle of the ring. Two quick backward bends against the ropes and “ding ding”, the next round is about start. Back to work!

While seemingly nonexistent at first, the parallels between the desk jockey (office worker) that sits at a computer all day and a Thai boxer became clear to me as I checked my email the day after the fights.

In a seated position in front of a computer, your hamstrings and hip flexors are in flexed positions. Now, check your lower back. It is likely in a stretched position with the natural curve pretty much gone, placing undue stress to your lower spine. It is quite common for desk jockeys to have very tight hamstrings / hip flexors coupled with stressed lower vertebrae and muscles of the lower back. Over time, muscular imbalances can develop causing pain and dysfunction.

When the boxer sits on his stool for 2 minutes between every round, it provides ample time for his hamstrings and hip flexors to tighten and his lower back to seize out its strong, natural curve. Obviously, especially detrimental to a Thai boxer!

Here is the video. The hamstring stretch occurs 10 seconds in and the back bend at 22 seconds in.

So, what’s my point? My point is that both the Thai boxer and the desk jockey need to periodically offset the stresses that sitting places on the body in order to continually be able to perform their respective activity. Muscular imbalances in both situations can eventually lead to decreased performance and increased likelihood of injury.

If a desk jockey that sits for most of the day does not take frequent breaks to stretch, he or she will eventually break down. Muscular imbalances will become more pronounced over time and pain may occur.

For the Thai boxer, if he does not have maximum flexibility at his hip (hamstrings, hip flexors and low back), his kicks will be less potent and far less accurate. This puts him at risk to lose the fight and to get hurt.

So, to all you desk jockeys out there ( I am one of them), plan frequent breaks throughout your day to perform some stretches. Be sure to focus on your hamstrings and hip flexors. Also, get in some back bends. By being proactive, you are at far less risk of not being able to perform your job and to avoid the l knockout punch!

Image Source: MSN Health and Fitness

Starting Position

• With your forearms resting comfortably on the Swiss Ball, extend your feet behind you on the floor. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your forearms and toes.
• Keep your feet slightly apart to start and move them closer together as you become stronger.

The Movement

• While maintaining the plank position, perform a small, slow stirring motion with your forearms and hands (i.e. stir the pot!) that are resting on the Swiss ball.
• Start with 5 small circles in each direction and work your way up as you become stronger.

Key Tips

• Control the core and remember to breathe.
• The stirring motion should be slow and controlled.
• Do not let your body sag to the floor.
• Try to keep your head and neck in line with your spine.

Ready for a challenge?

• To increase the difficulty of the Swiss ball plank core exercise, try making larger circles with you forearms and hands.
• Bringing your feet right together will decrease your stability and will also make the exercise more challenging.

Other core exercises on Healthynomics

• the plank
• the side plank
• the glute bridge
• the bird dog

Image Source: Ab Exercises

Starting position

• Start on the ground, on all fours. Ensure your back is in a neutral position.

The movement

• Lift your left arm up until it is parallel with the ground and inline with your body. Hold it there.
• Simultaneously, lift your right leg off the ground until it is parallel with the ground and inline with your body.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds and then switch sides. Start with 2 sets of 10 seconds on each side and work up from there.

Key tips

• Ensure you keep your core stiff when you arm and opposite leg are raised.
• Keep your hips and shoulders level. People have a tendency to let their  hip on the raised leg side sag to the floor.

Ready for a challenge?

• To increase the level of difficulty in this core exercise, try moving your raised arm and opposite leg in a square pattern. Repeat on the other side.
• All of the movement should be about the hip and shoulder. There should be no movement in you back.

Resources:

• Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back? | New York Times
• Dr. Stuart McGill |University of Waterloo (Waterloo, ON, Canada) | Low Back Disorders
  

Other core exercises on Healthynomics

• The plank
• Glute bridge
  

I recently purchased the TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack and plan to take it with me during an upcoming 3-month backpacking trip. When I return, I will be sure to post my thoughts on traveling with the TRX and its effectiveness on the road.

What is the TRX Suspension Trainer?

The TRX Suspension Trainer is an easy-to-use, portable suspension fitness trainer that was initially developed by a US Navy SEAL to train other SEALS when there was no fitness equipment available to them. It is a complete total-body, functional training tool that can challenge all aspects of your fitness including core strength, cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance and muscular strength.

Do not be fooled by this minimalist piece of fitness equipment as the TRX Suspension Trainer has been made with industrial-quality construction and big results in mind. Two nylon straps with handles coupled with built in resistance from your body weight and gravity can provide amazing results. What I like about the TRX is that you can use it the gym, home or even take it down to the park with you on those nice sunny days without your workout being sacrificed at all. A core workout ‘to go’ – I have no excuse!

The design of the TRX makes it so easy to transition from one exercise to another. You can get a full-body workout with the TRX Suspension Trainer in less than 30 minutes. I am not sure about you, but I find it incredibly annoying at the gym to wait for someone to get off the machine I want to use. With the TRX Trainer, there is no waiting.

Why Should You Train on the TRX?

Check out our recent interview with Fraser Quelch, the Director of Training and Development Fitness Anywhere (maker of the TRX Suspension Trainer) here:  Q+A with TRX Suspension Trainer’s Fraser Quelch

Who was the TRX Suspension Trainer designed for?

The TRX Suspension Trainer was designed for men and women of all ages and fitness levels. By changing the incline and angle of your body, you can make the exercises as challenging or easy as you like. Resistances from 5% all the way to 100% of your body weight can be achieved, making the TRX suitable for beginners or serious athletes.

Check out the list of people that have incorporated the TRX training tool into their fitness programmes:

• The Biggest Loser TV show
• US Navy SEALS
• British Lions Rugby Team
• Gwyneth Paltrow
• Ben Affleck
• Bas Rutten (Undefeated UFC Heavyweight Champion)
• Robbie McEwen (Pro Cyclist)
• Robert Harvey (Lead Singer- The Music)

The TRX system was awarded the 2009 Best Total-Body Workout Tool of the Year by Men’s Health Magazine.

My first TRX Suspension Trainer core workout

After flipping through the TRX workout guide, I was ready and excited to try my first workout! Setting up the TRX Suspension Trainer at home with the door anchor was simple. Make sure you have enough space cleared for the workout. Ideally, you will have approximately 10 feet of space from the door and a width of slightly wider than the width of your arms when extended away from your body.

The TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack that I purchased included a basic training DVD. The workout is approximately 30 minutes long and hits your upper body, lower body and core. There are 9 strength based exercises and 3 stretches. For each of the strength exercises, the TRX trainers demonstrate 3-4 progressions to ensure that you are able to challenge yourself as you become stronger.

Ten minutes into the workout, I was dripping with sweat!  I found myself pausing the DVD a couple of times to ensure that I have the TRX adjusted to the correct length for some exercises, but I am am sure as I train more with the TRX, the adjustments will become second nature. While all of the 9 strength exercises were challenging, I found the targeted core exercises particularly tough. The workout ends with some great stretches to cool down and help speed your recovery time for the next workout.

Sample TRX Exercises

The TRX Suspension Trainer is a core workout tool that can be used to train the entire body while mimicking real life movements. With over 300 exercises to chose from, your core will be actively engaged in all of the exercises due to the element of instability created by intuitive design of the TRX.

The core exercise shown below, the Atomic Push-up, is one of my favorites and is a very challenging exercise for the muscles of the core and upper body.  Give it a try.

TRX Atomic Push-up

Many other sample TRX Suspension Trainer Core Exercises

The Fitness Anywhere website contains many sample core exercises that helped get me started with my new core workout routine. Other than the TRX Atomic Push-up, my top three core exercises are:

1. TRX High Rotation;
2. TRX Kneeling Roll-out; and
3. TRX Suspended Side Plank

Where can you buy the TRX Suspension Trainer?

The TRX Suspension Trainer is available for sale at:

• Fitness Anywhere (worldwide), www.trxfitness.co.uk (UK) or through Amazon.com.
• Virgin Active was one of the first gyms in the UK to have a TRX Suspension Frame in their facilities. Check with your local Virgin Active to see if they offer TRX equipment.