Spring Into Running
And Get Down with the Sickness!
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As you’ve probably noticed, my Monday/Thursday release schedule has shifted to Tuesday/Friday.
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News From Around the Web
Fitness Tech
You can get better sleep with wearables. Just focus on the right data. - In summary, this article suggests that the most helpful data collected from your sleep wearable is total time asleep. While other metrics can be helpful, they can be less useful without proper context.
The Best Smart-Home Devices for Aging in Place Comfortably - No, Alexa, Siri or any other smart home gadget isn’t going to exercise for you, but for the aging population, can certainly be helpful in staying connected and not getting hurt on those late night trips to the bathroom.
Tonal and Beyond: The Best Smart Strength Training Equipment for 2022 - This is a good roundup of “smart” home gym equipment. I have to admit, I’m quite enamored with the Tonal (perhaps not at the $3K price tag). Does anyone have one? If so, share your experience in the comments.
Exercise
The 10-Minute Strength Training Workout For Busy Days And Best Results - Is 10 minutes enough time to get in a good, full body workout? I find that these workouts, whether 10, 15 or 20 minutes (15 minutes IMO is the sweet spot) are very effective because they work most major muscle groups, combine exercises in the form of supersets and offer enough, but little rest between exercises.
Side Bends Are the Core-Working, Side-Stretching 2-for-1 Fitness Move You Need in Your Arsenal - I used to think side bends were a waste of time until I started doing them properly. They’re great for your obliques but they also provide a great stretch for your lats.
"Unhealthy" Workout Habits To Quit In Your 60s, Trainer Says - Ok, so I’m not 60 (I got a bit to go), but frankly, these “habits” are applicable to anyone at any age. Like, “performing exercises that hurt,” seems like good advice for anybody at any age!
The Big Read
Spring is here, though lately, you couldn’t tell by the weather we’ve been having, at least here in the Northeast. In any case, its pretty well-documented that I spend a lot of time on my Peloton, especially during the winter months, but as the weather turns warmer, my preference is to be outside. Surprisingly, my activity of choice isn’t cycling, its running.
I don’t love running, but I do enjoy it. I can do it almost anywhere, it gets me outside and it doesn’t require much in the way of preparation. While running is a higher impact activity than say, cycling, there’s evidence that running regularly actually decreases the odds of having back problems as you age. If you’re dead set against running, I probably won’t be able to convince you to start, but I can offer tips based on my own personal experience to make it safer and potentially, more fun. Note that mileage will vary and if you have any concerns about pain or injury, consult your physician.
Get a good pair of running shoes - This Runner’s World article provides a lot of information about considerations for selecting a good pair of shoes, plus a list of their top choices. Typically, running shoes should be replaced as necessary or every 300 miles or so. Running on worn shoes can cause pain and injury. For the past several years, I’ve been rocking some version of the Cloudrunner from On Running, which I absolutely love.
Set goals and start slow - I find that setting goals, whether time based or mileage based, keeps me motivated. If you’re just starting out, be realistic about what you can accomplish. Combining walking with running is a great place to start where you may walk for two minutes and run for one minute. There are a ton of great apps (Runkeeper, Nike Run Club, Map My Run) that will not only track your progress, but provide guided coaching based on your fitness goals.
If you can, run with music, a podcast or some other form of entertainment - Running without music is a dealbreaker for me. I build playlists to help keep me motivated throughout my run and I always include a song or two that I go to when I need an extra push. Lyrics aside, Down With the Sickness by Disturbed is my go-to hill climbing song.
Get past the first “mile” - Whether you are just starting out or have been running for years, the first half mile or so just feels hard. This article provides insight as to why that is the case, but as you settle in to your pace, your body adjusts pretty quickly.
Stretching before and after a run - I’ll usually do a brief warm up (walk, 5 minutes of bike) prior to stretching and then I’ll stretch after a run to help with recovery and prevent injury. Here are some essential stretching exercises for runners.
Track your progress - A big part of the “fun” for me is tracking my progress. I run with an Apple Watch, which tracks a ton of data, including heart rate, distance, average pace, splits, stride rate and more. I don’t use any apps beyond the built-in workout app, but if you’re using one of the apps that I referenced earlier, they’ll do pretty much the same thing.
Good luck in your running endeavors and keep me posted on your progress. See you on Tuesday!