Improve your Running Technique - Today!

Running is one of the most natural activities for a human to do. We have run from when our time began, initially as a form of survival. To escape danger, to catch and kill our food, to get from one place to the next. However, in today's society, there isn't a survival requirement to run. We generally aren't running from lions, or indeed after them as our next meal, and given that we have transport to get us from one place to the next, our lives can easily become entirely sedentary. Unfortunately, as running isn't necessary for survival, the majority of the population choose the couch and the take away option instead.


There are of course though, millions of people who chose to run as part of their exercise routine. Some because they simply love to run, others because they feel they have to run to be fit, but whatever the motive, you can be sure that the majority of runners don't actually know HOW to run. Of course, you'd think that as it is a natural human movement we would innately know how to run. Unfortunately not. Modern day living has lead to anatomical and physiological adaptations that in turn lead to faulty movement patterns, which can be disastrous when running. The following guidelines are basic tips for anyone to follow which really can improve your running technique, leading to increased fitness and speed and reduced injuries.

• Land on the balls of your feet - This is below your toes, not on your toes and not on your heels.


• Increase your cadence and shorten your stride - You should run as though you are running on hot coals, attempting to lift each foot off of the ground as quickly as possible.


• Pull your foot from the ground - Do not push through the ground, your steps should be light and not heavy where you can hear each step pounding.


• Maintain correct posture - Always be aware of your body's position, head up, shoulders relaxed and back, do not bend at the waist.


• Maintain Flexibility and Mobility - Always stretch after a run. If your muscles are tight you are more likely to get injured and your running speed will be impaired due to a reduced range of movement in the muscles and joints.


• Wear Light Footwear - Your trainers should not be heavy with a thick sole, as if you are running correctly, you won't land on your heels!!!

Basic tips that can make a huge difference. If you are training with Vie, your running technique will be a feature of training, but to really see the difference you need to think about how you run, every time you run.

Stand up Straight!

Modern living has reduced the requirement for people to exert themselves as part of their daily activity. This has lead to the regression of our amazing biomechanical and anotomical structure, which was at its peak in our time as hunter gatherers.
It's ironic that our highly developed manual dexterity has lead to many of us spending the majority of our lives bent over desks!!!
This habitual seated position develops shortened hip flexors, and hamstrings and stresses the spine. Just look at the people around you; our postural develoment is starting to resemble a common chimpanze, for some more than others!;)

In an attempt to slow aging, and to optimise the body we have been blessed with, it is common in today's soceity to see the gym as the answer. Unfortunately, commonly prescribed exercises such as full sit ups and chest press are speading up the degenerative kyphotic process.

The coaches at VIE PT analyse individual posture and structure, activities of daily living and carry out tests for muscle lengthening and strength. Through presecribing a tailored exercise programme, remedial exercises are used to correct postural defects, stretch tight muscles and strengthen the weak muscles.

So what can you do? Follow our 5 tips for better posture.

• Always be aware of your body's position - shoulders back, stomach in!
• Do not sit for more than 20 minutes - get up and walk around to prevent adaptive shortening.
• Include Spinal Extension, Scapula Retraction and External Shoulder Rotation as part of your regular exercise routine.
• Avoid speading up the degenerative process - do not work excessively shortened muscles such as chest and hip flexors, stretch them!
• Footwear - Walk barefoot as much as possible, avoid high heels for long periods.

Broccoli - The king of Vegatables - A life saver!

Broccoli is considered to be one of the best nutritional powerhouses, and is rated by all of the best medical doctors, nutritionists and exercise professionals as a healthy diet must have.
An excellent source of isothiocyanates, which are anticancer phytochemiccals, eating broccoli can aid in fighting cancer by neutralising carcinogens. Extensive studies have shown that the isothiocyanates contained in broccoli can help to prevent and lower the risk of a number of cancers, including lung, breast, cervical, prostate and gastrointestinal cancer.

Aside from it's huge anticarcinogenic properties, Broccoli contains vitamins and minerals that are vital for your health and wellbeing. Containing protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, Vitamin A amongst others, making this tree like veg a regular star on your plate can boost your immune system and supply your body with much needed nutrients.

The flower of Broccoli is not the only part of the plant that has nutritional value, so eat the stalks and the leaves to make the most of this life saver and nutritional powerhouse.

High Intensity Exercise - The key to Weight Loss

It is one of the most common myths in health and fitness, that low intensity cardiovascular (cv) exercise is the best method to lose excess weight. Really? How many overweight people have you seen slogging it out on the treadmill day in and day out, only they never seem to look any different?! There are generally several factors attributing to the lack of weight loss, so today the coaches at Vie PT will cover just one of the factors, Exercise Intensity.

EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) is influenced by intensity and not frequency. 1minute of high intensity training can have the same metabolic (post workout) effect as 20minutes of low intensity exercise. Therefore, performing high intensity exercise in short bursts with rest periods, ie 1min hard, 1min easy will maximise energy consumption and post work out metabolism. With EPOC comes increased fuel consumption to restore the body to a resting state. Other processes involved in the recovery of the body include hormone balancing, cellular repair and the replenishment of fuel stores. Studies have shown that when performing interval training, your body will benefit from all of the above recovery processes in each rest period, and that your metabolism will remain raised for longer at the end of the activity. In simple terms for those who like to think of work in terms of calories, not only will you burn more calories during your session, you will continue to burn more calories for longer once you have finished your session.

Further supporting this information, when muscle is broken down during the activity, and subsequently repaired post exercise, the muscle fibers increase leading to increased strength. The increased muscle mass is the important factor here. Muscle tissue is 15% denser than fat tissue and requires greater energy consumption regardless of exercise, therefore, with increased muscle mass and reduced body fat, your metabolism will be higher, burning energy quicker and more efficiently.

So how do we at Vie PT recommend that you put all of this information together and use it to lose weight? The answer is simple.
To maximise the effects of exercise on the body, perform high intensity exercise with adequate recovery periods (interval training, fartlek, resistance training) at least twice weekly, ideally 3 times depending on your goals. You will notice the difference in your body. Remember, do not use the scales as your judge as with muscle being denser than fat it weighs more, but use your body measurements and body fat as an indicator. A good way to measure progress is to note how a particularly tight piece of clothing fits (we all have those jeans we are longing to get into in the back of our wardrobe) and every 10-14 days try them on, until they fit!!



VIE PT recommends the following basic yet effective sessions to work into your exercise routine.

Example Interval Session:
5-10mins Jog to Warm Up
1min Threshold Pace
1min Easy Jog x 5
2mins Threshold Pace
1min Easy Jog x 2
3mins Threshold Pace
2mins Easy
5-10mins Jog to Cool Down

Remember that threshold pace and easy are individual; Easy pace for one person might be a sprint for another. So if your easy pace is walking that is fine, the key is to work as hard as possible, and then recover to maximise the benefits and increase your metabolism, inturn increasing your fitness.



Example Cross Training Session:
30secs Press Ups
30secs Squats
30secs Half Sits
30secs Plank
1min Sprint
2mins Rest
Repeat according to fitness, at least 3 times, up to 8 times.



The above information is designed to help you realise that in order to see changes in your body you need to shock your body and make it work hard so that it has to repair and recover stronger and leaner than before.








"natural movement...

...natural living"