Running in the Heat and Humidity: How to Adjust Your Pace

As athletes, we dedicate ourselves to improving performance, pushing limits, and training hard. We focus on our diets, heart rates, and the right gear, like running shoes or bikes. But what if I told you that many of us are still missing a few simple things that could have a significant impact on our performance?

Did you know that something as simple as improving your posture could enhance your running technique? Or that reducing the time you spend staring at your phone might boost your swimming stroke? Even spending just a few minutes each day meditating could help reduce stress and improve your sleep. Regardless of whether you’re into cycling, running, swimming, or any other sport, your posture, physical movement, and stress levels are key factors that directly affect your performance.

Here are a few easy tips to help you make positive changes without overwhelming your already busy schedule.

Tip 1: Move More Throughout the Day

You might already be spending hours on your bike, in the pool, or running each week, but sitting for long stretches after your workout can still take a toll on your body. Incorporating more movement into your day can alleviate stress on your muscles and joints.

• Walk or bike to work if possible, instead of driving.
• Take walking breaks during the workday, whether it’s a trip to the bathroom or simply walking around the office.
• Walk over to talk to a colleague instead of sending an email or text.
• Take a quick walk outside during lunch to get fresh air and a mental break.

These simple changes help break the cycle of poor posture that comes from sitting for long hours—like slouching, rolling your shoulders forward, or craning your neck to look at your screen. These adjustments can reduce neck, shoulder, and back pain while also improving circulation and overall well-being.

Tip 2: Adjust Your Desk Setup

To reduce the strain caused by long hours sitting at a desk, consider changing how you work.

• Try a standing desk to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. Just make sure your computer monitor is at eye level to avoid neck strain.
• Sit on an exercise ball instead of a regular chair. This encourages your deep core muscles to engage and improves posture while you work—think of it as a bonus workout while you’re at your desk.

Varying your posture regularly can prevent the repetitive stress that builds up from staying in one position for too long, allowing you to engage different muscles and improve posture over time.

Tip 3: Take Mental Breaks

Physical performance isn’t the only thing that matters for athletes—mental focus plays a huge role. When we’re constantly distracted, overwhelmed, or stressed, our performance can suffer. Learning to manage mental stress and focus more effectively is crucial for success.

Set aside three to five minutes each day for a mental break. This could be a short meditation session or simply sitting quietly without technology around you. These moments of calm can lower stress levels, which, in turn, can improve your heart rate, recovery, and sleep quality.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to ask for help. Instead of working harder when stressed, try taking a step back and simplifying your approach. This can lead to better results in your work and in your physical training.

Tip 4: Take It One Step at a Time

Making too many changes at once can be overwhelming and might cause you to give up before you see any benefits. Instead, focus on making one small change at a time. Monitor how these changes affect how you feel—are your neck and shoulders less tight? Are you sleeping better? Is your performance improving?

By making small, sustainable adjustments, you can make a lasting impact on your physical and mental well-being.

Good luck!

In recent years, strength training has become an essential part of many runners’ routines. More and more runners are realizing the benefits of hitting the gym to build strength, and for good reason. Strength training not only boosts power, speed, and overall performance, but it also enhances tissue resilience and the body’s ability to handle increasing loads. When muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones are conditioned to manage these loads, runners experience fewer injuries and less pain.

The stronger we are, the more force we generate with each stride. More force means running faster. However, strength alone isn’t enough. If we can’t control the force we produce or use it efficiently, we’ll tire more quickly, our running economy will decline, and we become more prone to injury. This is where stability training plays a crucial role.

What is Stability?

USA Track & Field defines stability as the degree of resistance to toppling over. When running, every time our foot strikes the ground, we transfer force into the earth, and the ground pushes back with an equal amount of force, traveling up our leg. Stability is our ability to manage these “ground reaction forces” and maintain balance as we continue moving forward.

Our “ship” can be strong and fast, but we must be able to captain it—control the strength and power we generate—to prevent injury and improve our overall energy efficiency.

The Role of Stability Training

When it comes to running, stability training is primarily focused on managing forces in the rotational and frontal planes. These forces need to be controlled at various points in the body: at the foot (pronation and supination), lower leg (rotation in or out), knee (collapsing towards the midline), upper leg (thigh rotation), hip (hip drop), and core (excessive trunk rotation or side-to-side movement).

The first point of contact with the ground is the foot, so if we can’t control these forces here, the impact is felt higher up the chain—affecting the knee, hip, and lower back. Poor stability often leads to altered mechanics, which can overload tissues and eventually cause injury.

Why Stability Gets Lost

Injuries, particularly in the lower leg, can impair stability. Pain often causes muscles in the affected area to underperform or fail to engage properly. This inhibition commonly affects stability muscles, which are critical for maintaining good posture and form. For example, people with low back pain often struggle to activate their glutes, leading to problems like the dreaded hip drop. This causes the knee to collapse inward, and the foot to pronate, all of which are common culprits in lower extremity injuries.

Another sneaky culprit is the ankle sprain. While it might seem like a minor injury at the time, it can set the stage for long-term dysfunction. Ankle sprains interfere with our balance system (proprioception), which is crucial for stability. Research has shown that even an ankle sprain can inhibit the gluteus medius—the hip muscle vital for stability. If this muscle isn’t firing properly, it can cause a cascade of issues up the kinetic chain, eventually leading to more significant problems.

Regaining Control of Your Stability

Improving stability and regaining control of your “ship” is key to preventing further injury. Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where we’ll dive into specific exercises to help runners enhance their stability and strengthen their foundation.