Stop Running. Your Body is Broken - Fix It First!

This episode is for you . If you're out there pounding the pavement with injuries , this episode is for you . If you're out there pounding the pavement with injuries , poor movement patterns and or imbalances . We're going to dive in and discuss why fixing those issues is crucial before lacing up those running shoes .

I live in Vancouver , kent , right downtown , on something known as the seawall , beautiful pathway that literally runs along the water all around Vancouver downtown core and then some , and it's beautiful , arguably one of the nicest places on the planet .

I know I'm biased , but I've traveled , I've lived other places around the world and I keep coming back to Vancouver for a reason . But here's the thing on the seawall , especially when the weather gets nicer in Vancouver , lots of people just start running . They just start running . I've never seen them out there .

I'm out there daily , sometimes twice a day , whether I'm cycling , walking , sitting in the sun those that are connected with me on Instagram that I tend to post a lot , instagram that I tend to post a lot . It's my happy place .

But I see a lot of people out there running and I see these crazy little imbalances , when I shouldn't say little , but I'll see , like , the feet kicking out to the side , I'll see the knees turning inward knees and knocking , uh , this overpronation of the ankles . It's just , it's crazy .

Just all these very poor movement patterns where I know it's creating a lot of strain and it will eventually create repetitive use injuries as well . And yet we seem to think I'll just persevere , I'll push through it . I'll push through the discomfort because it's worth it , because I want to lose a few LBs or whatever .

It might be the motivation and I'm not here to poo-poo the motivation I think it's wonderful , but it's unfortunate because I know it's just a matter of time and injury will arise and when it does , will you be able to get through it ? Will you be able to get through it on the other side and be stronger for it and learn from it ?

Because in my experience , especially in the wellness space for about 30 years now , a lot of times when we have one of those big upsets , those big roadblocks , challenges , especially physical injuries . It becomes a big reason why we don't maintain any physical activity . It becomes almost an excuse or a permission slip to just do nothing .

And the mindset I want to promote all right . So let's just get real for a second . How many of you are running with some sort of pain or injury ? Because you're not alone . According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , up to 70% of runners will experience an injury at some point in their running career . That's a staggering number .

It's not just like minor aches and pains . We're talking about serious issues like stress , fractures , tendinitis , ligament injuries . You're setting yourself up for a world of hurt when you run with poor movement patterns or imbalances , basically like driving a car with misaligned wheels .

Sure , you might be able to get from point A to B , but eventually something's going to break .

So a few years ago , I had this crazy idea it wasn't really my idea I got invited to go to Israel and participate on this fitness tour , and it was through Vibe Israel , which was an extension of their tourism board , and they were trying to show the world by inviting certain I guess we'll say influencers , people that have basically a voice online in the health

and wellness space and they invited us , these five individuals . I was one of the people . I was the only Canadian to go on this trip and we got to do all this cool , healthy and fitness and mindful type of activities and it was just a trip of a lifetime . It was truly just amazing . Also okay , so this is neat .

Part of the culmination of this trip was we would all do the marathon in Jerusalem . Now I said I was only going to do the half because I those that know I'm not a big runner I do love outdoor obstacle course races . Spartans , tough Mudders , absolutely love those . You can get me doing half a marathon distance with that , no problem .

But man , throw me on a roadway with just my own mind to keep me occupied . It can be challenging . Buzz is just very monotonous and my body just doesn't really like that , that repetitive action and long and short of it .

This is also when I was competing in the open and at CrossFit and really quite active within that community and I wasn't really giving my body the recovery nor the maintenance that it needs . We know with our cars nowadays it's funny we wait for the red light to come on that little engine light or whatever the cue light is .

Nowadays these diagnostics are rather impressive , but we wait for a light to come on before we do something about it , and I think all of us have the intention . Oh yeah , we know X amount of miles and I need to change the oil and fluid , yada , yada . So there's just general maintenance .

But I think most of us will agree we often will just push those periods until we absolutely have to and unfortunately , when we take that sort of mindset with our health , that can lead to a world of problems later . When we're younger , our bodies are just more resilient . We've got things just operating a lot more efficiently .

We might be able to get away with a little bit more , but this eventually will catch up if we don't do anything to maintain it . And we see this just because , as we age there's something called decrepitude if we're not careful and that's just literally our body deteriorating from lack of use or abuse .

And so here I am doing this half marathon and I did zero training up until other than my CrossFit , and there was a lot of things I shouldn't have done .

But the little caveat I got here is I did enough mobility that even though I was hurting , a couple of days after I didn't really have anything beyond just the sort of muscle soreness and also a few , let's just say , my Achilles didn't look very good .

It looked a little bit like hamburger meat because I also wore a brand new pair of shoes that was given to me by a brand , and that's something that you just don't do . As my marathon runner friends will maintain , and they've all called me out on this , I don't need any mail writing me how stupid I was doing this 10 years ago , but I did it anyways .

I did blog about it . Five things you should never do before you run your first half marathon . Anyways , maybe , if you're interested , just comment , let me know if you want me to do a podcast on that story specifically and that experience . But here's the thing I was able to get through the run .

I'd spent a lot of time on my mobility , so I knew my I had everything tracking properly . The knees are tracking well , the ankle mobility , inflection is great , my hips fluid .

So , all said and done , I was able to do this and it was challenging , but I got through it and I was good for it at the end of it , and I think that's the thing If we can maintain our bodies , so we can trust our bodies , count on them to perform when we need them to . I think that's a beautiful thing .

But most of us spend time on the performance end of things , which is the actual training part . But I'm going to ask you to flip the script here .

Even if you can just reclaim 15% of your fitness time during a week your healthy , fitness , focused , intentional time and apply that to general maintenance , okay , like mobility work and recovery work , holy smokes , your life will change . That's all I got to say . All right , the research backs everything I'm saying up too .

Okay , a study published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that runners who incorporated strength training and mobility exercises into their routines significantly reduced the risk of injury . When you take the time to fix your body and ensure it's moving well , you're not just preventing injuries , you're enhancing your overall performance .

Proper mobility and recovery are critical . Okay , american College of Sports Medicine emphasizes that regular stretching and mobility can improve your range of motion , reduce muscle stiffness and boost athletic performance . It's all about setting a strong foundation , right ? We know this , and yet do we do it ? I know it's not as much fun , right ?

So let's talk about some practical tips , because I always like to leave you with some actionable ideas and tips and strategies and , of course , please share your ideas . You can simply click on the note section of wherever you're listening to this podcast . You'll notice there's a link there that says text me . Click that .

Your app on your device will open up and you can just send me a message . And if you want me to respond , make sure that you sign off with either your email or your cell number , because , as a security , I can only receive right now , unless you give me permission to message you back . But you got to tell me how to do that .

So anyway , long and short of all ,

here's some practical tips . Number one assess and correct movement patterns . So work with a physical therapist or a qualified coach who has some specialization in movement assessments , right , to assess , basically , your movement patterns , identify any imbalances or weaknesses and address them with targeted exercises .

I know it's boring at times having to do these types of exercises , but they will change your life . All right , they'll change your life . I just know it , because all of a sudden , your body's working in a much more optimal state less pains , less aches , less of those groaning moments .

Plus , you'll have more resiliency and greater recovery when you do stress those body parts and under certain instances , and you know what You're going to have way less injuries . Hello , sounds pretty good to me . Then number two is strength training . I know we talked about this a lot , but incorporating strength training into your routine is critical .

Focus on building a strong core and balanced muscles . This will support your running and reduce the risk of injuries . Focus a lot on the hips too . Don't forget your hips . I think a lot of people think ankle knees , but your hips are massive joints and you think about it . Your trunk , that's what connects your legs to your trunk .

It's a joint that gets a lot of use . Work on those hips , work on your hip . Mobility , especially 90-90s , are a great movement as well , as there's a lot of other types of ones , like the iguana . If you haven't checked out my mobility video , it's about 24 minutes done with you . I posted it on YouTube .

I also shared it in the last episode where I was talking about mobility a bit . Check it out . If you did that a few times a week , your body will thank you . All right , regular mobility work is a hammered that home . I think already even talking about the strength training aspect . But make mobility exercise just a part of your daily routine .

Just do it five minutes a day , 10 minutes a day , it doesn't take much . You can do it while you're waiting somewhere . I remember while we were traveling as a family , I would more often than not have my roller with me .

I have a little travel roller and on top of that I just I'd wear easy , loose , fitting clothing because it was more comfortable to travel in that . But we're waiting to board a plane . I'm there doing some mobility work sitting on my roller , like why not , rather than sitting on a device and sitting there in a chair with my neck all out of whack ?

I'm going to use that time , why not ? So again , where can you fit that in your day ? Is there little opportunities where you can stretch it out for two minutes or so ? I think there is . Number four active recovery . Don't forget to give your body time to recover . Active recovery , like light walking , gentle cycling .

This will help promote blood flow , reduce inflammation , aid in muscle repair and regrowth . So active recovery , I'm not saying do nothing . I'm saying do something that's light , that your body will thank you for it . Number five listen to your body , like really listen to it . Pay attention to what your body's telling you .

If you're experiencing pain , don't push through it . Address the issue before it becomes a bigger issue . And all the guys I'm talking to you because I know what we're like and we're like we can just it'll be fine . It'll be fine , because we remember when we were young and we just we would , we pushed through it , we'd be okay , it doesn't work , I got .

When you get older , it looks I'm 47 , almost 48 . It doesn't work , I got anymore . I spend a lot more time on the maintenance side of things and it's it actually helps my performance . So on those days where I train extra hard , I'm able to push it and I feel fine for it . The next few days after I'm not paying for it .

Also , I I knock on wood I've been very fortunate . I haven't really experienced any injuries for the last few years and the last one I did I tweaked my back , but what would normally affect me ? For maybe a week or two ? It was just a matter of about 48 hours . And again I did some mobility work , some very specialized movement patterns and bam , I was fine .

But I also took it easy . I didn't lift anything for a couple of days and even was light the first few workouts back . Just to add that extra precaution Doesn't take a lot , just be a little bit mindful .

But it'sopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and the National Institutes of Health those are all great places to start your own journey toward better mobility and recovery . There's also great individuals online like Ido Portel , my friend Ashley Gass , who's out of Florida . She does all sorts of really cool stuff in the online space , especially with calisthenics .

We've got the Astrogas guys Knees Over Toes , ben over at Knees Over Toes . If you don't follow them on Instagram , I highly recommend it . And of course , the Starretts at ReadyStay . You know Kelly and his partner in life and wife Juliet . They've got some great information when it comes to mobility work . So I'll link to all those resources in the show notes .

So feel free if you want to go check those out . They're there for you . And other than that , thanks for tuning in again to another episode of 2% Solution . If you enjoyed this episode , share with a friend who might like a little reminder to focus on their mobility and recovery .

Don't forget to follow us on social and if you love the podcast , a review and subscription would mean the world . Stay strong , stay flexible and keep pushing your limits . I'm Diamond and you've been listening to the 2% Solution . Let's keep thriving together .