BUILDING YOUR BODY AND THEN TAKING CARE OF IT

In April of this year I competed in my first body sculpting competition. It was one of the most challenging experiences I have been through.

As the competition grew nearer, my anxiety heightened with the fear of becoming injured or getting ill, (it was winter training so lots of coughs, colds and flu’s around!), a common anxiety amongst competitors training for their event or race.

I was weight training 6 days a week on average spending 2 hours at a time in the gym. This alone puts a strain on the human body, let alone the process of prep for my competition. Training becomes your life.

I had a professional trainer, Jordan Saunders-Bath, (Bodybyjr), who had a wealth of knowledge and expertise in nutrition and training.

I never realized the science behind food! I was eating foods I wouldn’t have touched before, believing I needed a low fat, low carb diet but carbs were introduced to every meal and so were eggs, avocado, almonds, dark chocolate…..I worried about putting on weight! How wrong I was!

I was eating 5 meals a day…..training hard…..losing body fat and getting lean. Muscles need energy and as I developed muscular growth, my body needed the calories.

Jordan tailor-made my food plan specifically to my needs and my body was using these calories much more efficiently and using calories as fuel to burn fat. My metabolism was working much better. I was drinking at least 4 litres of water a day, taking BCAA’s, Elite-glutamine as well as Tumeric, Vitamin D, Vitamin C and probiotics.

I made sure I had regular Sports massage every 7 to 10 days and regular osteopath/physiotherapy appointments throughout my prep. Not because I was injured but I know was a preventative measure against getting injured. I didn’t wait until I was!

Regular sports massage not only identifies areas that can become particularly stressed and dysfunctional, unknowingly to you, but it can also alleviate the areas that could be prone to getting injured which may prevent your training continuing to being effective or possibly stop it all together, especially when training is regular, repetitive and we are pushing ourselves.

I wondered, ‘Did all of this help prevent injury or was it that I trained carefully, without pushing myself beyond my limits?’ Both?

My reward?..... 1st place Muscle Model, 2nd place, Fitness Model.

All I know is that I did my best to look after myself. So when I do it all again next year, taking care of my body will be my priority.

Do you?

TRAINING FOR EITHER A MARATHON OR A HALF MARATHON - HOW TO AVOID INJURY

For those people who are training for a spring marathon or half marathon, here’s a few tips to help you survive the miles ahead while avoiding injuries that could force you into becoming a spectator rather than a runner.

1.     LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: Your body knows best. If you feel physically over tired and in any way ill, then don’t force yourself out to run. That doesn’t mean disregard your schedule – just use your common sense!

2.     USE AND FOLLOW A SENSIBLE SCHEDULE: Make sure your schedule is realistic for you and the level you are. Yes, it’s a target and it will stretch you but it must be achievable too. Do not over-train because that’s when you will get injuries or ill.

3.     USE PROPER RUNNING SHOES: Get advice on what type of shoes you need for your gait and don’t use brand new shoes for the day of your race. Run them in first and make sure they fit properly. Remember you’ll need to replace them when you’ve clocked up around 400-500 miles. Don’t run in worn out shoes because you’ll probably get injured.

4.     PREPARE YOUR MUSCLES AND REPAIR YOUR MUSCLES: Warm up and stretch properly – static or dynamic pre and post run. Avoid getting injured!

5.     GET TO KNOW A PRACTITIONER: Take advice on ways to help reduce the risk of getting injured as part of your training and recovery plan.

6.     STAY HYDRATED: Make sure you drink enough water pre, post and during your running – especially if you are following a schedule where you’ll be running up to six days a week. Staying hydrated will keep you at your most efficient.

7.     PAY ATTENTION TO NUTRITION: Keep yourself properly fuelled during intense training or you risk getting over fatigued and that can lead to injury.

8.     SLEEP: Sleep should be part of your training plan. Training is all about increasing effort and recovery. Sleep is an important ingredient of your recovery and if you don’t get enough sleep you won’t be able to increase your effort without risking injury.

9.     SPORTS MASSAGE: Should be part of every runner’s training programme. Massage and soft tissue release can be linked to enhancing your performance by releasing tight muscles and increasing blood circulation. By releasing tight muscles you can avoid injuries through muscle and connective tissue inflammation. Common running injuries including ITB Syndrome, Shin Splints, Achilles Tendinopathy and Plantar Fasciitis could all be avoided by taking proper care of yourself through regular sports massage. It can also help you recover if you are unlucky enough to get injured. Rehabilitation in conjunction with medical treatment/sports therapy, deep tissue work can all help towards a faster recovery. But you could avoid the need for re-hab if you include massage in your programme.

Enjoy your training over the next months and weeks and by following these tips you’ll get to the start line fully prepared for the big day.

WARMING UP YOUR MUSCLES

Autumn is well and truly with us and it will very soon be winter! This time of year especially is very important to make sure your muscles are properly warmed up before you begin any activity that places them under stress or strain.
Both the cold and wet weather also impact on our muscles in a way that unless we use them effectively, will become more prone to injuries, cramps and strains.
The best way to explain this is to imagine a ball of plasticine that has been in the fridge. When you take it out it feels cold, hard and stiff to try to mould. Well this is just how our muscles respond to the cold. When it’s cold we naturally tense up and our muscles become shortened and are therefore less pliable and less supple. Warming our muscles with some simple exercises for just 5 minutes beforehand can make the difference from becoming injured or not. Without warming up means it can take longer to get into our natural and normal flow.
When I play golf, it never ceases to amaze me when waiting on the first tee, stretching every muscle group, watching other players arrive on to the tee, take a practice swing then put their heart and soul into their very first shot only to be in disbelief it wasn’t their best! They expect their bodies to perform with full mobility, flexibility and suppleness, whilst their muscles are feeling like they’ve just got out of bed! 
Golfers aren’t the only sportsmen at fault. Lots of other sports and activities have athletes and players that hardly give a thought to warming up. It is so short sighted because if you plan and count your warm up as part of your activity, it takes up such little time, especially when compared to the time you are likely to be off when you become injured through not warming up properly.
The other important aspect to winter training that often gets abandoned is hydration. We still sweat even when it’s cold so we need to keep on top of our water intake no matter how tempting the coffee and hot chocolates are! Dehydrated muscles can quickly and easily become much more prone to injury so don’t neglect hydration. Even hot Ribena will be a good alternative to just plain water or tea/coffee. Tea and coffee, along with alcohol are actually what are known as being “diuretic” that stimulate increased urination that in turn can speed up dehydration. Back to water, try not to drink it ice cold because it is better for the body to absorb when it is at room temperature.
What you wear during sport and exercise during the winter is also very important because you should never start when you are cold. So make sure that you wear the right clothing by layering up from the start. By layering up first, you start warm and as you get warmer you can then take layers off as appropriate.
Coupled with warming up, a proper stretching regime is another way to help fend of niggling injuries. Look out for my next blog where I will be covering stretching in more detail and showing you some typical stretches for the major muscle groups.

REST AND RECOVERY - BOTH IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOUR TRAINING

Just back from a break in Turkey, played lots of golf and even managed to beat my husband a few times! Now back to work, back in the gym and back running and really ready for it now I've been well rested.

Rest time from you physical routine, whatever sport you do, is extremely important to aid recovery, prevent injury and prevent over working your muscles.

Sports massage, stretching and staying hydrated is fundamental to maintain and improve performance and training regimes.

After your sports massage you will feel lighter, freer, more flexible and fresher, although some muscular soreness from the massage is normal and only lasts a day or two.

Don't wait until it's too late! Book now by clicking on the contact form here on my website or give me a call on 07950 039149 or drop me an email at amanda.hartman@sky.com

Don't forget to look after yourself during your marathon training!

Muscle imbalances, over-training, preparing for competition, the half marathon or London Marathon or just aching from overdoing it in the garden or in the gym - sports massage can be the perfect solution for the effects of many activities. Sports massage can help to re-balance your muscles, improve performance and maintain good form. Great form = great performance = great results!