The best yoga in Phuket Thailand

best yoga in phuket thailand

Where is the best yoga in Phuket, Thailand? 

To answer that question, you must first understand why you need yoga and which yoga class and style are best for your body.

So, really, you need to answer: “Where is the best yoga in Phuket Thailand, for me?”

For example, if you have chronic back pain, going to Ashtanga yoga or Vinyasa classes will only increase the symptoms. Instead, it’s recommended that you join alignment-based hatha yoga, which includes breathwork.

Where is The Best Yoga In Phuket, Thailand For Me?

Choosing the right yoga can significantly help alleviate chronic back pain, but selecting the wrong type can worsen your condition. 

The key is not yoga but understanding your body’s specific needs. 

Proper assessment and personalised yoga class plan are essential to address chronic back pain effectively.

At Abbysan Yoga & Wellness Center, we specialise in assessing, diagnosing, and treating back pain through customised yoga practices. 

THE BREATHWORK IS YOUR LIFE SUPPORT

Back pain often results from improper handling of different body segments.

For example, most men consistently train their upper body in the gym to develop more muscular and heavier arms. 

This adds extra load on the upper spine, leading to kyphosis. 

This condition causes the thoracic cage to move in a way that limits breathing during rest. 

Over time, the activity of the primary respiratory muscles reduces, making them weak. 

Consequently, the secondary respiratory muscles assist with breathing, further straining the respiratory system. 

Strengthening the primary respiratory muscles can help improve breathing efficiency and alleviate some extra load on the upper spine, potentially reducing back pain.

The Best Yoga Classes In Phuket For Chronic Back Pain

Choosing the right yoga class or style depends on your body structure, current health condition and needs, and forthcoming desires and goals.

To find the best yoga practice for you, look for a yoga studio or yoga sala in Phuket that understands how to assist you based on your posture and body type.

The most beneficial yoga classes focus on teaching proper alignment and breathing techniques rather than experimenting with unnecessary new trends. 

You need personalised yoga sessions that cater to your specific needs in private or group classes.

The best yoga for you is the one you can commit to regularly or the one you can do consistently, even by yourself. 

And that’s precisely what we offer. 

Why choose Abbysan Yoga and Wellness Center?

At Abyssan Yoga and Wellness Center, our yoga classes are structured to improve your current posture, body movements, and overall well-being.

We will help you achieve that through:

Personalised Assessment

Class Recommendation or offer comprehensive yoga plans based on our evaluation.

Ongoing support and monitoring, adjusting plans, and teaching you self-management techniques.

We identify which body parts are overly mobile and stiff, ensuring a tailored approach to your condition. 

This comprehensive diagnosis is crucial for selecting the best yoga practice for you.

We believe in empowering you to manage your back pain independently. 

With our step-by-step plan, you can gradually move out of pain without needing intense workouts or advanced yoga positions. 

And you will also gain more energy to do the things you’ve always put off.

The Best Yoga Class To Do In Phuket

When searching for the best yoga studio in Phuket, we often see that people follow the recommendations or at least try it to find out if it is safe, convenient, and reasonably priced.

Suppose you are suffering from a Yoga injury or are recommended by your physician to do yoga for injury or chronic pain.

In that case, you must search for the best yoga studio in Phuket that also offers private yoga, full body analysis, and movement assessments and operates with a team of experienced instructors with medical backgrounds, like here at Abbysan.

But what if you don’t have back pain?

If you’re not experiencing any back pain, that’s great! 

However, it’s important to remember that yoga involves moving your body in a certain way. 

Your body is quite adaptable and will always find a way to complete a task, but if you’re not aware of your default posture before starting yoga class, you might rely on your most flexible or weakest areas to perform certain moves. This could lead to unintended damage to soft tissues.

The pain sensation results from chemical reactions to an injury and nerve signals sent to the brain in response to stress. 

Starting with a full body and movement analysis is wise, regardless of whether you have pain. 

Consider including our 12-lesson series to help your body prepare for the best yoga experience in Phuket.

Sign up for your first Yoga Class with 50% Off.

 

Real Cause Of Sports Injuries

Real Cause of Sports Injuries

The answer to a fit and balanced body is definitely not found in sports. Sure, sports are fun, have some health benefits, and get us outdoors. Some are good for us. But to consider starting a sport to have a fit and well-balanced body is not the best option. Sports do not get us in shape; they actually get us out of shape.

The problem with most sports is that they develop tight muscles and create imbalances, either because of uneven use of muscle groups or because of uneven use of one side of the body.

Imbalances in Running and Tennis

Let’s take running for example. Sure, it is great for the cardiovascular system. But it dramatically tightens the muscles at the back of the legs. And besides this, it has no effect on most other muscles of the body. This intense shortening or disproportionate strengthening results in major muscular and structural imbalances.

Tennis is a game of repetition, and it creates a lot of strength and flexibility imbalances throughout the entire body, imbalances that could lead to injuries if not corrected. First of all, the player gets stronger in his dominant side and by always hitting the ball with the same hand. All parts of the body are linked together in a kinetic chain, and when one single part of this entire system does not work properly, it can create imbalances throughout the entire body and injuries on muscles that need to take abnormal loads.

Long Term Side Effects

The harder you train, the tighter your muscles will become, and this applies to most sports. Sure, there are some benefits to this as well. You will initially lose a few pounds, burn some fat, add some muscle mass and feel great about yourself. The problems appear over the long term when imbalances are created (unless you do something about this).

Muscle tightness or imbalances are bad, but they are not that bad. Some people can live with them for their whole life, not even realizing what the problem is. The real problem is when these imbalances lead to major injuries. Then you will have to quit working out completely or to switch to a different activity and start it all over from scratch, losing all of the progress you made to this point.

But switching to a different sport or activity will not solve the problem, and will eventually lead to the same injury again. We already discussed more about this in a previous article, and the solution lies in Yoga and Pilates.

Imbalances Lead to Injuries

Invariably, a lack of awareness about existing imbalances and the need for total fitness training is what leads to injuries. All injuries in sports are caused by structural and muscular imbalances, and we are not talking here about the obvious cases where you fall of the bike, you trip over a rock or the hockey puck hits you in the head.

If you start a training program with an existing imbalance that may have developed over the years from poor posture, an old injury or genetic bad luck, it will make its presence known at one point during training. The same thing is true when developing muscular and structural imbalance as a result of training.

Unfortunately, old-fashioned stretching is not something that most people like to do or have time for. And then, they slowly have to witness their bodies getting tighter and tighter. They eventually recall their pre-training days when they were free of muscle tightness and they were still able to touch their toes.

In the morning they barely crawl from bed to a hot shower, to their training clothes, and maybe also take an aspirin or two on the way. Then they wander through the city in search of chiropractors, physical therapists and orthopedists.

The Solution

Once injured, you will have to go through a lot of re-patterning, body tissue adaptations and changes in muscle length and strength ratios. If you got injured 1 year ago and didn’t do any rehabilitation, then the recovery will also take 1 year or more. It’s the same with weight loss. If you gained a lot of weight over the course of 2 years, it will also take around 2 years of eating healthy and working out in order to get back in great shape.

No matter the type of muscle imbalance or tightness you have, we can help you get back to normal through our Yoga and Pilates programs. We have many years of experience, helping both professional athletes and regular people. We offer a wide variety of methods and classes that can help relieve stress, treat certain medical conditions, rehabilitate after injuries, have more mobility and a better posture. Check our website for more info and contact us today! The staff at the Abbysan Center will gladly assist you!

Why Cross Training Is Not The Ultimate Solutions For Sporty’s

Why Cross Training is not the ultimate solutions for Sporty's

Most people these days are working in offices, sitting all day long on a chair and putting their backs in strange positions and under a lot of pressure. Some of them then go to a gym, and because of a lack of knowledge and a personal trainer to supervise them, they perform various exercises with a bad form. This way they put even more pressure on their back and create even worse imbalances.

Then, they might get injured, and looking for solutions they decide to try a different sport, thinking that this will make the pain or the imbalance go away. They try a different activity that involves different muscles, leaving the injured muscles involved in the primary sport to rest and heal. They think like this: “Since I can’t do bodybuilding anymore, then I’ll do Cross Fit. Since I can’t run anymore, then maybe I can bike or skate or swim”.

Sure, it’s great to try new activities and always be active. But changing the sport is not the solution and will not heal the imbalances or the pain. Even though it may help to counter the effects of sport specificity (training at only one sport), it is not the complete answer to injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, and balanced training. And there are two main reasons for that:

First of all, stopping a certain sport or activity does not fix the imbalance that was created or been aggravated by that activity. Sure, you will feel a bit better. But when you will start that activity again, the same imbalance will cause the same injury over and over again. The tightness will still be there.

The muscles don’t get longer by themselves (unless you do specific stretches and protocols). If you ran track in your high school years and now you are forty and haven’t run a day ever since your muscles are as tight as they were on the day you stopped running.

Of course that you lost your fitness and strength, but unless you have done something about it, the muscles are exactly the same length as they were in high school. Some people go through their entire life with muscle imbalances and tightness, not even realizing they have a problem or not knowing what the problem is. And in case you had an injury because of that tightness, if you decide to start running again, the same injury will return like a ghost to haunt you.

To better understand this concept, let’s take this example: you go over a big pothole with your car, which knocks the front end out of alignment. You keep on going not realizing there is a problem, and then one of the tires gets thinner until it completely breaks.

You then get a flat tire and stop in order to replace it. But as you start to drive again with the car still not aligned, the new tire will begin to wear in the exact same place, eventually breaking up again.

Lots of people got injured, took a break, then resumed the activity and developed the same injury again. So what should you do in this case? You need to fix the muscle imbalances and structural irregularities first, before starting the activity again.

There are plenty of ways to do that, and we are here to help! And we not only work with athletes or sports enthusiasts, but we also work with moms and regular people with various conditions. For example, a mom might have carried their baby on one hip for two years, and now she started running and she has knee problems. She now needs to have another baby and carry him on the other hip, or she can get our treatment services that will heal the imbalance.

The second reason is that no sport perfectly balances and complements any other in strict biomechanical terms. Some sports do go well with one another, for example, cross-country skiing and distance running, while others don’t go so well (for example basketball and running).

Some sports have a good direct muscular crossover effect (for example rollerblading and cycling or climbing and kayaking), while others have little muscular crossover effect, like cycling and running. Besides this, most people hate to shift exercising priorities to the point of letting go of the level of achievement they worked so hard to reach.

Our center provides Yoga and Pilates Classes, as well as custom therapy designed to cure imbalances, realign, build power and flexibility. Contact Us today and tell us more about what is bothering you.

Why High-Intensity Workouts Are Not Great For Weight Loss

Why High-Intensity Workouts Are Not Great For Weight Loss

Many people are claiming most forms of cardio and working out are a waste of time and that the best way to lose fat is to do super intense HIIT workouts, group training or cross fit. As you are about to find out, this is not necessarily true. The weight loss effects of HIIT have been over-exaggerated, and there are other better ways to lose weight and get in shape.

It’s true that HIIT workouts have health benefits and can improve various markers of cardio-metabolic health, but they are not as effective for weight loss as some people like to think.

Exercise Is Not That Effective for Weight Loss In General

A study looked at 493 other studies made in the last 25 years on diet and exercise, and found out that exercise provides a very slight edge compared to dieting alone. Over the course of 15 weeks, aerobic exercises alone provided a weight loss of around 7 lbs., dieting alone provided around 18 lbs., while dieting and exercise combined resulted in an average of 20 lbs. of weight loss.

That’s just 3 lbs. extra compared to dieting alone. And for those 3 extra pounds, you would have to work out really hard, to sweat and give all your effort, to invest time and money, to stress your body and put pressure on your joints.

Also, a part of the Heritage Family Study tracked more than 500 men and woman during a 20-week exercise program. What they found out after 60 intense workouts were that the subjects lost just around 2 lbs., showing that aerobic exercise is not a major factor in weight loss.

HIIT

But let’s get back to HIIT. People are claiming that it is so effective because of its “afterburn effect”, which claims that your body is still burning calories even after the workout is over. This is true but to a very small extent. The rumors about that magical afterburn effect have been way exaggerated.

This study showed that HIIT gives an extra caloric expenditure of around 226 calories, which were burned during and immediately after exercising, but having no impact on resting metabolism 23 hours after the workout. Comparing this to 45 minutes of steady cardio which burns around 700 calories (519 during the workout and 190 after it had finished), doesn’t make HIIT that great for weight loss.

A meta-analysis of the Australian scientists examined multiple studies and concluded that there is no evidence to support that HIIT is more effective for burning body fat, nor is steady-state cardio.

More Reasons To Avoid High-Intensity Workouts

Here are a few other reasons why high-intensity workouts, group classes, cross fit or boot camp style workouts are not that effective for weight loss:

  • The workouts are making people hungrier, and since most of them are already obese, it means they do not have a proper diet. So high-intensity workouts only make them eat more of the junk food that made them fat in the first place

  • Most classes do not properly train all participants on how to correctly perform all of the exercises. Usually, there is only one trainer that teaches in front of 30 people, so they don’t get the chance to personally adjust the execution of each participant. This leads to bad movement patterns on top of the dysfunctional patterns people already have from sitting all day long

  • Such intense workouts make participants feel exhausted instead of being fresh and energetic

  • If people do not get enough sleep, not only they will not lose weight, but they will feel tired the next day. And in search of more energy, they will turn to sugar and other junk food that will make them gain weight instead of losing it

  • These workouts are great for getting you pumped and hyped up, but they do not relax you mentally in order to reduce cortisol. This hormone plays a huge role in weight loss

What To Do Instead?

As multiple studies have shown it, the single best way to lose weight is through dieting. There are lots of diets out there, but they are all based on the same principle: a caloric deficit.

We suggest to start with detox and then to follow a healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and is not an extreme one focused on heavily restricting certain foods or macronutrients.

We also recommend taking classes that will help you relax and get rid of daily stress. When you are on a diet you are even more stressed than usual, so classes like Yoga and Pilates can help you a lot.

Our 30-day jump start program includes unlimited Yoga, Pilates & Exercise classes, posture screening, and body metrics, a 30-minute goal setting and strategy session, as well as a personalized class calendar to achieve your personal goals. Our experts are here to change your life! Click here to find out more.

Pelvic Floor – The Base Of Your Core

Pelvic Floor - The Base Of Your Core

Your body is a majestic work of art. Different concepts and ideas have been morphed together to create symmetry and functional physics so you can do all sorts of things. You have a number of nerves, vessels, muscles and bones carefully put together to perform certain functions.

Most parts of the human body show symmetry and this is mirrored in different parts like eyes, ears, arms etc. The hip bone also shows symmetry. What most people do not know is that we have two hip bones that are fused together. Now, imagine this, your conjoined hip bone is like a bowl or a vase with its bottom cut. So naturally, a vase needs some sort of base to hold all of the beautiful flowers it contains. That’s where the pelvic floor comes in.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is literally a floor for the pelvis (the lower part of the torso between the abdomen and the legs). It is made up of a group of muscles, arranged in layers, that stretches out like a hammock attached to the symphysis pubis (the place where two hip bones join in the front) and the coccyx (the tail bone that is considered the very end of the spine, and is present at the back).

What is the pelvic floor?

Where is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is present at the bottom of the pelvis (the area between the abdomen and the legs). To get a general idea, your pelvic floor has holes for your anus and urethra to pass through. So now, you can imagine where your pelvic floor is.

What is the importance of pelvic floor?

This hammock of muscles acts to support all the pelvic organs like the bladder, womb (uterus) and bowel (colon). These organs have openings to the outside of the body through tubes, namely, urethra, vagina and anus. The urethra (present in the front most from where you pee), the vagina (present in the middle of urethra and anus) and the anus (present at the back from where you poop) all pass through the pelvic floor muscles. So every time these pelvic floor muscles contract, it would tighten the tubes and every time the pelvic floor muscles relax, it would loosen the tubes. In this way, the pelvic floor muscles can be held responsible for regulating micturation (the process of passing urine), sexual activity, and defecation (the process of eliminating feces/ poop from the body). Therefore, the dual role of the pelvic floor is to provide support for the pelvic viscera (bladder, bowel and uterus) and maintain the functional integrity of these organs.  Hence, it is necessary to keep your pelvic floor muscles strong.

The pelvic floor can be activated along with the surrounding muscles in association with the body and lumbopelvic posture as well as sitting posture. In patients with incontinence, urine usually leaks out in the standing position as a result of gravity and pressure from the pelvic organs on the musculofascial supportive structures. Learning to activate the pelvic floor can be helpful in patients of incontinence.

In addition, it was detected that the pelvic floor muscles showed a feed-forward response during arm and leg lifts in women, according to research in Sweden. This was especially evident in women who had previously given birth and were without lumbopelvic pain. These normal speed movements set off an electromyographic response for pelvic floor muscles.

Due to the constant burden on pelvic floor muscles, with the added effect of pregnancy and labor in women, the pelvic floor can become weakened or lax with age. Since the pelvic floor supports various organs, continuous pressure or an increase thereof can lead to prolapse.

What are some methods or techniques to activate the pelvic floor?

The muscles of the pelvic floor are so out of tune with our body that we may not know how to control them. To relearn how we can control the different types of muscles in that area is called activation of the pelvic floor.

The first thing on the checklist is knowing which muscle is which. This can be done by squatting and trying to tighten all those different tubes. This would help in recognizing the muscles. Try to stop midstream when urinating. Remember, do not tighten your buttocks. Squeeze and draw in the muscles around your anus and your vagina at the same time while lifting them up inside as if you are trying to suck in water inside them. Make sure you are breathing correctly. You should have a sense of lift each time you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, trying to hold them strong and tight all the while counting to 8. Now, let the muscles go and relax, just like your thighs. You should have a distinct feeling of letting go of ad relaxation.

It is best to rest for about 8 seconds in between each lift up of the muscles. Of course, it is possible that you cannot hold for 8. In this case, just hold for as long as you can. 

Repeat this “squeeze and lift” as many times as you can, up to a limit of 8 to 12 squeezes.

Try to do three repetitions of 8 to 12 squeezes each, with a rest in between.

Do this whole training plan (three sets of 8 to 12 squeezes) each day while lying down, sitting or standing.

What is the cause of pelvic floor weakness?

Muscles of the pelvic floor are most often not used voluntarily but they play quite a role involuntarily when we shift all of our stress to this area. You see, every time we are faced with a stressful situation, the muscles of the pelvic floor clench themselves. This constant state of clenching hinders the power of the muscles to perform well as they might not contract and be stuck in their contracted state.

This lack of control of pelvic floor muscles leads to a lack of control of other important bodily functions like micturation, defecation, sexual activity, et cetera.

What is the relationship of the pelvic floor with latent energy and Kundalini?

All the negative energy from stress situations is gathered in the pelvic floor. This collection of energy must be released in order to maintain a balance. Different postural variations in exercise and yoga play an important role in stress release. Kundalini energy is a term used to refer to this energy that is locked in the Mula banda (pelvic region). This area is best stimulated while strategically contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor in coordination with your breathing and contraction and relaxation of other muscles of the body. Repeatedly exercising for a good five minutes will result in shifting of this energy upward and outside the body.

What is the relationship of the pelvic floor and breathing?

The pelvic floor is depressed downwards when we breathe in. This is because the air that enters the lungs puts pressure on the diaphragm. The diaphragm pushes on the organs below and the pressure is transmitted via the pelvic organs to the pelvic floor. It is said that while breathing in, the pelvic floor must not be contracted, so as not to squash the pelvic organs. To the pelvic floor should be relaxed. Whereas when breathing out, there is no positive pressure on either the pelvic floor or the organs, so, the floor can be contracted now.

How to Prevent Injury During Distance Running Training

How to Prevent Injury

How to prevent Injury during Distance Running Training

The risk of injury in distance running increases as severe and sudden changes made in the training schedule, it could be a sudden increase in the number of days in a week you are to train. Almost all runners battle with one or more injuries each year. Every runner has a different mental and physical condition. A good coach that will help evaluates factors in detail that influences a training program should be hired, contribute to set up a training program depending on the runner’s mix.

Aiming to get an effective and safe system? Then Jack Daniels principles of training listed below can serve.

  • Knowledge of your training necessities

Since what works perfectly for one might not work for another, you always have to keep in mind the purpose of the training session and specific needs to achieve the goal.

  • Setting your own pace

Copying the current, and previous champion’s approach to training doesn’t always work, but can be used to support your training program. Challenge yourself with training on the foundation of scientific principles. “When you hear about a new approach to training, don’t just try to copy it rather try to analyze it,” says Jack Daniels. Know the benefits to your body’s system.

Do not follow all publicly released athlete’s training, because to gain recognition, some runners lie about their training schedule and even in the training log to give people the impression that their training is demanding.

Another risk of following previous champions, training is the difference in body type. According to Jack Daniels, know your type of body, your strengths, and weaknesses, be true to yourself regarding your abilities, try to learn what works for you, why it works for you, and why you are considering trying something new in your approach. Before you follow a suggested workout, know your present fitness level, experience level, and goals.

The following sets of questions are adapted from “Jack Daniels,” and will help in evaluating an athlete’s training needs. In the process of your distance running training, you must ask yourself this list of questions:

What is your present fitness level? Are you ready to train and compete?

How much time in a week(s) are you available for a season’s best performance?

How many hours in a day, days in a week will you be available for training?

What are your pros and cons, as regards speed, endurance, aerobic capacity, economy, and reaction to different amounts of running?

What training type do you prefer? To what training-type do you respond well too psychologically? What specific event are you preparing for?

How should periodic races fit into the training program?

What are the environmental conditions of the distance running competition?

Injury is less about damaged tissues and more about your sensitivity and irritation. Addition of weight lifting and jump to your training could help reduce injuries. Try not to go overboard during workouts as this may increase the risk of injury. After the marathon, allow your body to rest for a week or two before setting another goal.

Distance Running Tools

Distance Running Tools

The Gears

Just like in every sport, preparation for a full marathon means getting the right tools. For those aspiring to reach their goals, you must ensure to get the right gear/tools and accessories that will augment your speed, endurance, motivation, and strength. Here are some gears preparation tips to help ease the stress of you going to look for them yourself.

Running Clothe

Wearing the appropriate running attire will help prevent external running hazards from getting to your body.

We will be starting with running shorts. Remember when choosing a short ensure it is not too tight (which may lead to improper blood circulation) or to lose (to prevent it from falling off your waist). There are two types of shorts runners can decide to opt for

  • Traditional running shorts

These runnings short are not very close but are short. They provide excellent cooling and comfort. Regular running shorts are designed with microfiber and wicking briefs; although they are a bit expensive, it gives support for distance runners by directing cooling to a specific area.

  • Compression or Cycling shorts

Compression shorts, on the other hand, are mostly used by athletes who do not like their thigh flab poking out because of its unflattering snugness that prevents friction against the thighs.

Tops

Distance runners could either opt-in for Singlets, short sleeves, or long sleeves, depending on the weather type and the runner’s preferences. However, do not use tops made with cotton material while tops made with polyester are widely accepted because of its ability to absorb and dry up the sweat quickly, keeping you dry, comfortable, and fresh. For adverse weather, sports jackets are allowed. They help in keeping one dry and warm throughout the race.

Shoes

Running shoes contributes mainly to the runner’s comfort level. You need to select a pair that fits your type of foot, and allows free movement of the foot muscles. It also shapes the manner at which you run.

Socks

Sweating on the feet is common to athletes running a distance of 5 km or more. (Feet) Sweats can make you uncomfortable and could lead to soreness of the feet. Long marathon races require socks with materials that absorb sweats.

Accessories

Running accessories may include head and wrist bands, hats(protects us from wind), speed monitors. The speed monitor is used for calculating the distance traveled on the course of running and keeping track of the overall time taken to cover a specific range. Accessories eliminate the stress/hassle of using an odometer for measurement.

Hydration packs can also be added to the list of running accessories since it helps you maintain an optimal hydration level.

For female runners, the right bra for sport is essential. It reduces the uncontrollable burst movement that tends to stress the burst ligament and can cause pain on the burst.

During the preparation of a marathon, you have to ensure you are comfortable in your choice of chosen gears, i.e., the tops, shoes, shorts, socks, and any additional accessories, when all the selected speeds are on point, then you are a step closer to achieving your goals.

Distance Running Random Tips

Distance Running Random Tips

The popularity of running is rapidly increasing in the world of sport. Just by knowing you don’t require any athletic qualification (you need to know how to run) and its other great benefits, has played a significant role in the popularity increase.

Here are 6 random tips about distance running that will get you started or even more prepared.

The Mind

The mind places a significant role in distance running, as people will say “success starts from the mind,” i.e., your kind if mindset determines how much of a successful being you can be and vice versa. Although the reality of distance running been hard is right, having a positive mindset does the trick.

When a new body begins an exercise, there will be some resistance from the body. The person will encounter difficulty in breathing, muscles ache, and tiredness. All these are enough reasons to quit but that is where the power of the mind and mental attitude comes into play, but the zeal to succeed will keeps you going.

The secret, Start slow

Keeping the pace low at first is extremely important although stiffness of muscles and lung issues (like difficulty in breathing) might arise at first but eases up as you continue. First run is always the hardest; therefore, you are to pick a short distance, run two to five times weekly with rest in between, then you can progress from there. Finding a running partner makes it more fun.

Gears

Choosing of shoe and clothe for running is to be supervised by the sport store clerk, more importantly, the shoes should be made for running, must be flat (with little or no heel slippage), and must also fit well to avoid injuries on the muscles of the feet and bruises on the toenails while running.

Food

Distance running requires a lot of energy, strength, and endurance which brings carbohydrates(known as energy givers)to the top of the list, followed by protein(known as a body-builder)needed to help build strong muscles. Lack of carbohydrates in the body results in muscle fatigue, low blood sugar, low endurance level and many more which can make you give it up faster than expected.

Let’s not forget about water which is also as important as food, and needed throughout the race. Whether you are thirsty or not you have to make drinking water every 10 to 20 minutes a habit since the fluid in our body is dissipated/released as we run via sweat.

Endurance

Increasing running distance is suggested once one becomes stable and comfortable with their running, and must be done gradually (i.e., at most 10% increase every week).To ensure your endurance level remains on point, setting a long-term goal is suggested, these goal keeps you going but remember the slower, the better.

Training logs

The log is another valuable tool that is to be filled daily and must be detailed. Here you are to record all your running details that include pulse rates, distances covered, rest days, comments on being tired. It also helps in the planning of future activities.

Distance running is fun; you have to enjoy it. Although you have to exercise patience in the journey to become a successful distance runner you also have to train the right way, eat good food and have enough rest.

Crossing Countries in Distance Running

Crossing Countries

Running has lots of benefits, which includes enhancing you physically by giving you a well-chiseled physique and stimulates the release of endorphins (during the peak of the race) which helps fight pain and stress naturally. For this is the reason, more communities have joined, and are still participating in the fight to ensure running is globally recognized. There have been lots of competitions, shows, and events as regards distance running, one of which is known as “cross-country.”

How is Cross Country Running done?

Let’s get your engine revving by pinpointing what cross-country running is all about. It is merely a type of race done on open-air and over terrain which is natural for example grass. This race can be done as a team or individually and people of different ages are allowed to compete. Cross-country running events occur at a different temperature, especially during winter and autumn. Before joining this event have it in mind to encounter muddy grounds, hill, flat surface, woodlands, and lots of dirt.

Starting off the race

Signals like a horn sound or a gun fired once indicates the competition has, i.e., head to the finish line. Most times in this race teams are assigned their boxes popularly known as bullpen along the beginning area. The bullpen can sometimes be big enough to take the whole team, but when this is not the case, and the space available is for only one runner, then the other side members will have to wait in line for their turn. Each team must consist of 2-7 runners for your team to have an advantage once the race starts; they have to be smart and quick because of people converging on a very narrow path.

In cross-country competition, the loops should be between 1,750metersto 2,000meters with about 400meters to 1,200meters of leveled terrain, i.e., no turning included. This is done to avoid/reduce congestion at the beginning of the race. In the middle of the race, runners are reminded to stay on the path marked and avoid running over the items(such as ribbon, flags, tapes, e.t.c) used as a marker to tell the runners where to turn or go to avoid creating confusion.

Ending of the race

Just like every other type of sport, this also has a finish line (the end) to ends. A chute or funnel usually marks the finish line, i.e., a long walkway made or marked with either rope or flags. This is typically done just to ensure a single file order and to enable proper scoring.

The race is scored by adding up four to five top finishing positions of the individuals in a team.

In cross-country running, it doesn’t just take your endurance and speed alone to win. It takes teamwork meaning every member of your team has to be up and doing. Some persons have advised that team members should run in a group, but this seems to be impossible since every individual has a limit to which their capacity can take thereby making some members of a team lag behind.

Becoming A Victorious Distance Runner

Victorious Distances

Running is not only a fun-filled activity, but it is also a serious event that can be life-altering. The more distance an athlete covers in a designated time frame, the more accomplished he or she feels both physically and even psychologically. Becoming a successful runner especially in long distances requires the building of some particular component that would give a boost to skill, thereby making you adequately ready for the race.

Here is an essential list of routines/training that helps you boost your skills, and also helps you get ready for a race.

The Fartlek:

Fartlek is a Swedish term for speed play and is tagged an essential component in the distance running. Fartlek is done by carefully bursting into speed while in the middle of the race training. It merely means intermixing of some periods running fast and some periods of running slow. Fartlek allows your legs to utilize various paces. The basic of the Fartlek is to help the athlete know the time he or she can go at an individual pace. It’s essential that Fartlek should not be overdone, i.e., Ensuring the body can maintain the speed it is running.

The Hills:

Just like the name implies, it means running on a hill or an inclined plane. This training requires lots of mental and will power. Hill and incline routines and sessions help in building up of the muscles especially that of your clave, therefore giving you an edge(regarding power, speed, and leverage)overrunning on the flat surface field since the same muscle groups used in the hill and inclined session are used on the flat surface field too. Hill routine also offers the benefit of preventing injuries, since muscles around your knee are improved and strengthens during the method.

The Interval:

Intervals involve a short time frame of running hard and a longer time frame of resting in which you can either jog or walk. This training will be done on the track where distances are clearly defined. The interval running involves mostly speed workouts whereby both the length and pace is accurately laid out before you even begin. This routine helps the athlete become more efficient physiologically over some time.

The Tempo Run:

Tempo Run is known as the least complicated speed workouts; this is because the track of the distance is not kept and doesn’t require regular recalling of the time split. During this training, your body realizes how to run economically thereby enabling an increase in your speed level and maximizing your body’s endurance.

The Long Run:

The long-run is said to be the most crucial because it gives your body the needed endurance and stamina (both physically and mentally) that will carry you throughout the distant runs.

Practice makes perfect and building towards distance running is no joke, but if you follow the basic routine listed above before you head out to the road or track, you can be sure you are on your way to becoming a successful athlete.