The effects of plantar short foot muscles exercises on long-distance runners

The effects of plantar short foot muscles exercises on long-distance runners

The plantar intrinsic foot muscles play a crucial role in supporting the medial longitudinal arch, providing the foot stability and flexibility for shock absorption.

Researchers suggest that when intrinsic foot muscles fatigue, there people may move more easily into the pronated position. This excessive pronation, may cause overloading of the knee joint or may be the cause of other changes in proximal part of the lower extremity.

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Taking up running? Here’s what you need to know to make it to February

Taking up running? Here’s what you need to know to make it to February

"On your very first run your body will have become suddenly aware that it needs to remodel to match its new training loads. Our muscular system responds to training easily, and can repair and rebuild in a matter of days. And, because the heart and lungs are part of this system they too will improve rapidly. After just a few runs, the cardiorespiratory system will become more efficient making you feel fitter and stronger. And this is at the core of where most new runners get into trouble. The tragedy is that other soft structures, connective tissues like tendons and ligaments, are just as weak as when you stepped out for your very first run. They are slower to repair and remodel than muscles, and about ten days in to your new regime, they will probably have completed the adaptation from only your first run."

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Why running could keep you awake at night

Why running could keep you awake at night

"You’ve probably heard people say they enjoy running because it lets them switch off. Perhaps you feel that way yourself. Well recent research in mice suggests there may actually be a scientific basis for this, because brain activity really does decrease when you’re performing a simple, repetitive action. What’s more, while running may tire your body out, such exercise might actually reduce your brain’s need for sleep."

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The dreaded side stitch - why do we get it and how can we stop it?

The dreaded side stitch - why do we get it and how can we stop it?

"A stitch in medical terms is known as “exercise-related transient abdominal pain”. People often describe it as a sharp or stabbing pain, or sometimes cramping, aching or pulling in the side, just below the ribs. Some people can overcome the pain and continue to exercise, but most will need to slow down or stop for relief."

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The extraordinary science of sweat

The extraordinary science of sweat

"As a species, over short distances, we are hopeless runners. We might be able to go a long way but what use is that if we can’t catch anything? The truth is that we never could if it weren’t for several factors that make us identifiably human. And it is our ability to perspire which renders them all effective. So we may have perfect bodies for distance running, but those features that enable us to move so effectively are useless without correct temperature control."

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Running makes you smarter – here’s how

Running makes you smarter – here’s how

"As far back as the Greeks and Romans, humans have documented the belief that there is a strong link between exercise and intelligence. But in the last two decades, neuroscience has begun to catch up with Thales and Juvenal’s idea that a sound mind flourishes in a healthy body. While the studies unite in telling us that running will makes us smarter, it is only partly true. The process is more complicated and reveals more about the wonderful complexities of both the human body and its evolution. Although the science might be helping us to understand how the mechanisms work, an important question remains: why does running make us smarter?"

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