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What’s your Vo2 Max?

April 17, 2012 By

What is Vo2 Max?

Vo2 max refers to the maximal oxygen uptake (aka  maximal oxygen consumption, peak oxygen uptake or maximal aerobic capacity), which is the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise.  This reflects an individual’s physical fitness level.  The name Vo2 max comes from V – volume, O2 – oxygen, max – maximum.  VO2 max is expressed either as an absolute rate in litres of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as a relative rate in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute (ml/kg/min).  The latter expression is often used to compare the performance of endurance sports athletes.

What is Vo2 Max for?

If you know a person’s VO2 max, you will be able to determine a wide range of values such as how many calories a person burns, their fitness level, speed and distance ability, MET capabilities and much more.

This measurement is generally considered the best indicator of an athlete’s cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Theoretically, the more oxygen you can use during high level exercise, the more ATP (energy) you can produce. This is often the case with elite endurance athletes who typically have very high VO2 max values.

Aside from genetic factors, three other components have a large influence on VO2 max:

  • Age - Although it varies greatly by individual and training programs, in general VO2 max is the highest at age 20 and decreases nearly 30 percent by age 65.
  • Gender - Many elite female athletes have higher VO2 max values than most men. But because of differences in body size and composition, blood volume and hemoglobin content, a woman’s VO2 max is in general about 20 percent lower than a man’s VO2 max.
  • Altitude - Because there is less oxygen at higher altitude an athlete will generally have 5 percent decrease in VO2 max results with a 5,000 feet gain in altitude.

V02 Max Highs and Lows

VO2 max results vary greatly. The average for a sedentary individual is close to 35 ml/kg/min. Elite endurance athletes often average 70 ml/kg/min. One of the highest recorded VO2 max results (90 ml/kg/min) was that of a cross country skier. Cyclist Lance Armstrong’s VO2 max was reported at 85 ml/kg/min.

Does a High V02 Max Mean Better Athletic Performance?
Most elite athletes will have VO2 max values well over 60ml/kg/min, this number alone is not a guarantee of elite performance. A high VO2 max may indicate an athlete’s potential for excellent aerobic endurance, but many other factors can determine the winner of a particular race. Some of these factors include:

  • Skills Training
  • Psychological Preparation
  • Lactate Threshold Training
  • Rest and Recovery
  • Nutrition

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Need to Burn Fat Faster?

May 23, 2011 By

5 Tips to Burn Fat Faster

Burn Fat Faster Tip 1: Increase Resistance

When was the last time you varied the resistance on the cardio machine of your choice? It’s time to break a good sweat with increasing resistance by changing the level. If it’s a treadmill increase the elevation, have you tried jogging at level 6 gradation? It will get you sweating in no time! The harder you work here the higher your heart rate and the more fat you will burn even after you have stepped away from the machine!

Burn Fat Faster Tip 2: Supersets

A superset is when you do two or more exercises right after each other without a rest period. For example say you are working on your arms today. Try doing dumbbell bicep curls and bench dips rich after each other. This allows your biceps to begin recovering while you workout your triceps, at the same time it will quicken your workout and create a serious challenge.

I like to do this near the end of my workouts because it is so energy draining. With high reps super sets are great for toning, adding definition and giving you a serious muscle-adrenaline pump!

Burn Fat Faster Tip 3: Jumping Rope Between Sets

Jumping rope is one of the best cardiovascular exercises on the planet. It incorporates training your ability to coordinate all your body parts to work together and gets your heart beating very quickly. Now try adding this between the sets of any exercise and you’ve turned your body into a fat-burning oven!

Burn Fat Faster Tip 4: Combine Exercises

This goes along the lines of your supersets, but is a little different as you want to combine two exercises in one entire movement. For instance, lunging with dumbells and then doing an overhead press with those dummbells. What this does is condition all your muscles from head to toe so you burn fat and tone your entire body in one move! Impressive, and extremely exhausting at the same time so use this technique once or twice per workout.

Burn Fat Faster Tip 5: Circuit Cardio Training

So many do circuit training with their weights, but what about circuit training with cardio machines? This variation principle will shock your body like those electric paddles they use in ER! Try 5 minutes bike machine, 5 minutes treadmill, and 5 minutes elliptical trainer, this 15 minute cardio workout will burn fat faster far greater than one cardio machine alone because different muscles will come into play with each machine and your body will have to keep adapting.

Burn Fat Faster Supplements:

 

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7 Steps to a Rock Hard 6-Pack

May 13, 2011 By

Forget for a moment that the shape of your midsection largely determines how good you’ll look on the beach this summer — and how well you’ll play volleyball. We’ll get back to that in a minute. The pursuit of abs goes deeper. You strive for a six-pack as if your life depended on it, and now science proves that it does. At a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, research was presented declaring that waist circumference is more conclusive than either weight or body-mass index (BMI) as a measure of disease risk.

Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., author of The South Beach Diet, puts it this way: “Abdominal fat is different and more dangerous than fat elsewhere. Unlike fat directly under the skin, belly fat, which adheres to organs, is associated with increases in C-reactive protein (CRP) and other markers of inflammation that can lead to heart disease.”

Motivated yet? Good. We trust you’ll lay off the fries and onion rings. Remember, if your body fat is too high, it doesn’t matter how wisely you work your abs — they won’t show. (For most men, anything over 10 percent body fat keeps your abs in hiding.)

For the next month, work your abs according to the following steps and try this eating tip from Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook: “I make two peanut-butter-and-honey sandwiches every day; I eat one for lunch at 11 and one for my second lunch at 3,” Clark says. Notice that the 3 o’clock feeding is a “second lunch,” not an “afternoon snack.” Too many men equate snack time with, well, snacks — junk food. You’ll eat smarter (whole grains and muscle-building protein) and not need as big a dinner if you allow for a second lunch. Plus, you’ll have more energy for a better workout in the afternoon or evening.

This, in turn, will keep your insulin levels steady. When insulin is in excess (from too much sugar and not enough exercise), it can turn on you, depositing fat into your gut. Or worse. “When the pancreas burns out after years of producing excess insulin, that’s when buildup begins in arteries; that can cause heart attacks and strokes,” Dr. Agatston says.

Train with 2 Types of Exercise

Some abs exercises are based on movement. Others focus more on balance, so your abs contract harder to keep your body stable. “Most men have difficulty with either stabilization or mobilization,” says Carter Hays, C.S.C.S., a Houston-based personal trainer and a performance-enhancement specialist for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Include both types of moves in a workout to challenge your abs.

For instance, try performing a Swiss-ball rollout (mobilization), followed by a Swiss-ball crunch (stabilization). To do the rollout, kneel in front of the ball with your forearms pressed against it. Keeping your knees and feet in place, roll the ball in front of you so your hips, torso, and arms slide forward. Advance as far as you can without arching your back, then pull back to the starting position.

Get More from Your Cardio

Strip away abdominal fat by switching around your cardio routine so you run hard early. In a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, eight men ran for 30 minutes on two separate days.

In the first session, the men ran at a relatively high intensity — 80 percent of their maximum heart rate — for 15 minutes, then slowed to 60 percent for the final 15 minutes. In the other session, they ran the slower part first.

The men burned 5 to 10 percent more fat when they ran faster at the start of the workout. “And this is only a 30-minute workout,” says Jie Kang, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. “If you extrapolate that to a longer workout three to five times a week, things can add up.”

Here’s why it works: To burn fat, your body first breaks down fat tissue into fat molecules. “Our study found that this works better when your abs exercise is done at a relatively high intensity,” says Kang. Next, molecules go to your cells to be burned, which Kang says can occur at relatively lower intensities.

The best part: You’ll feel as if you’re burning fat easier than ever. Kang measured the participants’ perceived exertion — how hard they felt they were working. Turns out the body feels fatigued late in a workout, regardless of what you do.

Stay Hydrated

This one’s almost too easy, but drinking plenty of water not only helps you burn fat, but also builds more muscle. “All creatine does is force fluid into the muscle,” says Hays. “Your body will do that itself if there’s enough water available.”

Skip the Bonus Abs Routine

Edging closer to sharp abs can tempt you to work them every day. Don’t. Training more can actually make your abs show less. “You don’t need to overwork your abs — they’re no different from any other muscle,” says Hays. “If you’re always in a state of overtraining, you’re going to get more laxity in your muscles.”

In other words, they’ll appear soft. Instead, add resistance to make moves you already do more challenging. For instance, hold a light weight plate during a Russian twist or Swiss-ball crunch. Then give your muscles time to rest.

Do More Total-Body Exercise

Isolation moves like crunches are great for developing your muscles, but they don’t burn much fat. You’re better off training multiple muscle groups at once, says Hays. Total-body exercise burns more calories and also causes a greater release of muscle-building hormones

Try combination moves, like the reverse lunge to cable chest fly. Stand between a cable station’s weight stacks and grab a pulley handle with each hand. Hold your arms straight in front of you. Then step back with one leg, bend your knees, and let your arms move out to the sides. Pause when your back knee is just off the floor and your upper body looks like a T, then push yourself back up while you pull your arms together. Repeat the move with your other leg in the back position.

Get Off the Floor

Define the lower portion of the rectus abdominis (your six-pack muscle) with a Swiss-ball reverse crunch, but instead of doing the move on the floor, hop on a bench. “It allows for a greater range of motion,” says Gregory Joujon-Roche, C.P.T., president of Holistic Fitness, in Los Angeles.

Lie faceup on the edge of a bench with a Swiss ball pinched between your heels and hamstrings. Keeping your abs drawn in, roll your pelvis off the bench and, maintaining the same knee angle, bring your knees toward your chest. Slowly lower the ball. As soon as your back begins to arch on the way down, that’s the end of your range of motion. Pause at this point for a few seconds before finishing your set. Try five sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Go Deep

Abdominal muscles are multilayered, but most men focus only on the outermost layer with exercises like the crunch. So look for moves that work the abdominal muscles closest to the spine, such as the plank. Strengthening these tiny stabilizers will provide a solid foundation to allow your six-pack muscles to grow stronger and bigger. For more exercises, check out The Abs Diet Online. It also provides you with a nutrition plan designed by our experts to target that pesky midsection.

 

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GymyGym Chair Doubles As A Workout Machine

May 10, 2011 By

It turns out that scrolling down a web page doesn’t provide as much of a physical workout as I had once hoped. So my dreams of getting in shape while doing nothing but surfing the web now solely rely on this fitness-friendly office chair known as the GymyGym. Besides providing a comfortable place to sit through the use of a “flat-bungee seating system” which promotes proper posture throughout the day, the GymyGym also incorporates 4 different ‘exercise stations’ for lack of a better description.

Underneath the seat are a few extra lengths of the aforementioned bungee cord attached to handles and velcro straps that allow you to do a series of strengthening exercises for your legs, arms and other muscle groups. The different routines are performed while standing or sitting, depending on what part of your body you’re working out, so you may not necessarily be able to get a full body workout while browsing your favorite website. But thanks to a couple of tension control systems also located beneath the chair, you can crank things up to 11 and really feel the burn when you do manage to sneak in a couple of reps. At $599 the chair is a bit pricey, putting it in competition with more lust-worthy models from Herman Miller, but the fact that it’s made from 95% recycled materials should appeal to eco-minded fitness enthusiasts.

 

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Ab Workouts to Lose Belly Fat

May 4, 2011 By

People who are longing to have a lean stomach should definitely have a look at the following ab workouts to lose belly fat. The ab workouts given below are specially designed to make sure your ab muscles get a terrific workout and stay in great shape.

The fashion of having great abs and a lean stomach is still there and looking at the current scenario, I think it’s going to be there for a long time. Most people today, especially young adults, are bitten by the fitness bug. They want great attractive bodies but they normally forget that a good looking body requires a lot of hard work and dedication while exercising. It’s always helpful to know about the different exercises for different body parts, one of them being ab exercises for the stomach. Today, the main goal of any individual is to have perfect abs and this can be achieved if you practice ab workouts religiously to lose belly fat.

Best Ab Workouts to Lose Belly Fat

Every year, many of us vow to get rid of belly fat and also work on getting those six pack abs. The main reason for getting a lean stomach or six pack abs is very simple; you feel good about yourself, your self-esteem increases, you have an attractive body to flaunt and everyone wants to know who you are. So, here are some of the best ab exercises to lose belly fat.

Plank
Take a push up position with your elbows and bend your entire body weight resting on your arms. Once your body is positioned in a straight line, hold back your abs for 40 seconds and release it. Rest for 10 to 20 seconds and perform it again. You can repeat this exercise 3 to 4 times.

Reverse Crunch
One of the best ab workouts to get rid of belly fat is the reverse crunch. Lie down on a flat bench with your knees bent and your legs raised above. For maximum stability, you can grab the bench with your hands and using your ab muscles, bring the knees closer to the chest. Hold this crunch position for a few seconds and perform 10 to 15 reps in each set.

Side Plank
An easy ab workout to lose belly fat is by performing the side plank exercise. Take an exercise mat and lie down on your left side, raise your hips with the help of your left forearm until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to ankles. Now contract your abs and hold this position for 30 seconds. The side plank exercise should be performed 3 times with each hand.

Vertical Crunch
Start this effective ab workout by lying down straight on the exercise mat and raising your legs towards the ceiling. Place your hands behind your head for support and now put pressure on the abs by lifting up your shoulders from the mat. Perform 8 to 10 reps in each set.

Climber with Hands on Swiss Ball
Again take a push up position but this time, place your hands on an exercise ball. Pull your abs in and slowly raise your right leg towards your chest. Keep your knee elevated for few seconds and lower it slowly. Now do the same with the other leg. Perform at least 12 reps for each leg.

Exercise Ball Crunch
The main aim of the exercise ball is to give you a lean stomach without placing too much pressure on the back. Lie down on the exercise ball by placing it below the lower back. For additional support, place your hands behind your head. Now increase the resistance on your abs by raising your torso, and as you come up, make sure you maintain the balance of the ball. Hold this elevated position for few minutes and then come back to the original position. Perform 10 to 12 reps in each set.

So, these were some of the best ab workouts to lose belly fat. If you really want to shape up your abs, these are the exercises that you should follow religiously. Just remember that without a proper diet and an intensive cardio workout plan, these ab workouts won’t make much of a difference.

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Full Body Bodyweight Workout

May 3, 2011 By

Workout Summary:

Beginner
Build Muscle
1
Full Body

Description of Workout:

Go through each of these exercises 3 times, take minimal amounts of rest in between each exercise and then take 1-2 minutes in between each series of exercises.

The key to this workout, like any other, is progression. You should push for more reps each time you do this workout. If you get 14 pushups in week 1, you should try for 15 pushups in week 2. As long as you keep progressing you will get bigger and stronger.

Warm Up and Cool Down

  • 5 Minute warm up: Walk or Light Jog
  • 5 minute cool down: Walk or Light Jog
Bodyweight Workout
Fullbody
Exercise Sets Reps
Jump Squat 1 10-15
Push Up 1 15-20
Pull Up 1 10-15
Walking Lunge (Reps are for each leg) 1 10-15
Dips 1 10-15
Inverted Pull Ups 1 10-15
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Benefits of Exercises for Seniors

May 3, 2011 By

Most senior citizens tend to avoid exercising because of an underlying fear that they may get hurt, though the fact remains that it is necessary for a healthy mind and body. Read on to know more…
Aging is a natural process that brings about lots of changes in your body. You can see wrinkles appear on your skin and your hair turns gray. Then the muscle mass decreases and you lose strength in your limbs. Bones get degenerated due to loss of calcium. It results in loss of weight and stooped posture. As these changes occur, your movements, body balance and coordination get affected and you lose confidence in yourself. You can cope up with all these age related problems in a much better manner and regain your lost confidence with the help of exercises.

Health Benefits of Exercises for Seniors

Exercising has an amazing effect on the overall functioning of the body. It improves mobility and flexibility of the body. It can also alleviate symptoms of various chronic ailments. Some important points on benefits of exercises for seniors are discussed here:

  • Regular exercises improve immunity of the body. As a result, the immune system fights off infection causing pathogens well and ensures faster recovery from various illnesses.
  • It brings about improvement in the condition of cardiovascular health and enables your heart work properly and reduces the chances of cardiac problems. It also plays a vital role in lowering blood pressure.
  • It is good for digestive health. It improves digestion and eliminates unwanted toxins from the body and thus, keeps your body free from diseases.
  • Exercises increase the strength of the muscles. This in turn makes your daily activities like standing, walking, lifting objects, etc., much easier for you.
  • It prevents deterioration of bone density. Thus, it reduces the risk of fractured bones and provides protection from osteoporosis.
  • It lowers the risk of a number of age related chronic ailments that include dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, arthritis, colon cancer and many more.
  • Increase in physical activity improves stamina and helps to get rid of fatigue and weakness. You start feeling good about yourself. This makes you more confident and you can live independently.
  • It provides relief from unwanted stress and anxiety. When your mind and body is relaxed, then you can sleep better.
  • If you go to the gym or go to the park for walking, you get the scope to meet with other people. This improves your social interaction which is good for your psychological health.

Exercises for Senior Citizens

People irrespective of their age and health condition can do exercises. Some suitable exercises for senior citizens are given below:

Flexibility Exercises
As the name suggests, these exercises stretch the muscles and improve their flexibility. Thus, these exercises help to get rid of muscle soreness and joint stiffness which are quite common among elderly and promote mobility. They also protect the muscles and the joints from injury. Yoga, tai chi and Pilates are some well known flexibility exercises for older adults. However, those elderly people who cannot move their body or have body balance problems can perform some light stretching exercises sitting on a chair or bench. Like, opening and closing of the hands repeatedly or raising the feet above the ground and getting up from the chair without support are some good stretching exercise that can be done by everybody.

Aerobic Exercises
These exercises increase heart rate which enables the body to supply adequate amount of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues present in various part of the body. Moreover, it burns off extra calories. Walking, swimming, climbing stairs and cycling are few simple aerobic exercises that can be performed by elderly people. Doctors recommend 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercises. However, those of you who cannot do it for 30 minutes at a stretch, take small breaks after every 10 minutes while performing them.

Strength Training
Such exercises helps in improving the strength of the muscle with the help of repetitive movements. Push-ups and lifting weights are two strength training exercises. Initially, the number of push ups or the size of weights should be kept low. As the body gets used to it, you can increase them slowly. However, those with high blood pressure or any such health problems are advised to avoid strength training exercises.

Hope this article helps you to understand the benefits of exercises for seniors. Before starting your exercise regime, talk to your doctor once. They can provide you with suitable guidelines according to your medical history that you need to follow while exercising. Proper warm up and cool down is a must to avoid injuries. Select the right kind of exercises so that you can feel the interest to stick to it for a long time. If you do not like to exercise alone, then team up with a friend and workout in pairs.

 

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Diet Pills vs Exercise

May 2, 2011 By

The debate of diet pills vs exercise is an old one and has been raging since the early 1990s when doctors started prescribing diet pills to obese people…
The markets are flooded with diet pills that promise miracles to people with weight problems, they also claim to show studies that support their claim. Let us also admit that in today’s fast paced world not everyone has the time or the inclination to exercise. Companies manufacturing diet pills are getting richer by the day. Many of these pills are available readily over the counter and the store clerk has a piece of free advice for anyone who’s interested. People looking for a shortcut to fitness opt for these pills which make unverified claims.

There are several side effects associated with diet pills and this is the main reason why many prefer exercising over taking pills. Fitness experts believe that exercise is the best long term solution for people with weight problems. They argue that the reason people are overweight is, because of their unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Experts say that unless you change your eating habits and lifestyle diet pills aren’t going to work for you.

Diet Pills vs Exercise Debate

Diet Pills
Diet pills work on different principles to promote weight loss and most have herbal ingredients like green tea extracts and Hoodia. They work on different formulas ranging from appetite suppressants to increasing the metabolism. The ones that work as appetite suppressants, claim to quell the hunger pangs in the user. So if you don’t feel hungry you eat less and when that happens you will experience weight loss. The pills that increase metabolism rate in the user claim that they promote consumption of stored energy in the body to induce weight loss. Manufacturers claim that these diet pills work without exercise.

Exercise
One of the best ways to induce healthy weight loss is with cardiovascular exercises. Exercises will not only help you lose weight but will also improve your endurance and strengthen the muscles. Cardiovascular exercises also improve the blood-oxygen supply in the body and increase the metabolism rate naturally. Burning calories and excess fat through exercise is recommended by many fitness and medical experts. You will however, have to invest some time and energy in exercising to enjoy its benefits. Experts recommend at least 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular activity 4-5 times a week for good results.

The Expert Advice

There have been several studies that showcase that when diet pills are used in conjunction with exercise and a diet you get the best results. In one study participants who were given diet pills and put on a healthy diet and asked to exercise lost almost double the weight than participants who were just given the diet pills. So experts advise that if you are taking diet pills, support them by following healthy eating habits, making lifestyle changes and exercising regularly. Here are a few suggestions that can help you.

Diet
Include vegetables in your diet as they have high fiber content and will give you a feeling of full stomach even if you eat less. Many vegetables have negative calories meaning you lose more calories digesting them than you gain by eating them. Some veggies also work as diuretics and help the body wash away harmful toxins. Vegetables like celery, asparagus, spinach, cabbage, carrots, etc are good for you. Add fruits to your diet as they provide essential vitamins and have antioxidant qualities. Include fruits like apple, cantaloupe, orange, pineapple, watermelon, etc in your eating habits. Stay away from meats like beef and pork, instead eat chicken and fish if you planning to lose weight.

Exercise
Make a schedule and exercise regularly, do a combination of cardiovascular and resistance training exercises. Divide your week into 3 days of cardio exercises and 2 days of resistance training. Start your week with 30-40 minutes of cardio exercises like jogging or swimming. On day two do upper body resistance training exercises and workout the chest, shoulder, back and arm muscles. Day three do cardio exercises like aerobics or use fitness equipment like the elliptical and stair stepper. Day four is for lower body exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises and abdominal exercises like crunches and leg raises. Day five is again for cardio routines like aerobics and Tai Bo, basically anything that gives you a good cardiovascular workout.

It has been observed that people who take diet pills and support them with life style changes like curbing their alcohol, coffee and cigarette intake get the desired results. It is advisable to take diet pills only after consulting your physician.

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Skip the gym: 10 gadgets for getting fit at work

April 28, 2011 By

It’s January, and that means people will flock to their local gyms in an effort to make good on their New Year’s resolution to get back in shape. Of course, those dreams are usually dead by March because motivation wanes and the responsibility of work and family can often get in the way.

Perhaps multitasking is the answer — combining your work and your workouts. Truth be told, you can get a great workout just about anywhere with minimal equipment, but infomercials have proven that beginners love their workout gadgets, and we have 10 right here that can help you get in shape at the office.

[Read more...]

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Stretches before running have no impact on injury

April 28, 2011 By

It makes no difference if you stretch or not before a run, because stretching won’t affect your risk of injury, according to a study.

“There is a lot of controversy about this,” Dr. Daniel Pereles, from George Washington University, told Reuters Health.

“Some insist you need to stretch, others say you don’t, and every time I tried to assess a study on this I found that the authors were extrapolating the results from gymnasts or wrestlers or soccer players or other sprinting or short distance athletes, and nothing was related to running.”

“I just wanted to know whether stretching before going for a run would be beneficial for recreational runners like myself.”

Pereles and his colleagues conducted a randomized trial involving 2,729 volunteers recruited online. All were at least 13 years old and all usually ran at least 10 miles per week.

For three months, runners in one group stretched their quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendons for three to five minutes immediately before a run. Those in the non-stretch group ran in their usual fashion.

The runners kept all other aspects of their routine the same and self-reported any injuries, which were defined as any condition that prevented running for at least one week.

According to the study, presented this week at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, injury rates were 16 percent in both groups.

The most significant risk factors for injury were a history of chronic injury or recent injury in the past four months, and a higher body mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight).

In addition, the runners found that starting — or abandoning — a pre-run stretching regimen was more hazardous than just sticking with a usual routine.

Runners who usually stretched and were assigned to the no-stretch group had a 40 percent increased risk of injury, while non-stretchers who were randomized to the stretch group had a 30 percent increased injury risk.

The most common injuries were groin pulls, foot and ankle injuries, and knee injuries, but there was no significant difference in injury rates between the runners who stretched and those did not for any significant injury location or diagnosis.

“It’s kind of wacky — I don’t really know what to make of that,” Pereles said.

“You get used to your routine and if you change it, you’re more likely to get injured. And the rate of injury was quite high overall, one in every six people, so running is a pretty tough sport.”

 

 

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