Mistakes People Make When Running

Running is one of those things that most of us tend to do without giving much thought. We’ve been doing it since we were in the playground, so why would we need to question it? Well, if you find that you tend to avoid running because it makes you tired and sweaty, and/or because it puts strain on your knees, shins or back… then you’re actually not doing it right. That’s why.

Actually humans are designed specifically to be great at running. In the wild we were not as fast as the animals we would be hunting and as such we had to rely instead on an ability to track them over long distances – which we accomplished through a combination of long-distance running and our ability to track and use tools to our advantage. Tribes that do this today, such as the Tarahumara tribe, are still capable of running hundreds of miles a day. Which is nuts.

Where it All Goes Wrong
So what’s the difference between them and you? At what point did you lose your ability to run long distances and instead begin struggling just to make it up the stairs?

The problem is our modern lifestyle. The biggest issue is that we are now encouraged to sit in the same spot for hours on end while we work on the computer or enjoy watching films. Not only does this mean we aren’t getting any exercise, but it also causes the muscles in our buttocks (our gluteus maximus) and our lower spine (our erector spinae) to become stretched and weakened. Meanwhile our hip flexors (such as our quads) get shortened and tightened.

Read the full post here.