Regularities of health-improving running and walking
Health-improving running is the simplest and most accessible (technically) type of cyclic exercise, and therefore the most widespread. According to estimates, running is used as a health-improving tool by more than 100 million middle-aged and elderly people on our planet. According to official data, 5,207 amateur running clubs are registered in our country, in which 385 thousand amateur runners are engaged; there are 2 million independent runners.
Health-improving running and sports walking have beneficial properties that are difficult to reproduce with any other types of physical activity. First of all, it has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, especially at the level of small vessels - arterioles, venules, capillaries. Lack of movement in a modern person will lead to the depletion and atrophy of a large number of capillaries and impaired blood supply to tissues. Properly dosed running and sports walking open non-functioning capillaries that have fallen asleep, and also contribute to the germination of new capillaries in depleted areas and areas damaged by disease, which is especially important.
To achieve the capillarization effect, it is necessary to maintain a certain intensity of the heart's work, both in terms of the frequency of contractions and the strength of the cardiac output, over a certain period of time. If the intensity of the heart's work is slightly lower, then the capillarization effect will be small, and if higher, then overtraining and deterioration of the condition may occur. The main advantage of jogging ("trots") over other types of physical activity is that it allows you to maintain a fairly even intensity of the heart's work without much effort. In addition, it is natural for a person and accessible to everyone.
Positive effects of health-improving running and walking
1. Modern excessive nutrition leads to the forced inclusion of "extra" channels for dumping excess calories. One of these channels is the accumulation of energy-intensive substances in the body: fats, including cholesterol, and various forms of polysaccharides, or, more simply, mucus. Their excessive accumulation in the body causes a number of negative consequences. Physical activity opens a natural channel for burning excess calories and normalizes the content of "extra" energy carriers. In this regard, jogging has its advantages over other types of physical activity. It allows you to achieve a reasonable combination between the load on the cardiovascular system and burning calories, that is, it is quite effective to burn excess calories without overloading (or rather, correctly loading) the cardiovascular system. During jogging, energy expenditure for an adult is on average from 600 to 800 kcal. per hour. The greater the weight of the runner, the greater the energy expenditure. Due to the activation of fat metabolism, jogging is an effective means of normalizing body weight. People who regularly engage in recreational running have a body weight close to ideal, and their fat content is 1.5 times lower than that of those who do not run.
Quite effective in this regard can be fast walking (an hour a day), which corresponds to an energy expenditure of 300-400 kcal - depending on body weight. In this case, the additional energy expenditure for 2 weeks will be at least 3500 kcal, which will lead to a loss of 500 g of adipose tissue. As a result, in 1 month of training in health walking (without changing the diet), body weight decreases by 1 kg.
A group of American scientists observed women whose body weight was on average 80% higher than normal. For 2 months, they were engaged in health walking (2 hours a day at a speed of 5 km/h) without limiting their diet. After the end of the experiment, an average decrease in body weight from 100 kg to 93 kg was noted.
2. As we have already said, each cell of the body is filled with a colloidal solution that increases its viscosity - this is time. Any colloid ages over time - long molecular chains are increasingly "stitched" together, compacted and squeeze out water molecules. The colloid loses elasticity and decreases in volume. Therefore, old ones "grow down". In essence, human aging is the aging of the colloid. , and our condition largely depends on its properties. A thick, viscous colloid inhibits the flow of natural processes in the cell, disrupts metabolism, and contributes to the accumulation of poisons. The viscosity of the colloid increases with improper, excessive nutrition and physical inactivity. However, there is another factor,
To restrain the natural aging of a colloidal solution, mechanical vibration or shaking is necessary. It breaks new bonds between molecules and prevents the colloid from compressing and losing water. When running, each step is accompanied by a natural shock. At the same time, the shock is a good natural stimulation for the whole organism. Therefore, if running is not available to you, then jumping on the spot can replace it to some extent.
3. During running, the load on the heart is reduced due to the work of the "muscle pump" - rhythmic and consistent contraction of the calf and thigh muscles helps to push blood from the veins of the lower extremities up to the heart.
4. Running enhances metabolism, promotes the utilization ("burning") of old, non-working structures of the body and their replacement with new ones, thereby rejuvenating the body. It has been proven that running strengthens immunity, prevents the development of atherosclerosis and tumor diseases.
5. With properly dosed running, a harmonious multi-level natural stimulation of the body's protective systems occurs. in, cardiovascular, respiratory systems. Carbon dioxide and lactic acid have a stimulating effect, the content of which increases during running. When running, pleasure hormones are released - enkephalins, endorphins - have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and contribute to the restoration of its adequate susceptibility. The shake, which is performed when running, also has a stimulating effect. To a greater extent, it is manifested through muscle
Practice of health-improving running
In medical practice, running is not the main treatment method, rather it is an additional method. It is usually recommended to add running to other methods at the earliest a month after the start of classes, and in case of serious illnesses a year or more.
Usually, endurance is understood as the ability to work without getting tired and resist fatigue.
There are general and special endurance. General endurance is understood as the body's ability to perform moderate intensity work with high efficiency for a long time. Special endurance is the ability to endure loads that are characteristic of a particular type of activity for a long time.
Various training methods are used to develop endurance, which are divided into continuous and interval training methods. Each method has its own characteristics and is used to improve certain components of endurance depending on the parameters of the exercises used. By varying the type of exercises, their duration and intensity, the number of repetitions of the exercise, as well as the duration and nature of rest, you can change the physiological focus of the work performed.
The uniform continuous method consists in a single uniform performance of low and moderate power exercises lasting from 15 - 30 min. and up to 1- 3 hours. This method develops aerobic abilities.
The variable continuous method is characterized by a periodic change in the intensity of the work performed continuously. The body works in a mixed aerobic-anaerobic mode.
The variable continuous method is intended for the development of both special and general endurance. It allows you to develop aerobic capabilities, the body's ability to tolerate hypoxic conditions that periodically arise during accelerations and eliminate them with the subsequent decrease in exercise intensity, teaches the trainees to "tolerate", bringing up strong-willed qualities.
The interval training method consists in dosed repeated execution of exercises of relatively short duration (up to 2 minutes) through strictly defined rest intervals. This method is usually used to develop specific endurance for any particular work. This method can be used to develop both anaerobic and aerobic components of endurance.
When starting work on the development of endurance, it is necessary to adhere to a certain sequence of training construction. At the initial stage, the musculoskeletal system is developed, that is, the development of general endurance. At the second stage, the aerobic-anaerobic mode. At the third stage, it is necessary to increase the volume of loads by using more intensive exercises performed by the methods of interval and repeated work in mixed aerobic-anaerobic and anaerobic modes, and selective influence on individual components of special endurance. It is necessary to increase the volume of loads in mixed and it is necessary to focus on the development of aerobic capabilities, improving the functions of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
To develop general endurance, jogging is the simplest and most accessible.
At the beginning of running training, you should remember and adhere to the following rules:
- before training, carefully check the condition of your shoes;
- you should wear thick socks made of a mixture of wool and cotton on your feet;
- the load should increase gradually;
- you should run at least 3 times a week and for at least 20 minutes;
- you should not increase your running speed even when you see other runners or pretty girls;
- you should constantly strengthen the muscles of the arch of the foot to avoid the development of flat feet;
- the greatest training effect is achieved when the running speed approaches 1 hour;
- you should monitor your pulse rate (HR) - it should not be more than 180 beats per minute minus your age.
To develop special endurance, "shadow fighting" and exercises with shells are most often used: performing 5 - 6 series of 20 - 30 seconds of intense work alternating with low-intensity work for 1 - 3 minutes. With increasing fitness, the duration of work can be reduced to the end of the series. After such a series, a rest of up to 10 minutes is required, during which breathing exercises and exercises for relaxation and flexibility are performed.
You can use jumping exercises (for example, jumping rope): 10 - 15 seconds of intense work are repeated 5 - 6 times after 1.5 - 2 minutes of low-intensity work.
You should start the lesson with a warm-up, which can be done at home or outdoors. The warm-up takes 5 - 6 minutes and consists of the following exercises: circular movements of the arms, torso, pelvis, forward and sideways tilts, leg swings, squats, toe raises. Then 2 - 3 minutes. accelerated walking and you can switch to running.
First, you should choose such a running speed that you can breathe calmly through your nose. You had to open your mouth - switch to walking. You have restored your breathing - again running.
At the first lesson, 10 minutes of running are enough. If you cannot run 10 minutes at once, and you have to alternate running with walking, then the first milestone will be exactly 10 minutes. of continuous running. Then, adding 1 - 3 minutes every week (depending on your well-being), you need to bring the running time to 50 - 60 minutes.
After several months of training, you can start running faster, focusing not on breathing, but on the pulse rate. Its upper limit is determined by the formula: 180 minus age. That is, if you are 30 years old, then the pulse rate when running can be brought to 150 beats per minute, but not higher, but it is better to keep it 5 - 10 units lower.
After the end of the run, it is necessary to walk for 2 - 3 minutes at a fast pace and it is advisable to perform several gymnastic exercises.
After training, you should take a warm shower first, and then a contrast shower.
Running brings the greatest health effect when its duration is brought to an hour, and the regularity of classes - up to 5-6 times a week, and on one of the days off the load doubles. The minimum norm of classes is 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
You can run at any time when it is more convenient for you. You just need to remember that there should be a break of at least 30 minutes between running training and eating.
You should not turn a recreational run into a sports run by sharply increasing the speed and distance, including acceleration in the run, etc. You do not need to prove anything to others - do not start running faster when meeting other runners, passers-by, especially with attractive members of the opposite sex.
You can and should train all year round. If the air temperature is below minus 15 degrees, then the distance can be slightly reduced, and if it is below minus 20 degrees, then it is better to cancel the training. Although this is not necessary.
There is such a direction as "running hardening". It is better to start classes at a temperature not lower than minus 2 - minus 3 degrees. Clothing - shorts, woolen swimming trunks, sneakers and woolen socks, gloves or mittens, a woolen hat, for women - a T-shirt with a strip of woolen or just thick fabric sewn on the chest. Before running at home, you should do a warm-up and energetic self-massage, then a few deep squats. Drink half a glass of hot milk with a teaspoon of honey mixed in it. At first, you should not run for more than 10 - 15 minutes. The route should begin and end at the doorstep.
For running, you should carefully select shoes - sneakers with thick grooved soles are best, preferably with shock-absorbing inserts. Wool socks. The suit can be any that does not constrict movements and allows the body to breathe. In windy weather and in rain or sleet, you can wear a waterproof jacket or windbreaker. On your head - a hat or woolen headband that covers the forehead and ears. For beginners, at temperatures below minus 5 degrees, you should wear woolen underwear.
It is better to run in a forest or park. In any case, you should choose a place with the cleanest air and natural soil. Remember - if you run in sneakers or sneakers with a thin sole, you should not run on asphalt! For beginners, it is better to choose a flat track, but you should gradually move on to running over rough terrain.
Monitor your health and avoid overtraining. The most objective indicators for self-control are your well-being and pulse rate. You need to know the normal indicators of your pulse in the morning and evening hours. In addition, there is a simple test: pulse rate 10 minutes after the end of training (it should not be higher than 100 beats per minute). If the morning and evening pulse rates are higher than usual, if after 10 minutes of rest the pulse rate exceeds 100 beats/min., you should consult a doctor and undergo a preventive examination.
Contraindications
Conditions in which running is completely prohibited, according to E.G. Milner:
- congenital heart defects and mitral stenosis (narrowing of the atrioventricular opening);
- previous stroke or myocardial infarction;
- pronounced heart rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation;
- circulatory failure or pulmonary insufficiency of any etiology;
- high arterial hypertension (blood pressure 180 over 110 and above), resistant to drug therapy;
- chronic kidney disease, thyrotoxicosis and diabetes mellitus not controlled by insulin;
- glaucoma and progressive myopia, which threatens retinal detachment;
- any acute disease, including colds, as well as exacerbation of a chronic disease.
Patients with the above diseases are recommended to use the method of natural stimulation of the protective systems for treatment, and first of all - diet, hatha yoga, relaxation. If you have any other chronic disease, then after at least a month of treatment, we advise you to try to start recreational running. But first you need to decide whether running is contraindicated for you at this moment, whether you are ready for it. It is necessary to discuss the possibility of running with a good doctor.
Patients with minor health abnormalities and minimal changes in the cardiovascular system can exercise independently, from time to time checking their condition with a doctor. At first, it is advisable to do this at least once a week (the exercise regimen for this group of patients is given below). Patients with abnormalities in the cardiovascular system are also recommended, especially at first, to regularly measure blood pressure and take an electrocardiogram.
Recommendations for health-improving running
Running technique. First of all, try to relax as much as possible, run in such a way that you expend as little energy as possible, easily, leisurely, and gently, so that running is enjoyable. The steps should be small, springy. It is advisable to breathe through your nose. If this is difficult, you can inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. As with relaxation, from time to time you can let a wave of relaxation pass through you simultaneously with the exhalation. Try not to think about anything and focus on your sensations - breathing, relaxation, pleasure.
Clothing. Try not to wear woolen jackets and pants (except in strong winds) - the body does not breathe in them. Dress according to the weather, but it is better so that as you warm up, after a few laps, some of the clothes, for example, an outer jacket, can be removed. If you have been running for a long time, eat right and are confident in your abilities, then you can combine running with hardening - gradually, during the run, undress down to your sports shorts, of course, taking into account your own capabilities and the weather. Closer to the end of the run, on the last laps, you can gradually get dressed.
Where to run? It is most convenient to dose the load, running in circles, at the stadium, especially since there is a school stadium not far from any house.
When to run? If you are limited by time, then run at any time. Many consider the best time to be from 4 to 7 pm.
Who to run with? It is better alone, without adjusting to someone else's physical capabilities.
Frequency. You need to run every other day or three times a week. It is with this running regime that the capillarization effect is maximum, and the danger of overtraining is small.
Health-improving running technique
A correct running technique that complies with the laws of biomechanics, which gives aesthetic pleasure to the spectators and (which is also very important) to the runner, is a remedy for overloads.
It is not easy to achieve lightness and airiness in running. This must be learned. As in walking, the magnitude of overloads primarily depends on the magnitude of the vertical movements of the runner's body, but when running, the role of this factor increases. It is known that when running there is a flight phase, when there is no contact with the support. The runner's task is to minimize wave-like body vibrations.
Shocks due to lateral body vibrations occur when the feet are set too wide. It is also irrational to place the feet in one line. With the correct position of the feet, the inner edges of the traces are on one straight line. In relation to this line, the feet should be slightly spaced with the toes outwards, so that the push-off is mainly on the big toe - the strongest.
Runners know how important the heel-to-heel position is. This does not mean that the runner is stamping with his heels, it is just that the heel touches the ground first, and the toe is slightly higher at this moment. In the next phase, the toe gently lowers to the ground. Despite all efforts, this method does not provide a significant reduction in shocks and a gentle running regime. The cushioning here is mainly carried out by the knee joint, where overloads from shocks of a joint nature are possible. However, it is with this method of foot placement that the introduction to running should begin. For poorly prepared people with poor health, this method may remain the only possible one for a long time, because others require more or less good sports form.
Placing the foot from the toe. The method adopted by athletes provides a shock-absorbing smooth load on the leg. Such running should not be "wooden", "shuffling". At the moment of placing the foot, the heel is slightly raised above the ground and, without delay, gently lowers onto it. However, during resistance to the ground, the pressure on the front of the foot remains noticeably greater than on the back. The method requires good preliminary preparation and therefore can rarely be recommended for recreational running. The main thing is a gradual, uniform load on the foot.
Placing the foot immediately on the entire plane. This method is characteristic of running by fairly moderately trained people. It arose spontaneously and, although not as effective as the toe-in, is more rational than the heel-in. In recreational running, depending on individual characteristics, level of fitness, fatigue, well-being before running, quality of shoes and covering, it is not only possible, but also necessary to switch from one running style to another as needed. This is especially important when the muscles of the lower leg, foot area or ankle joint are tired. Try in these cases to change the position of the foot, and the unpleasant sensations will almost certainly disappear, a kind of rest will appear on the run. Also remember that when running on an uneven and rocky surface, especially at dusk, the toe-up method is more dangerous and threatens to cause the foot to roll over.
The loads on the spine when running depend not only on the way the foot is placed. The movement of the leg forward should be performed primarily due to the work of the knee. This means that the leg bends quite strongly in the knee joint with the lower leg passively lagging behind with relatively relaxed thigh muscles. Otherwise, there is a useless load on the kneecap and the entire knee joint.
Avoid bumping into the leg that is put forward.
To do this, gradually extend and lower the lower leg. The runner gently, without slowing down the movement, as if rolls onto the leg. One step is replaced by another without a visible border, one phase simultaneously passes into another. A good runner just "rolls" along the track.
The most gross mistake is taking the leg forward in combination with early extension of the lower leg. At the moment of landing, the foot moves quickly forward relative to the ground. The running speed slows down, and almost the entire body weight "collapses" on the joints of the spine and other joints. The knee joint suffers the most, but all the others also get it. Due to the rigid system of levers, the impact is transmitted to the spine, to the head.
Stride length. It is very important to choose the optimal stride length for yourself. The desire to lengthen the step to the limit leads to violations of smooth running, contributes to "stumbling" on the foot, requires a large expenditure of strength and sharply increases the load on the spine. Frequent, seminal running does not give the proper health-improving effect for muscles and joints: the muscles contract slightly, and the joints mainly provide only the transmission of supporting and pushing forces. With such running, static loads prevail. Perhaps this is why joggers sometimes complain of "stiff feet". Many of them have poor blood circulation in the legs. Of course, with such phenomena it is better to run than not to run, but technically rational running provides the maximum health-improving effect and a minimum of "orthopedic" disorders. The length of the step depends on the height and length of the legs, weight, level of fitness, the way the foot is placed and the speed of running. It is difficult to give exact data here, so we will give a purely indicative example. In well-trained men 175 cm tall, the average stride length (distance from the heel of one foot to the toe of the other) in a 30-minute steady run ranges from 110 to 130 cm. The main indicator of optimal stride length should be ease, ease of performing all movements, and a smooth running rhythm.
Runner's posture. The main requirement is a vertical position of the torso. "kicking" on the leg when placing the foot. Tilting the torso back leads to excessive lifting of the hip and makes running tense, "shoving", while the head, as a rule, is thrown back a little. Do not slouch, avoid lateral swinging, twisting the torso. Excessive forward tilt increases the danger of "kicking"
Hand work. The hands help maintain balance and stabilize the position of the torso. Twisting the torso is neutralized by the correct work of the arms, the plane of correspondence of which should be at an angle of approximately 45° to the direction of running. By the way, this twisting is not so harmless and requires additional effort. It occurs in the lumbar region. Thousands of stereotypical movements overload the intervertebral discs, which are poorly adapted to such influences.
The arms should be bent at the elbows at an angle of approximately 90° or slightly less. With insufficient bending and running fast enough, the work of the arms requires a significant expenditure of strength, because the muscles of the torso also participate in this work.
Their tension makes it difficult to freely move in the joints of the chest and shoulder girdle when inhaling, as a result, breathing becomes more tense and superficial.
Running downhill. In this case, the speed increases by itself. Inevitably, bumping into the leg, shocks and jolts are felt in all parts of the body. That is why runners first experience joint pain when running downhill. Painful sensations most often appear in the knee area. When running, try to put your foot on the heel, shorten your step and reduce your running speed. If necessary, switch to walking on the descent.
Learning the correct running technique will avoid overloading the spine and joints. Good technique increases the efficiency (speed, economy) of running by about 15%. There is another point of view on the role of technique in health running.
Its main task is to compensate for hypodynamia, to give the body the necessary work.
Rational technique, on the contrary, facilitates it, and, therefore, learning the correct movements is as if meaningless.
However, the spine of a person who neglects the correct technique of health-improving running will very quickly make you remember about it.
Running is a healing agent not only for diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and other systems of the body, it is used as a "medicine" for osteochondrosis. In the intervertebral discs, selective burning occurs at the edges of the articular surfaces. The dynamics of acid-base relations can slow down and stop the process of salt deposition. The biochemical basis of such healing of the spine is an abscess and local enhancement of metabolism. At the same time, the balance of metabolic products is normalized. The principle of selective burning of excesses is also important. In m
Of course, this requires a specially developed training regimen, supplemented by a balanced diet and adherence to a general regimen. And it still takes time, because positive changes, as a rule, do not occur immediately.
This is natural, because pathological processes in the supporting tissues are sometimes formed over a decade. It also takes a lot of time to stop them. Therefore, when starting to treat the spine, in this case osteochondrosis, with running, you need to be patient and persistent.
The training of a sportsman-runner should consist of the following parts:
Easy running or running, alternating with fast walking, to a general warm-up.
Gymnastics with comprehensive performance of all major joints with flexibility exercises.
Strength exercises (5-6) for the muscles of the arms, torso and legs.
Exercises (2-3) for relaxing and stretching muscles.
Typical of running training.
Exercises (5-6) for relaxing and lightly stretching muscles.
Health walking technique
The most popular and most accessible means of health training are walking and running. However, medical control data indicate that 25-50% of people who have started health running are forced to either completely stop or interrupt training for a long time due to pain in various parts of the spine or in the joints of the legs.
Why does this happen? A well-known specialist in biomechanics, Professor V. M. Zatsifsky, writes: "70-80% of men over 30 years old have one or another pathology in the spine and various neurological diseases associated with it - lumbosacral radiculitis, etc." One of the most common hypotheses explaining the origin of such diseases is the following: naturally, the human musculoskeletal system is adapted to walking barefoot on soft ground. She walks in hard shoes on hard surfaces. In these conditions, each step is a kind of blow. The shock wave, spreading throughout the body, reaches the intervertebral discs and causes one or another pathology. This issue was studied by scientists: accelerometric sensors were implanted into the bone tissue.
Huge overloads have been registered, which spread throughout the body when walking quickly on a hard surface. They are especially large on the heels... a little less on the shin. The overloads reach the spine and head. When such impacts are repeated continuously for many years and a million of such impacts accumulate, it is not surprising that pathology occurs. "
Recommendations for the prevention of the adverse effects of fast walking (according to experts, it becomes health-improving when performed at a pace of 120 steps/min or more) are usually associated with the selection of soft surfaces and rational footwear. Indeed, both are very important. Walking on soft soil, a garden or forest path covered with a carpet of leaves is not only safe (in terms of overload), but also simply pleasant. Therefore, think carefully about your training routes, it is best to get to the nearest park or suburban area.
The hardness of the soil can also be compensated by increasing the shock-absorbing properties of shoes. Put foam insoles of different softness and thickness in your shoes, wear thick wool socks. Be sure to choose shoes with elastic soles that bends. This allows you to include all the numerous tarsal and metatarsal joints in the work, to activate relatively small muscles of the foot. If the shoe has a hard sole and especially tight lacing, then when walking, almost only the ankle joint works, which contributes to overloading various parts of the foot, making blood circulation difficult.
In addition to the shoes and the quality of the track, the walking technique also deserves attention. It is necessary to minimize (it is impossible to completely avoid them) vertical movements of the body when walking. They are the main ones that generate pulsating overloads and microvibrations. Therefore, do not rush to separate the heel of the pushing leg from the support - this should happen after the free leg passes the vertical. Otherwise, the so-called vertical walking is observed, in which the center of mass of the body moves down by about 5-9 cm with each step. Later, the separation of the heel allows you to direct the push more forward than up. Rational walking sharply reduces tremors and shock waves.
Strict control over one's movements is especially necessary in the first lessons. In the future, gradually - quite quickly - the necessary skill is developed. It is so strong and precise that the time of switching on and off of individual muscles (when walking under normal conditions) can differ only by thousandths of a second.
Correct walking is good. There is a feeling of smoothness of body movements. Steps no longer cease to be perceived as separate motor acts, and each movement naturally flows into the general rhythm. Among other things, such walking is very economical. The energy saved at each step allows you to significantly increase the distance of transitions.
Dosing of loads for people with minimal deviations in health
In order to correctly dose the load, you need to run with a watch with a second hand and learn to measure your pulse. It is better to do this by placing your fingers on the neck in front (projection of the carotid artery) or on the wrist (projection of the radial artery). When running, the pulse is measured within 10 seconds, immediately after stopping. For example, you ran 1-2 laps, stopped and immediately measured your pulse in 10 seconds without delay.
The first stage. At this stage, it is necessary to maintain the pulse during the entire running session at the level of 18-20 beats per 10 seconds. If even the slowest jog is accompanied by a pulse that exceeds 20 beats per 10 seconds, then you should switch to walking.
In general, the tactics should be approximately as follows: you ran 1-2 laps at a slow pace, stopped and immediately measured your pulse in 10 seconds. If the number of beats is less than 18, then you need to increase the running speed, if more than 20 - run slower or switch to walking. Having run (or walked) another lap, stop again and measure your pulse and, if necessary, change the pace. After you find the right pace for running (or walking), stop every 2-3 laps and check your pulse. Over time, you will learn to roughly determine your pulse by how you feel, and you will be able to stop less often.
In the first two or three weeks, run for 10 minutes 3 times a week, then you can gradually increase the time to 20 minutes. Do not rush to increase the load, be attentive to your feelings. Excessive load, especially in the early stages, when the body has not yet adapted to this type of physical stimulation, can cause a stress reaction and aggravate the disease. If the background conditions (and especially nutrition) are correct, then the best guide is your own well-being. Just like other types of physical exercise, running should be enjoyable.
The second stage. From about the 5th week, you can gradually increase the load by increasing the speed so that during running the pulse is equal to 22-24 beats per 10 seconds (and later bring it to 23-25 beats per 10 seconds). The time of one session is 20 minutes. Let us remind you once again that you need to run every other day or 3 times a week.
To maintain health, such a running load is quite enough, especially for people who are also engaged in other types of physical exercise. For those who want to go further, we recommend that you refer to the book by E.G. Milner "I Choose Running".
Self-control
When running, it is very important to avoid overdose, especially for the elderly and people with changes in the cardiovascular system. Let us recall that the main load when running falls on the cardiovascular system, and catastrophes in this system - heart attack, stroke - are very dangerous. Therefore, self-control is very important. The adequacy of the load can be traced by the following tests:
Measure the pulse 10 minutes after the end of the run. If it is higher than 100 beats per minute, then the load was excessive.
Orthostatic test. Count the pulse for one minute while lying in bed in the morning, immediately after waking up, then slowly get up and measure the pulse after one minute while standing. If the pulse while standing exceeds the initial value by 20, then this indicates that the load is excessive, the body does not have time to recover. The load must be reduced and it is better not to run at all for a week, but to engage in other types of physical exercises, preferably hatha yoga and relaxation. Note that such a difference in pulse rates can also occur during cleansing, exacerbation of a chronic disease or with dietary violations.
If the difference in pulse rates is no more than 12 - the load is adequate for your capabilities. A difference of 16-18 beats indicates that the load is at the limit of permissible.
As your physical capabilities grow, the value of the orthostatic test and the morning pulse immediately after waking up will decrease.
Other signs of overtraining: poor sleep, lethargy and drowsiness during the day, decreased performance, sometimes sweating, exacerbation of a chronic disease, unpleasant sensations in the heart area, increased blood pressure. In this case, it is also necessary to reduce the load by approximately 1.5-2 times and pay more attention to diet and relaxation.
Thus, regular training in health-improving running has a positive effect on all parts of the musculoskeletal system, preventing the development of degenerative changes associated with age and physical inactivity. Restriction of the inflow of joint fluid (lymph) during hypodynamia leads to impaired nutrition of cartilage and loss of elasticity of ligaments, reduction of shock-absorbing properties of joints and development of arthrosis. Cyclic exercises of the intervertebral discs, which is the best prevention of arthrosis and radiculitis. The positive effect of running on the function of joints is possible only under the condition of using adequate (not exceeding the capabilities of the musculoskeletal system) loads, their gradual increase in the process of training. (running, cycling, swimming) increase the inflow of lymph to the articular cartilage.