Running.
If you believe the interweb, it’ll make you fat, slow, weak and injured.
Actually, there’s a lot of evidence to support all of that.
But does it have to be this way?
Is it really true that Humans aren’t meant to run?
I call bullshit.
Genus Homo Sapiens excels at running, our bodies are adapted with some really cool features that make us one of the most efficient ambulators on planet Earth.
Take for example our disproportionately large Gluteus muscles, the monster Achilles tendon and massively powerful Illiotibial band. Take the three arch structure of our foot with the 33 articulations that allow it bend and flexe on every step like leaf springs
Oh, hang on…..
I’ve just listed out all your injuries haven’t I? Your feet are rigid and immobile, you don’t have arches, you have plantar fasciitis. Your Achilles can’t load like a bungee cord because you have stupid tight calves. Your Glutes are “asleep” and your IT Band is pulled too tight…
And THAT is why you can’t run!
All the kit and technology that we have evolved over the various stages of development culminating in the all dominating Homo Sapiens is out of whack and not doing it’s job.
But what can you do to change that?
Over the weekend I met a little dynamo of a lady who has it figured out.
Helen Hall
Helen Hall came over to teach her Perpetual Forward Motion School of Efficient Running as laid out in her excellent book “Even With Your Shoes On”
We had assembled a mixed group of 15 folk, some keen and accomplished runners, some coaches, some therapists and some who struggle with running due to old injuries. 15 very different bodies with 15 different stories.
Over the day Helen watched every body stand, walk and run as she made notes. She went through some simple concepts, jogging along with us offering individual cueing as we went. She showed simple personalised drills to help regain movement in the feet. She took us through several of her “WUJWUM’s” which stands for “Wake Up Joints, Wake Up Muscles” which are adapted from the Anatomy in Motion method that I also use in WG-Fit.
And over the day 15 bodies became observably springier, seemingly lighter and absolutely smoother as they ran. A few in the group reported old aches and pains had eased, some completely vanished over the day, which while not the point of the day, shows that running well can actually assist a body overcome injury, it isn’t necessarily injurious in itself.
In Helen’s words:
MY HOPE AND INTENTION IS FOR YOU ALL TO SMILE AGAIN AS YOU RUN. I INVITE YOU TO EXPLORE – AND POSSIBLY RECLAIM – BOTH YOUR RUNNING BODY AND YOUR RUNNING MIND. ‘YOU’ IS ALL YOU NEED… AND MAYBE SOME SHOES IF YOUR FEET LIKE THEM …
And in the mind of 15 people, plus myself, I’d say she is succeeding in this mission.
She doesn’t teach you how to run, she teaches you to find your own way of running, your effecient way of running.
And I can’t recommend her work highly enough.
Drop her a line:
Helen Hall Author: Even With Your Shoes On Perpetual Forward Motion Ltd Ten-Point, 36 Bois Lane, AMERSHAM, BUCKS HP6 6BP w: http://www.helen-hall.co.uk fb: https://www.facebook.com/PerpetualForwardMotion
Helen left a few copies of her book behind which I’m selling on for her, get yours here:
Regards
Dave Hedges www.WG-Fit.com