Stay on top of that body work!

Wanna feel THIS good at your next race? (And in training!)

Stay on top of that body work!

We’ve all heard about the great benefits of strength training, but what about mobility? Does yoga count? Does massage matter? YES!

Finding the mix that works for you and complements your plan is ultimately the most important, but many of us could avoid the injury deck a little more often by staying on top of a few simple things to help our bodies move better.

Swimming, biking and running are all very linear activities, and doing these repeatedly without anything to counteract or complement that motion can start to wear on our bodies. A few things to try out to help you feel better and perform your best:

💆🏻 Massage - a no brainer! This helps circulation which speeds recovery, works out tight spots and trigger points we often can’t access on our own, and sometimes it helps call attention to parts of our bodies we may need to give a bit of extra attention to.

🙆‍♀️ Mobility & foam rolling - These can be short sessions worked in a few days per week. Foam rollers, lacrosse/yoga balls, bands, rollers/sticks, are all great to use - but be careful not to overdo it in trouble spots! This coupled with easy movement like lunges, calf raises, hollow rocks, standing hip circles, leg swings, can keep your joints more mobile. It can also prevent other areas of the body from overcompensating for weak/ stiff areas, especially when used as pre-workout activations.

🧘‍♂️ Yoga- if you can get to a class or do a virtual session at home yoga is a great way to pull in strength AND mobility! It’s a perfect activity to layer in to cover a few bases here. 1-2 times per week can be a big help.

Bottom line - find a way to work SOMETHING above into your week! Commit to keeping your body cared for outside of just throwing more and more mileage at it, and maintain the routine actively through your season. Your body - and your race results 🏅 - will thank you!