Top tips for running with a pram

 For parents of young children, one of the hardest parts of returning to regular exercise is fitting it in to a busy schedule. Completing exercise when your children can be present can make training more achievable and consistent. Pram running is a popular activity for both mums and dads.

Whether you’re just wanting to incorporate some higher intensity intervals into your walks or you’re training for a marathon, here are some tips to get you rolling:

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A RUNNING PRAM:

To protect your precious cargo as well as yourself, its recommended to use a stroller that has been designed for running.

Key features include a five-point harness for the child, a fixed front wheel option, a hand operated brake, 3 wheels with inflatable tyres, rear suspension and a wrist strap. An adjustable handlebar is also an excellent feature, as is a deep sun canopy and reclining seat. Depending on your needs, other options include double capacity and ability to connect to a bicycle.

They can be a little bulkier than an everyday pram, so it’s also a good idea to ensure it fits in your car!

WHEN CAN YOU START?

It’s important to wait until baby is 6-9 months old with good head and neck control before commencing. This is to protect the baby’s spine, neck and brain. Your stroller’s manufacturer guidelines can guide you further and may also have a height recommendation.

When returning to running postpartum its also essential to ensure you are ready and begin slowly with walk/run intervals.

DON’T COMPARE YOUR PACE!

A running stroller can add an extra 25kg of resistance before a child even gets in! Stroller running may be 5-8% more demanding in terms of energy cost on a flat surface, and 3 times more when running uphill. It is completely normal for stroller runs to be slower!

Rather than using pace to monitor your intensity, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) can be more useful. If you are going for an easy run, you might aim for a 4/10 effort, whereas a tempo run might be 7/10. You can also think of your pram runs as more demanding in terms of mileage, for example a 5km pram run might compare to a 5.5km effort.

TECHNIQUE TIPS:

1. Try to run as naturally as you can! Shorter and more rapid strides can increase power, help avoid over striding and clipping the pram with your knee or foot.

2. Set the handlebar so your arms are in a relaxed position, with more than a 90-degree elbow bend, but not fully extended. Keep the pram close to you and avoid spreading your arms too wide.

3. Fix the front wheel to avoid speed wobbles. Turn the pram by applying downward pressure with your opposite hand, eg: push down with left hand to turn right. For tighter turns you many need to push down with both hands to lift the front wheel off the ground.

4. There are 3 main pushing methods: double hand, single hand and push/chase. The double hand method is recommended when beginning. The push/chase method (alternating between double hand then running behind stroller independently) may be useful around a running track, however, is not advised in an uncontrolled environment, and definitely not downhill.

5. When running uphill keep strides short and frequent, stand tall and try to avoid bending forward at the hips. Remember, it’s ok to walk if needed!

6. When running downhill, care is needed to ensure the stroller doesn’t run away. Use a double hand grip with a wrist strap, try to remain more upright and not extend arms fully. Landing slightly more onto your heel and bending the knees can help with braking. Ensure you’re in control at all times.

SUPPLEMENT WITH STRENGTH TRAINING

Pram running is a kind of resistance training in itself. That said, additional strength training incorporating leg, hip, core, and upper body exercises can improve both stroller and non-stroller running performance. Mobility exercises may also assist due to changes in form, such as reduced thoracic rotation.

Once you and the pram are sorted, all that’s left is to keep the child entertained – that’s a whole separate blog article! Good luck!

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Exercise and Breaking Unhealthy Habits

 Whether it’s brushing our teeth, having our coffee every morning or checking the news each lunchtime, we’re all undeniably creatures of habit. Habits, those regular activities we do in the same context (e.g., time, place, company, etc) without much thought, are our brain’s way of making our regular activities efficient. While most of our habits are innocuous or helpful, some can become problematic. This is especially the case for habits that are inflexible and hard to break.

THE CYCLE OF UNHEALTHY HABITS

Many of our unhealthy habits are created when we repeatedly engage in a behaviour to relieve stress. For instance, some people may reach for a drink after a stressful day at work because they think it might help them relax. Others seek comfort in their favourite fast food. Because these behaviours can provide temporary relief from stress, they’re often repeated the next time we feel stressed, and eventually can turn into habits.

Unfortunately, some of these behaviours (such as drinking, unhealthy eating, excessive screen time) can contribute to changes in the brain that reduce behavioural flexibility, that is, our ability to change our way of responding to suit new situations or new goals. For example, someone may form a habit of getting a burger, fries, and lollies every day after work. This type of diet has been shown to result in changes in brain structure and functioning that are associated with mental rigidity and inflexible behaviours, and thereby, the development of compulsive overeating.

So aside from their negative impacts on physical health, many unhealthy habits can further impair our brain’s capacity to adapt and modify unhelpful behaviours once they no longer meet our goals. In other words, while habits might have started as behaviours that we engaged in to meet certain goals (e.g. stress relief), unhealthy habits can create a self-serving cycle where the more we engage in them, the harder it is to break away from them.

Another way that unhealthy habits can promote inflexible behaviours is through negatively impacting protective (flexibility-promoting) lifestyle activities. Lifestyle activities such as regular physical activity, quality sleep, and a healthy diet can boost brain health and mental flexibility. However, unhealthy habits like regular alcohol and other drug use have a negative impact on sleep, and excessive screen time increases sedentary time and decreases physical activity. Similarly, an unhealthy diet takes us away from foods that boost brain and mental health and may disrupt sleep.

Finally, while many unhealthy habits form through an attempt to reduce stress, they can result in greater stress in the long term. This is because stress can facilitate inflexibility. When people are stressed, they often find it more difficult to keep long-term goals in mind, with the need to relieve the stress taking centre stage.

EXERCISE CAN HELP TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF UNHEALTHY HABITS

Fortunately, physical exercise can help break this cycle in multiple ways.  First, even just a single session of exercise can effectively reduce stress levels. Therefore, exercise can be used as an alternative strategy for stress relief, and with effort over time can replace unhealthy relief-seeking behaviours (e.g. alcohol, fast food, etc.). And the more we do it, the easier it gets! This is because the stress-reducing effects of exercise help us feel less stressed, which makes the pull of the burger or beer a little less and help us turn our running shoes instead of the fridge next time we have a tough day at work.

Another way that exercise can boost control over unhealthy habits is through helping to improve our ability to regulate our emotions. For instance, scientific evidence shows that engaging in regular exercise can increase our level of control over emotion-driven impulses to engage in unhealthy behaviour.

IN SUMMARY

Exercise can help promote flexibility that helps people to end the cycle of unhealthy habits and move toward healthier choices. That said, breaking unhealthy habits isn’t easy. Learning about the ways in which unhealthy habits can reduce behavioural flexibility (such as through having read this article) is an important first step toward making change. Similarly, creating and sustaining an exercise routine isn’t easy. But the benefits are many and support is available.

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Exercise and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition affecting nerves in the spinal cord that are important for movement control, known as motor neurons. Damage to the motor neurons means signals to the muscles can’t get through properly, causing them to gradually weaken and waste away (atrophy). People affected by SMA experience difficulties with muscles throughout their bodies, including:

• those in the back, hips and shoulders – which can lead to difficulties with posture and mobility
• muscles involved in swallowing – which can lead to feeding difficulties
• muscles involved in breathing and coughing – which can make the affected person more prone to chest infections.

People with SMA may also experience muscle twitching (called fasciculations).

There are many types of SMA, and symptoms vary from one person to the next. SMA does not affect an individuals’ intellectual function. To help ensure people with SMA can maintain good health and to minimise disability related to their condition, they need ongoing support from healthcare professionals such as Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs).

WHY IS EXERCISE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH SMA?

Because SMA involves progressive muscle weakening, maintaining muscle strength for as long as possible is a key aspect of management. Exercise is the mainstay of keeping muscles healthy. For children and adults with SMA, exercise can help to slow decline in muscle function, improve physical and mental wellbeing, and enhance quality of life.

While there is limited research into exercise for people with SMA, recent studies generally suggest it is safe and beneficial. For example, one study in which five people with SMA type II completed 12 weeks of supervised arm cycling found the participants significantly improved their active cycling distance and duration.

Another study of nine children with SMA found that a 12-week supervised, home-based, resistance exercise training program was safe and well tolerated. More research will throw light onto how people with SMA respond to exercise and aid the development of exercise guidelines for this condition.

WHAT TYPE OF EXERICES IS BEST?

SMA affects everyone differently. For example, some people will experience more difficulties with breathing, while others will have challenges with posture, muscle tone, or mobility. A professional with expertise in prescribing exercise for people with specific health conditions – like an AEP – can tailor a program to suit your individual needs. An exercise program for people with SMA will typically include a variety of exercises and training of support people where needed.

Resistance training

Muscle weakness is the main characteristic of SMA, and can lead to problems with co-ordination, motor skill development, posture and mobility. Resistance exercises help to build or maintain muscle strength and endurance and thereby improve function. It’s important to note that exercise cannot reverse the damage caused by SMA, but it can help to optimise and maintain muscle function.

Aerobic exercise

Regular aerobic activities, such as walking, cycling (including arm cycling and recumbent cycling), swimming, dancing, boxing or rowing, helps to keep the heart, lungs and circulation functioning at their best. It can assist with healthy weight maintenance, and also activates release of the ‘feel good’ hormones that support a positive mood.

Stretching

People with SMA can be at risk of developing muscle shortening and joint stiffness. Stretching exercises can help to maintain flexibility and reduce the risk of contractures.

Breathing exercises

These can help to improve or maintain the strength of muscles involved in breathing and coughing.

TRAINING SUPPORT PEOPLE

Some people with SMA, especially infants and children, will need support to exercise. Children, for example, will need help from parents and/or carers to complete exercises that help with the development of motor skills. Adults with physical disability may need support to access community exercise facilities or to exercise safely at home. Increasing the capacity of caregivers helps ensure individuals with SMA can achieve their health goals with reduced reliance on support from healthcare professionals.

GUIDANCE FROM AN ACCREDITED EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST

People living with SMA have complex and varied needs, so it’s important to get guidance from an Accredited Exercise Physiologist before starting an exercise program.

For example, people with SMA can fatigue more quickly during exercise than those without the condition, so they may need a modified program. Muscle weakness may increase the risk of falls or injuries, so caution is needed with activities that require a high level of balance or co-ordination.

Some people with SMA need modified equipment, such as adaptive bicycles that allow you to pedal with your hands instead of your legs.

An Accredited Exercise Physiologist will consider all these factors in their assessment and planning. Your AEP will create a customised program that considers your (or your child’s) function, goals and activity preferences. Safety is a key consideration, and your program will be updated to adapt to any changing needs. Your AEP can also train carers and support people to help exercise become an enjoyable part of your (or your child’s) everyday routine.

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The Quick-Fix Mediterranean Diet

 The Quick-Fix Mediterranean Diet

By Michael Gollust

Adding international flair to your diet could quickly lead to a healthier heart.

After only 3 months of eating a Mediterranean diet, study participants reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by approximately 15%. A Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy, and olive oil. Planning your meals around these items may be even better for your heart than a low-fat diet.

In a recent study, two groups of participants with moderate risk factors for cardiovascular disease were placed on a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat diet for 3 months. By the end of the study, members of both groups experienced improvements in body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, and other risk factors. While those in the low-fat diet group reduced their risk for cardiovascular disease by an estimated 9%, participants in the Mediterranean-diet group lowered their disease risk by approximately 15%.

The abundant disease-fighting nutrients found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fish make a Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest around. Whole grains are rich in fiber, magnesium, and B-vitamins; fruits and vegetables are filled with heart-healthy antioxidants; and olive oil, fish, and nuts provide artery-friendly mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Make these delicious and healthful foods the foundation of your diet. In a few short months, you'll be on your way to reaping the long-term benefits.

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