Monique Rana - Deep Water Running

Are your knees feeling sore each time you go for a run? Do you find swimming laps difficult due to your skill level and ability? Recovering from knee surgery? Or do you just want to mix up your workout routine by cross training? Then deep water running may benefit you!

Let me give you some tips to alternative low impact workout to swimming laps at your local pool or a gym like BodyTech.

First things first, you will need to get a flotation belt/adult water jogger device to effectively do deepwater running.

The deep water running technique is not dissimilar to a natural running motion. For effective and efficient technique it is necessary when running to reach out with your leading leg and then pull the leg through the water strongly and evenly. The front foot should 'land' in front of the body's centre of gravity with a reduced hip flexion, keeping knees slightly lower than in ‘normal' running. The trailing leg should be actively pulled forward because of the increased resistance of the water and actively flexed at ‘take off'.

Remember that you are running and not swimming, so the palms of the hands should be closed or turned inward, slicing through the water not cupping. In addition to assisting to maintain correct mechanics, this technique will also minimise unnecessary upper bodywork.

The deep water running technique may take some time to correctly master. Bobbing and moving backwards are two obvious markers of improper application: bobbing occurs if the application of power is mostly vertical and/or performed only with the driving leg, while backward movement is a sign that power is being applied only during the recovery phase, with little applied to the driving leg.

The use of flotation devices may give deep-water runners a sense that their breathing is restricted and this feeling can be amplified by water pressure, causing some performers to breathe only with the upper portion of their lungs. You will need to practice taking deep whole breaths when performing deep water running and floating in the water and expanding your diaphragm as you breathe while keeping your shoulders down and relaxed is a great breathing training tool.



For more information go to http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa032002a.htm
To purchase Adult jogging devices for water jogging.