Tips for Marathon Training

If you are training for a marathon, and are searching for sports rehab in Massapequa NY, then contact Park Physical Therapy today.  

Running a marathon can be a really great goal to strive for and hopefully accomplish for any runner. At a daunting 26.2 miles, marathons are done by millions of runners at various levels of experience each year.  No matter if you’re an experienced runner or are a beginner, it is important to take care of your body and make sure you are properly prepared for any marathon. Sports Rehab in Massapequa, NY from Park Physical Therapy can help you with your marathon training and recovery to ensure you perform your best. 

Proper training is key to keeping your body performing well and being a successful marathon runner.  Here are some tips to help you along with your marathon training:

• Keep track of your training – Create a log by writing down your daily mileage, run times, distances, and how you felt during and after the run. 
• Compliment your marathon training with strength-training and cross-training – Doing some strength-training such as lifting weights or yoga or cross-training activities such as swimming or cycling helps to get you strong and conditioned without running.
• Always warm up – Stretch your body to loosen up.  Do some dynamic stretches such as jumping jacks or lunges before starting your run.  Our sports rehab in Massapequa, NY can give you helpful tips on effective warm-up and cool-down routines.  
• Gradually increase your mileage – Not exceeding a 10 percent weekly increase in running mileage can help your body stay strong and reduce the risk of injury.
• Vary your runs – Don’t only do runs for distance, but also do runs focused on speed by setting a goal time, and runs focused on strength by including some hills.
• Alternate your days – Go back and forth between hard days, lighter days, and days off.  It is important to allow your body time to recover after those strenuous days.  Make sure to include 1-2 days completely off per week.
• Watch your heart rate – Finding your resting heart rate can be helpful in telling you how your body is recovering after your runs.  Find a baseline for your resting heart rate by taking it each morning right after you wake up, possibly using a smartwatch, and record it in your daily log.  As you become more fit, your resting heart rate decreases. If you notice a higher resting heart rate one day, that means your body is fatigued, or you‘re becoming ill.  Either switch to a very easy training day or rest.
• Take care of your muscles – Utilize a foam roller every day to help relax and smooth out your contracted muscles and get rid of those knots.

How Sports Rehabilitation in Massapequa NY Can Help You:

A physical therapist can help you at any point in your marathon training or recovery process.  For sports rehab in Massapequa, NY, Park Physical Therapy can get you to where you need to be and keep your body strong and ready for your next marathon venture.  The highly trained staff works with you and your doctors to provide high quality and compassionate care to help you with your marathon training and recovery and ensure you can perform your best.  Utilize the best sports rehab in Massapequa, NY to help you along your marathon journey. Contact us for more information.