Weights offer variety for runners

I was reading an article about keeping a person’s running and walking interesting and fun. One of the suggestions was to change to a different route than the usual routine. I recall one of my favorite runs was along the river walk. It was a mile away but the two miles along the river and trees was worth the extra mile. Another suggestion was to add some hills to the route. I was fortunate to live in a neighborhood that had several hills within a few blocks of my home. Some were long gentle hills and others were steep and short. Then I had different routes for distance. The shortest was three miles and the longest was 13 miles with a good number in between the two extremes. It was a choice I made depending on how I felt and how far the run was yesterday. The variety made it much easier to go on a daily run.

One other suggestion to change from the usual running or walking was to add weights. There are three primary locations to add weights to the body to increase the strength for running. One is to hold weights in your hands, a second location is to attach weighted ankle straps to your ankles, and a third is to wear a weighted backpack. There are pro’s and con’s to adding weights to improve your running. The one thing to remember is that you are trying to increase your strength for running and not a weightlifting contest.

I have seen runners carrying a set of dumbbells in their hands to add some weight to their run. The one thing I notice the most frequently is that after a short distance the arms are straight and hanging down along their hips. The purpose of carrying weights was to be able to pump the arms up and down in the same motion used in your normal running style. The weight was too heavy to be of any good to increase arm strength for running. Even holding five pounds with a bent arm for 30 minutes or more is a difficult task. The hand weights need to be closer to one or two pounds to maintain a good arm action for any distance. The pumping of the arms and the bending at the elbow is needed when the runner is carrying weights in their hands. When the arms hang straight down from the shoulders without any movement it will also change your foot pattern and that has the possibility of causing an injury.

Putting weighted ankle pads on the legs is used with the belief that when the runner takes the weights off the ankle they will be able to move the legs faster because they are lighter. The legs are a long lever and putting weights on the ankle creates a strain on the muscles of the hip flexors and upper leg. If the distance of the run is any distance the strain on the hip flexor muscles will be increased and may cause a strain. The gate is almost certain to change because of the weighted ankles. The extra force on the foot and knee from the weights can also be a problem. After a short time a runner will notice that the height of the foot will be more of a shuffle height than a running height. If a person is walking the negative effects are not as great and injury possibilities are less. The key is the same as with hand weights in that the weights do not have to be heavy. Keeping the weight on an ankle should never be over five pounds. A three pound weight is sufficient when walking for 30 minutes or more.

Putting weight on the upper body has two options. I have seen some weighted belts that wrap around the waist. I have never tried a weighted belt around the waist but if it is anything like my pants it will not be long before they are dropping down around the hips. The belt or suspenders have to be snug to keep the weights in place. I see a number of runners with a weighted backpack on. Most are training for a long hiking trip or marching in the military. These runners, or walkers, are training for a specific purpose and can improve their strength for the trip or marching. As to the weight in the backpack this will vary with what equipment you are going to carry while hiking. One example is a tour guide for individuals traveling overseas and want to carry their clothes and shoes in a backpack. The guide will instruct the travelers to wear the backpack for a day while they are walking around. It does not take long before that extra pair of shoes, the evening clothes, and extra jacket are really not that necessary for this trip. The idea of traveling light is a well learned lesson after carrying a heavy backpack around for a day.