![run my pool run my pool](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q2058TkACG4/hqdefault.jpg)
Your stride will slightly mimic that of a cyclist and may be more up and down than usual. Instead, drive your knee up and then drive your foot down. The biggest risk for injury lies in overextending your legs and risking a slight hamstring strain. Trying to take slower strides is a mistake and will make your legs overextend in the water. Where most people fail at pool running is with a low cadence. Pump your arms the same way as well, maintaining about a 90 degree angle at your elbow. Just like running on land, you need to keep your back straight (no slouching!) and maintain a quick turnover of at least 180 strides per minute. Once you’re in the pool, the most important part of your workout is maintaining proper form. In fact, you can actually spend more time pool running because you virtually can’t get hurt. If you’re hurt, you can immediately transition all of your training into the pool. Indoor spinning allows you to control how hard you work – plus, there’s no risk of crashing! The ABC’s of Pool Running Form I own a road bike and love to ride, but if you don’t have access to a pool then a fitness bike can help you stay in great shape. Downhills can also decrease your effort because you don’t need to pedal to maintain your speed. While cycling outside can be a great form of cross-training or injury rehabilitation, hilly terrain can force you to work harder than you’d like. You are not supposed to touch the pool floor. Keep in mind that you pool run in the deep end. You will be able to maintain your fitness even if you’re not doing any running on land. Pool running is my favorite form of cross-training for runners because it’s highly specific to running it closely mimics your running form while using most of the same muscles. I was officially a pool running convert, realizing that it’s power to maintain running-specific fitness is unmatched with other forms of exercise.
![run my pool run my pool](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/B4X7HD/girl-running-beside-swimming-pool-B4X7HD.jpg)
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With zero impact, you can increase your effort substantially in the pool without getting hurt.Īfter those two weeks, I came out of the pool and ran significant personal bests in the indoor 3,000m and outdoor 5,000m. Never before had I worked out harder during an injury.īut I did: I often pool ran twice per day and did hard workouts almost every day. I spent a full two weeks in the pool doing pool running workouts during my senior year of college when I was injured. It’s zero impact and has an extremely low risk of injury – making it a perfect supplemental form of training for a healthy runner and one of the best alternative exercises for injured runners. One of the best cross-training exercises for runners is pool running.