Our health care clinic has been in operation for 80 years, and some of our patients have been coming here since they were children. We pride ourselves on providing balanced medical care that looks at all aspects of a patient's wellbeing, including their mood, mental health, social connection as well as their physical health. As many of our patients are older, we've become specialists in geriatric care and help patients to stay at home as long as possible. We find that happy and connected seniors tend to be healthy. Our blog is all about holistic care for older patients in a health care clinic.
Geriatric community care
How to stay healthy when training for a marathon
Jane Brown
Training for a marathon is a very physically demanding process, which can place a great deal of strain on your body. Because of this, it's important to be sensible in your approach to training. Here are a few tips which should help to keep you healthy and happy during your marathon preparations.
Increase distances and speed slowly
One of the biggest mistakes made by novice runners is attempting to increase their speed or their mileage before they are physically ready to do so. This often leads to them experiencing muscle and joint issues, along with severe exhaustion, because they haven't given their bodies time to gradually adjust to the demands they are placing on it. A mistake like this could potentially result in injuries which could leave you unable to participate in your upcoming marathon.
Try to begin training as far in advance as possible, so that you have time to slowly and steadily increase your mileage and pace; ideally, you should only be raising your distances and speeds by between 10 to 15% every week. Additionally, make sure to have a weekly 'day of rest', where you do no cardio exercise at all. Whilst you might feel like this is a waste of precious training time, a period of rest is actually crucial to your success; this 'down time' will give your muscles a chance to recover and grow stronger.
Treat your injuries promptly
Whilst it's perfectly normal to feel a bit sore after a long run, it's important not to ignore persistent aches and pains. The intensity of a marathon training schedule can mean that you're more prone to certain injuries, such as ankle sprains, 'runner's knee' or plantar fasciitis. Whilst some of these issues, such as an ankle sprain, are relatively minor and can be treated with a few days of rest and ice-pack applications, others may require professional help. If you're experiencing pain that is interfering with your ability to run, it may be wise to go for some physiotherapy sessions. Ignoring the problem and trying to carry on with your training could lead to the injury becoming significantly worse.
A physiotherapist will be able to conduct a bio-mechanical assessment, which will enable them to determine what the underlying cause of the pain is, so that they can come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Physiotherapy typically includes specific stretches, exercises and massage techniques which can help to ease nerve pain, poor circulation or muscle tightness.
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