A great way to keep up your strength and fitness when you have had a leg injury is deep-water running.
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This low-impact, high-intensity style of training is performed by using a buoyancy vest, attached to the wall in the deeper end of a pool. This style of training is a great form of activity when you are unable to put impact on to the legs but still want to keep up your fitness.
Deep-water running is a great alternative to running because:
■ It doesn't impact your lower limbs and allows you to exercise the injured site.
■ It allows you to run essentially without impact and inflaming the injury even further; this in turn uses the legs in a specific fashion as close as possible to your regular running style.
■ It allows you to keep up your fitness.
■ It builds up strength in the legs and upper body.
■ It allows you to do interval running of fast and easy periods in a group quite easily as you are stationed quite close together.
■ It doesn't require much space and can be performed in most pools, providing there is enough depth that your feet don't hit the bottom.
■ It builds up the level of lactic acid tolerance in your legs by having to push through the resistance of the water.
Deep-water running is a great way to keep the body fit and active when you need that down time from impact running. It is incredibly effective and should be implemented at some stage of the season regardless of your sport.
Happy training!
Lukas Chodat is the director of Chodat Fitness.