Try a bra fitting service at Sweatshop "bra bar". They've teamed up with leaders in Breast Health, Portsmouth University to create a bespoke sports fitting service to educate women and highlight that no matter what you bra size, wearing a well fitted sports bra can eliminate sport-related breast pain; help prevent sag and droopy breasts; enhance running style and performance and eliminate the bounce, and embarrassment.
Bring your unwanted bra to the "bra bin" in your nearest store and you'll get £5 off the purchase of a new sports bra. Funds raised will be given to Sweatshop's dedicated charity, The Microloan Foundation. Sweatshop will also donate £1 to the charity for every new bra sold. Visit www.sweatshop.co.uk to find your nearest store.
For more information on finding the right bra have a look at Sports Bra Advice from Shock Absorber
This exercise requires teamwork and helps build core and upper body strength, agility and cardio fitness. Partner one performs press-ups with the legs placed wider than hip width so that partner two can hop over the legs. You are less likely to give up or perform the exercises with little effort as you work together with your partner.
Partner two performing the hops, steps one leg to the middle of Partner one's legs followed by the other leg. They then spring over their second leg and then go back the way they came.
Make sure when you perform press ups that you take your body weight in your upper body, bend your elbows out to the side and lower your chest so that it is in between your hands. Keep your torso strong and avoid arching your back aiming to keep the natural curves of your spine.
Once you have performed the exercise for 30 seconds, swap and change to the other exercise.
For more cross training techniques see our 4 Essential Marathon Cross Training Techniques article.
Didn't get tickets for the Olympics? The Aviva Series starts today with an International Match at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow launching an Olympic year of world-class athletics. Tickets are £18 for Tier one; £15 for for Tier two and £10 for Tier two concession. Wheelchair users are free in Tier two. Find out more at www.uka.org.uk. If you can't make it today, then you still have a great day out and the two remaining Aviva events in February to be held in Birmingham and Sheffield.
If you’re marathon training, or if you’ve just stepped up to the mark since Christmas you might be feeling you have achy muscles now. It’s vital that you make time to stretch and a dedicated session will really help keep injury at bay – and what better time than after you’re Sunday long run, even after you’ve showered or bathed with nice warm muscles. Try these stretches from Giles Gyer at Osteon Physiotherapy.
For more information see 4 Essential Stretches for Runners.
LitoZin Joint Health is a new treatment for conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The active ingredient is GOPO a ‘galactolipid’ which has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. A study in 2008 found that GOPO was more effective than paracetamol and glucosamine and those taking it needed less painkillers. LitoZin Joint Health is available as capsules or a drink sachet and cost £20.42 for 20 capsules or drink sachets. Find out more at www.litozin.co.uk. Running into old age with strong joints? Find out how at Run for an Active Old Age.
Tuesday is a great day for some faster running either interval or threshold training. According to Alex Bliss, physiologist at Brighton University, who’s working with athletes on the Marathon Support Unit, “A threshold run will help improve the body's tolerance to elevated blood lactate levels and improve blood lactate clearance rates. If you can improve your lactate threshold (the speed or heart rate at which LT occurs) you can run faster for the same metabolic cost to your body, thereby enabling you to run quicker.” According to Bliss “a well trained marathon runner can run below the threshold indefinitely. If you are running above your threshold aim for 30 to 40 minutes hovering slightly above threshold initially and then build from there.”
Check out our article Tempo and Threshold Run Training Explained here: