Tips for exercising
Cross-training
Options for guided instruction
Massaging your back on your own
Compact workouts (timewise)
4
4
5
6
Other muscle-strengthening exercises
Just cardio: The run-walk method
Bibliography
17
19
35
Table of Contents in depth
4
Muscle buildup
Pushaways
Sitbacks
Two other abdominal exercises
7
7
8
8
Make mp3 files from others’ products
4
Cardio conditioning
9
Yoga, stretching, Pilates, back rehab,
and muscle-strengthening
4
Cross-training
4
Options for guided instruction
Audio CD instructors
Podcasts
Card decks
Weeks 9-16
Muscle endurance
Endurance pushaways
Endurance sitbacks
4
4
5
Tai Chi and Qi Gong DVDs
(no good CDs or cards)
5
Mindfulness meditation CDs or podcasts
5
Massaging your back on your own
5
Cardio endurance intervals
6
(10 min./day, three times a week)
Weeks 1-8
Stretching
6
6
6
11
11
11
12
Cardio sprint intervals
12
o15 Workout: 15 min/day, 3-5 days/wk
Website, DVD, & video examples
Basic equipment
Principles underlying every exercise
The exercises
Wall sit
1
11
Weeks 17-24
Muscle strengthening
Strength pushaways
Strength sitbacks
Weeks 1-24 schedules
Compact workouts (timewise)
9
9
9
10
12
13
13
13
14
14
14
Crippler
Chest press hold
15
15
Thigh
Inner thigh - lift
19
19
Crucifixion: similar to
chest press hold
15
Just cardio: The run-walk method
19
Bentover crucifixion
Tricep extension
Recliner
The rock hold
15
16
16
16
Website
Getting motivated
Eat regularly to maintain motivation
Overview
Before you exercise
During the workout
Afterwards
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
Other popular
muscle-strengthening exercises
17
Arms
Forearms – hammer curl
Lower biceps - concentration curl
Upper biceps – curl
17
17
17
17
Triceps
Tricep pushups
Triceps dip
Shoulders
Rear shoulders and upper back
Bent-over lateral raise
17
17
17
18
18
18
Chest and front shoulders
Pushups
Dumbbell military press
18
18
18
Medial deltoids (Middle shoulders)
Twisting dumbbell shoulder press
Lateral raise
18
18
18
Back
Dumbbell row
Shrug
Run regularly
20
Do the schedule for at least 21 days 20
19
19
19
Mental rehearsals
During the run
Keep a journal
Reward yourself afterwards
21
21
21
21
Usual excuses and overcoming them
No free time
I might get hurt
I feel too weak
I don’t have my gear with me
It’s too hot or humid.
22
22
22
22
22
22
Pedometers
Recording your morning pulse
Maintain good running form
22
23
23
Fat-burning training program schedule
Long-term goal
24
24
For run-walks
When starting and ending
Walk breaks
Run slowly during the running phase
2
24
24
24
24
For walking-only days
Mileage
Initial schedule
After week 26
Do a session a week beyond 90 min.
25
25
25
26
26
Long-term fat loss
27
Pain and injuries
Overview
Take extra vitamins
What to do while running or walking
Stretching
Stress fractures
Muscle injuries
27
27
27
28
28
28
28
Specific injuries/pain from the toes up
Gout – toe joint pain
Heel pain – plantar fascia
Back of the foot – Achilles’ tendon
Shin injuries
Calf muscle
Knee injuries
28
28
29
29
29
29
29
3
Ilio-tibial band syndrome
Treatment
30
30
Hip and groin pain
Side pain
31
31
Buying a new shoe
In general
Width issues
Breaking in a new shoe
32
32
32
32
Water running as cross training
33
Relevant muscle-building
The foot lift
Heel walking
Toes
33
33
34
34
Races
10k Training Schedule
34
34
Bibliography
35
Cross-training
Cross training simply means "alternating your exercise." Your goal is to find exercises that give
you a good feeling of exertion, but do not fatigue the muscles that you will be exercising on the
next day. You might alternate cardio workouts with upper-body circuit training, or either one of
these with a yoga or pilates workout.
Options for guided instruction
Tailor-make your own mp3 files from others’ products
Sometimes when watching DVDs, we cause pain and stiffness in our necks from twisting them
in weird angles so that we can always see the television screen. With DVDs, we also have to
rely on having a laptop or television screen nearby. With CDs, we don’t have to contort our
bodies to receive the instruction, but we still have to hope that we will like the speaker’s voice,
style, and ability to describe the instructions clearly enough so that we can do the movement
correctly.
You might prefer buying a deck of cards about the exercise in which each card has a picture of
the pose on one side and a complete description on the other side. Then, using an MP3 recorder
on your computer, you can create your own audio tracks and describe each pose to your content,
leaving out the Sanskrit or incorporating it as desired. When finished, you can transfer it onto
your iPod so that you can do the exercises anywhere.
Yoga, stretching, Pilates, back rehabilitation, and muscle-strengthening
Audio CD instructors

Yoga: Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, John Friend (Anusara yoga) (double-cd), Suzie Hurley
(Anusara yoga), and Bikram Choudhury (Bikram yoga) (double-cd)

Pilates: Brooke Siler
o http://www.reabnyc.com/shop_pbk.htm

Elaine Petrone for back, neck, shoulder, and hip pain relief:
o articles: www.elainepetrone.com/pages/articles.html
o CDs and the special balls: http://www.elainepetrone.com/pages/products.html#cdballs
o Amazon reviews: www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Ball-MethodIncluded/dp/0761128689
Podcasts
Look in the iTunes store or on Google Play for free podcasts by your favorite instructors or by
some of their students. For yoga, for example, there are free instructional podcasts by many
instructors.
4
Card decks






The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses and Meditations for Body, Mind, and Spirit, by Olivia Miller
The Yoga Deck II, by Olivia Miller
The Stretch Deck, by Olivia Miller
Pilates Body in Motion Deck, by Alycea Ungaro
The Pilates Deck, by Shirley Archer and Nicole Kaufman
The Pilates Body Kit: An Interactive Fitness Program to Strengthen, Streamline, and Tone
(includes 2 audio CDs, flash cards & workbook), by Brooke Siler

The Strength and Toning Deck: 50 Exercises to Shape Your Body, by Shirley Archer and
Nicole Kaufman
Tai Chi and Qi Gong DVDs (no good CDs or cards)
David Dorian-Ross (Tai Chi); Francesco Garripoli and Daisy-Lee Garripoli (Qigong)
Mindfulness meditation CDs or podcasts


Guided instruction on CD: Jon Kabat-Zinn - http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/
Free downloads: For example, see http://download.meditation.org.au/guidedmeditations.asp
Massaging your back on your own
1. Place two tennis balls one inch apart on a thick towel. Put a folded sock between the balls to
separate them, and roll the tennis balls up in the towel like a tight burrito. Alternatively, you
can cover and twist the balls together in another sock.
2. Gently lie down on the tennis balls, centering them between your shoulder blades and spine.
With your knees bent and your eyes closed, practice long deep breathing as you very slowly
roll yourself up and down over the balls.
3. For 2 or 3 minutes, rock over the balls along the length of your back. Concentrate the
pressure on your upper back between your shoulder blades. Keep your eyes closed and
breathe deeply.
4. Immediately after you remove the balls, cover yourself with a sheet or blanket and relax for 5
or 10 minutes, as if you were going to take a nap.
5
Compact workouts (timewise)
(10 min./day, three times a week)
Book: Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week, by L. E. Morehouse
Weeks 1-8
During the first 8 weeks your 10-minute exercise session will be divided up into three parts:
1. One minute of stretching.
2. 4 minutes of muscle building.
3. 5 minutes of any continuous activity that raises your heart rate to the desired level.
Stretching
Initially, one performance of each of these is sufficient. Later you may wish to do them two or
three times.
1. Reach up as high as you can toward the ceiling with one arm. Your hand should be directly
over your head. Feel the stretch all the way to your ankle, all the way along your side. When
you feel all stretched out, drop your arm, and repeat the exercise with your other arm. Be a
cat; stretch to your outer limit.
2. Arms extended sideward, twist your trunk in either direction as far as you can turn. Then
twist in the opposite direction.
3. Lean over, grasp yourself behind the knees with your hands, and pull your shoulders gently
toward your knees. Don't use force. Don't use momentum.
4. Turn your head to the side, with your chin over the top of your left shoulder. Place your left
hand against your chin, on the right side of your face. Place your right hand on your head
from behind. Left and right hands now turn the head just a little farther than it can turn on its
own. Now reverse the process, with your chin over your right shoulder, your right hand
against the left side of your face, the left hand grasping the head from behind. Slowly stretch
your neck muscles.
5. Lie on your back on the floor, bring your knees to your chest and, with the aid of your hands,
draw the knees in just so far that you can feel your lower spine on the floor. Hold that
position for 5 seconds.
6. Bridge: Lie on your back with your hands under your buttocks. Draw your feet up with the
soles together. Tilt the pelvis upward oft the floor, press the small of the back down against
the floor and hold for 5 seconds. Work up to 10 seconds.
6
7. Lunge forward with extra-long strides. Do one leg at a time. Return to the starting position.
Repeat rapidly, 20 to 60 times, or until you can't maintain the fast speed. Then alternate
sides.
8. And if you have access to a gym, pull-downs on a "lat" machine, a pulley device with
weights, are enormously helpful. Sit on a bench under the bar, grasp the bar with both hands,
and pull just enough to raise the weight slightly off its platform. Then bend from side to side
5-10 times. Next, rotate the bar as far as it will go in both directions. Do this 5-10 times.
Finally, pull the bar down alternately behind and in front of your head 5-10 times. Caution:
Never do these exercises while kneeling. Always sit on a bench. Also, avoid exercises that
compress the spine, such as lifts, presses or standing curls.
Muscle buildup
You'll do two exercises, alternating them for a full 4 minutes. The first will expand the muscles
of your shoulders, chest and arms. The second will expand the muscles of your abdomen and
back.
Pushaways
Stand a little beyond arm's reach from a wall. Put your hands against the wall at the height of
your shoulders. Lean forward until your chest comes near the wall. Then push away until you're
back in the starting position. If that's too hard, step in closer. Do the exercise 15-20 times, or
until the exertion begins to feel heavy. This is one set. If the exercise was a workout at a set of
15 pushaways or less, keep at it each session. When you can do a set of 20 or more with ease,
move to a position with the feet farther away. In successive workouts you'll be able to do more
repetitions. Just keep backing away from the wall until you find the position that gives a
moderate effort. If you can do a set of more than 20 pushaways before the exertion begins to feel
heavy, shift to a new position next time.
Some people will find at the outset that the pushaway from the wall is too easy. In that event try
a kitchen counter, or a bathroom sink, or a chest of drawers-anything that lowers the height of
your hands below the height of your shoulders. If you can do only 15 pushaways before the
exertion becomes heavy, you've found your starting place. We want an exercise that begins to
feel difficult after 15 executions. At each session, you'll be adding more repetitions as your
condition improves. When you can do a set of more than 20 with only a mild effort, increase the
difficulty of the pushaway exercise.
From the counter or sink or chest of drawers, move next to a table, and repeat the same routine.
From the table, move to a chair or a bench. From the chair or bench, move to the floor. Put your
knees on the floor. When you're able to do a set of 20 pushaways, try them with your knees off
the floor, as in pushups.
For the person who is in fairly good shape to begin with, 20 pushaways in the above positions
may soon become too easy. He can increase the resistance by reversing the process that made it
simpler. Instead of having his hands higher than his feet, he moves his feet higher than his
7
hands. They are placed first on a low bench, then on a chair, then on a table, etc., until the
extreme case, when the feet are over the head. None of us will likely get there; none of us needs
to; but it's a good illustration of the many ways in which the difficulty of our pushaway exercise
can be increased.
Sitbacks
Start with your chest at your knees in the “finish” position for sit-ups and go backward instead of
rising from the floor to your knees. When you've gone back to a point where the return will be
moderately difficult, that's a good workout for you. Keep breathing – 4 seconds in, pause, 4
seconds out, pause. Sit on the floor, feet hooked under a piece of furniture. Fully bend your
knees. Work your chest up against your knees, or as closely as it will come. Place your hands on
your abdomen so that you can feel the muscle action. Once you're in position, move back away
from your knees until you feel your abdominal muscles to a moderate degree. As your condition
improves, your point of moderate effort will drop farther and farther backward. Eventually, your
shoulder blades will lightly brush the floor.
Start with a degree of effort that enables you to hold the position for 15 to 20 seconds. The last
few seconds the belly muscles will begin to quiver. Work up to a full 20-second sitback before
quivering commences; then try a deeper sitback. When your back is brushing the floor, and you
can hold the sitback for 20 seconds or more, you can proceed to "load up" the exercise by
moving your arms. You've been holding them in front of you, with your hands on your stomach.
Now fold them on your chest in order to increase the resistance. That little change will take you
back to 15 seconds per set; you may even need to make your sitback more shallow for a few
days.
The next position is arms folded and resting on your chest. When that has been mastered, move
your hands behind your head. Finally, move your arms over your head. Caution: Don’t swing
your arms. They're elevated for added weight, and should not be used for momentum.
You don't get points for advancing in difficulty. You're doing it only to make personal
adjustments. You're getting just as much value out of the first position, relative to your condition
at the time, as you are from the last position. Important: After one set each of the muscle buildup
exercises, check your pulse to be sure it isn't over your limit, 60 % of your maximum level. If it
is, rest.
Now repeat the sets of muscle buildup exercises in the same order and again monitor your pulse.
You may not be able to hold the sitback position for as long the second time around. Maintain
the same exercise until you can. Then increase the duration of the effort on the first set. The
double sets usually take about 4 minutes. The remaining 5 minutes of your 10-minute program
are for cardio exercise.
Two other abdominal exercises
The abdomen is a holding muscle. Every time you walk, take 10 steps with your abdomen hard.
As you do, probe your abdominal muscles with your fingers to make the belly stay hard. Tense,
8
then relax. You’ll find it quite an effort at first. But gradually you'll be able to increase the
number of steps.
Lie on one side, then raise and lower the top leg as fast as possible, until you can no longer
maintain the speed: 20-60 times. Rest and repeat. Alternate sides. Rest and repeat.
Cardio conditioning
You can choose any steady, easy activity you want that will raise your heart rate to your proper
level for 5 minutes during this phase. Be energetic enough to get your pulse rate up to your
moderate level by the end of the second minute, and to maintain that level for another three
minutes.
Example: Fitness Hop - Hop twice on the left foot, then twice on the right foot then twice on
both feet. Repeat. Take your pulse but try to keep moving. Never come to a complete standstill.
That's your program for this phase. It should take you two or three sessions to find your patterns,
positions, speed and endurance. By the end of the first week, you should have a comfortable 10minute routine.
For the following 7 weeks, your only requirement is to keep intensifying your activity. Stretch
farther. Put more vigor into your workout. Change the position of your pushaways. Shift your
arms when doing your sitbacks. In your cardio workout, that intensification is automatic. You
have to do more to get your pulse up to the proper beat. Your proper beat is calculated by
subtracting your age from 220, then multiplying the remainder by 60 %. Example: 220 minus 40
= 180; 180 * .60 = 108. Call it 110. That's your starting Training Pulse Rate. Don't fall back if
you're trained at a higher level.
Weeks 9-16
Your next job is to give those muscles a capacity for endurance so that any sudden situation
requiring extra effort won't throw you off schedule for a week.
Muscle endurance
The second 8 weeks require a new series of training methods to achieve the new objectives. The
first 4 minutes are for muscle endurance training and the last six for cardio training.
Endurance pushaways
Your first exercise is to do twice as many pushaways as you were doing in Step One and feel that
the exertion is moderate at the end; not light, not heavy. In order to do that many without a heavy
effort, you'll have to lighten the resistance considerably from what it was at the end of that first 8
weeks, when you were exercising for muscle bulk. It may be that you had worked your way from
the wall through all the stages to the floor. Nonetheless, it would be a good idea to go back to the
9
wail the first time you try to do about 40 pushaways. If that's too easy, try the next hardest level
the next time you exercise. The objective is to do twice as many, and do them fast.
Adjust the intensity by moving your feet away from the wall. Start at just beyond arm's length. If
that's too hard, step in closer. Do about 40 pushaways. If you can easily do more than 50, you're
standing too close. Once you've found the position that enables you to just barely get 40 without
the exercise becoming heavy, maintain that position until you can get a moderate exertion at
about 50. Then move to the next position. As you step away from the wall, you automatically
increase the load.
In order to gain endurance, you have to do lighter work rapidly for a greater number of times. If
you quit before 20, you're not doing an endurance exercise. If you get 35 and have to stop, or if
you get 60 without feeling tired, fine, that's your workout for the day. Make adjustments the next
time you exercise. Stand closer or farther away; go faster or slower.
Endurance sitbacks
Assume the same position you did for the regular sitback: on the floor, knees bent, feet hooked
under or around a piece of furniture. Now lean back just a little, about a third of the way to the
floor. Hold that position for 10 or 15 seconds. Next, move back a notch, so that you're
approximately halfway between your starting position and the floor. Again, hold for 10 to 15
seconds. Finally, move back to the three-quarter position, and try to hold that for 10 to 15
seconds.
While you're leaning backward, probe the abdominal muscles in all areas, low and high, with
your hands. This keeps the muscles hard. When the exertion starts to become heavy, your belly
will begin to quiver. That's your signal to straighten up or relax backward onto the floor. It may
take you a few days to establish just how far back you should go. If you're back too far, you'll
start to quiver before 30 seconds. If you're too far forward, you won't quiver until after 40
seconds.
As soon as you've finished the sitback, do another set of endurance pushaways. When you've
finished the second set of endurance pushaways, do another set of endurance sitbacks.
Two sets each of two exercises should take you 4 minutes. If you find that you can't do the 4 sets
in 4 minutes, then do as many as you can. Try to develop to a point where you can do two sets
of each exercise. If you can get only 30 pushaways on the second set fine. If you can hold the
sitback for only 20 seconds the second time, also fine. You'll soon be able to easily do 4
complete sets in 4 minutes.
Reminder: Check your heart rate every two minutes. Keep it within prescribed limits. Your
upper limit is now 70% of. 220 minus your age. Example: 220 minus 40 = 180; 180 * .70 = 126.
The nearest interval of 10 is 130. You can go to 130 beats a minute, or thirteen beats in six
seconds.
10
Cardio endurance intervals
Work for 30 seconds then slow to a walk for about 30 seconds, then run and walk alternately.
Exercise in such a way that the slow periods give you enough of a rest to maintain vigorous
activity in the fast periods, without being so inactive that you're penalizing yourself.
Your training pulse rate goes to 70 % of maximum during the fast portions. Start out - running
in place, jogging, Fitness Hopping, dancing - at your old training rate for 30 seconds. In the next
30 seconds, speed up so that you raise your pulse rate to 70 % of maximum training rate. It will
take a few tries to find out what effort is required to achieve that result. If you go faster, your
heart rate will increase. How much faster is something your body will teach you by the second
or third session.
Now a minute has passed. In the next 30 seconds, slow your activity, giving yourself a rest, but
not so much that your heart rate falls below your loping pulse rate. So if you were doing your
workout at a pulse rate of 110, let your pulse lower to that rate during this active rest interval.
After 30 seconds of active rest, speed up for 30 seconds of intensive exercise. Then slow down.
Then speed up. And so forth for six minutes.
Reminder: Take your pulse after two minutes. Don't exceed your training pulse rate- 70 % of the
difference between 220 and your age. At the same time, don't be alarmed if you haven't quite
made it to your training pulse rate after two minutes. It may take another interval of intensive
exercise to do that. After the fourth minute, take your pulse again during your active rest interval.
If you're too high, don't move so fast during your next 30-second intensive exercise burst. If
you're too low, move faster.
Even if you miss your training pulse rate by 10 beats per minute for several sessions, it's no big
deal. Eventually you'll find the target. Toward the end of your second 8-week period, you'll be
moving a lot faster to produce your training pulse rate than you were at the beginning.
Weeks 17-24
Muscle strengthening
Training for strength takes less time than building for bulk or endurance. You gain strength by
using heavier loads and fewer repetitions. These exercises take 2 minutes, leaving 8 minutes for
cardio training.
Strength pushaways
Once again, the first exercise for muscle strength is the pushaway. We want to make things so
difficult that we can get no more than 5. So we not only go to the floor but also lift our feet.
Ideally, you would make the exercise so difficult that you could do only one. With the same
degree of difficulty, you would then try to train up to 5. Then you'd intensify it even further.
11
Strength sitbacks
Same position as for earlier sitbacks - on the floor, feet hooked to a piece of furniture, knees
drawn up. Now assume a position you can hold without trembling for only 5 seconds. After 5
seconds, let yourself go down to the floor, and rest.
There are two basic ways to create that much difficulty. The first is to extend your arms over
your head. The second is to hold a weight either in your hands or in your arms, folded across
your chest. A deep sitback may very well be enough at first to give you a good challenge for 5
seconds. But if it isn’t, try your arms in different positions. If that isn't enough, add weight.
When you've finished your strength sitback, do another set of strength pushaways. Then another
sitback, another pushaway, another sitback. Three times for each exercise, alternating. The effort
of the first week will be insufficient for the third week to give you a strength workout because
you are getting stronger. Once again, you'll feel it and make the necessary adjustments.
Don't exceed your training pulse rate. It's now 80% * (220 - your age). That's high enough.
Cardio sprint intervals
In the next 8 minutes, you will continue to train at 80% of TPR. To do that, you're going to
shorten your sprinting level to 15 seconds. Start your activity at your training pulse rate during
the second 8 weeks. Move at that rate for 15 seconds. Then, in the next 15 seconds, move at
whatever rate is required to work your training pulse rate up to the appropriate 80% level. From
then on, alternate slow and fast periods each 15 seconds for 8 minutes. Again, it will take 2-3
minutes to work your heart rate up to your goal. Take your pulse after two minutes, 4 minutes
and six minutes and make the appropriate adjustments.
Weeks 1-24 schedules
Weeks 1-8
Minutes Exercise
0-1
Stretching: reach, twist, bend,
turn
1-2
15-20 pushaways
2-3
Sitbacks held for 15-20
seconds
3-4
Repeat pushaways
4-5
Repeat sitbacks
5-10
Weeks 9-16 (Endurance)
Min. Exercise
0-1
40-50 pushaways (fast)
1-2
2-3
Sitbacks held for 40-50 seconds each
Repeat pushaways
3-4
4-10
Repeat sitbacks
30-second cardio intervals with 30
seconds rest at 70% pulse
30-second cardio intervals
with 30 sec. rest at 70% pulse
12
Weeks 17-24 (Strength)
Minutes Exercise
0-2
Alternate 1-5 pushaways with sitbacks held 1-5 seconds
2-10
Sprints (l5-second cardio intervals alternated with 15 seconds of
active rest at 80% pulse)
o15 Workout: 15 min/day, 3-5 days/wk
Website, DVD, & video examples




http://www.o15workout.com
http://www.o15workout.com/dvd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6-6knSHV9U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuxWVC-dBQw
Basic equipment
If you are doing this workout at home, here is a list of useful equipment and tools:

A floor, a wall, a doorframe, and a seat, such as a small stool, chair, coffee table, or ottoman.

A wall mirror nearby: Mirrors are important, but once you are a master, you will feel when
you are out of position and can get by without one if you are traveling and away from your
usual setup.

Weights: Have a couple light and medium dumbbells, preferably 3 lb, 5 lb, 8 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb,
and 20 lb.

Sticks: Get a small stick around 20″ long. The stick keeps your spine straight when there is
no wall or floor to use as a guide, such as in the pushup exercise or the bent-over row. You
will want to lightly sand away any splintery spots if using newly cut wood. If you put 3M
tread tape on the back (it’s like sandpaper), it’s a big help so that it doesn’t slide and move
around on your back. You could also wrap the stick & ends in duct tape, keeping any
splintery spots away and also providing a non-slip surface in place of using the no-slip tape.
Narrow sticks are best because you can align them with the spine and fit them between
shoulder blades. The size should 1.5 inches square or 1 inch by 1.5 inches. Any lumber yard
will have very cheap wood available, and they will cut it for you. Most places also have a
scrap bin by the cutting station where you can find leftover pieces.
You might even find a piece exactly the size you need. If not and you have to buy a full 6 or
8 foot length (usually for under $2) that they will then cut for you, ask for one 20″ long and
one 28″ long (or 30″ long if you are taller) so that you have one for the back and one to use
as a cane for some of the other exercises. If you buy an 8 foot piece of lumber, those 96
inches are exactly two 20″ sticks and two 28″ canes with no scrap leftover. (20 + 20 + 28 +
13
28 = 96 inches). The cane isn’t necessary and most people at home use a kitchen towel
rolled up and pulled wide, but if they’re cutting the wood for you, you may as well. It will
allow you to catch your fall on some exercises and can be useful.

Balls: Balls for the knees and feet are optional but helpful. They are not weighted and not to
be squeezed, but simply hold the space between legs evenly hip width apart. Pick one that
separates your knees but that still keeps the legs in parallel lines. Average size is 6″
diameter.

A homemade foot stand for the Crippler exercise: This should be 24″ long and 2.5″ high for
shoe sizes up to a men’s size 11. For larger shoe sizes, use a 3.25″ height. Keep your heels
1.25″ away from the wall so that your back (against the 1.25″ stick) and your heels are in
line. If you have baseboards, be sure to note how far they protrude. Alternately, you can
stand on the handles of a pair of 10 or 12 pound dumbbells placed next to one another. Do
not use round dumbbells, only those with square or hex ends.

A clock to follow the time and breathing: If you use the DVD, the clock isn’t necessary
because the instructed workouts will follow the breathing for you. There are also guided
mp3 files available for free on the 015 website: www.o15workout.com/category/resources
Principles underlying every exercise

Breathe 6 times per minute through your nose only (a ten-second cycle).

Posture: Your shoulders are down and back, and your elbows do not pinch the chest. Give
them space. Your abs are pulled in and up. Your pelvis is tilted upwards, your back is flat,
your feet are shoulder-width apart, your toes are curled up towards your torso, your feet and
legs are aligned, and your feet are not turning to one side. When you lift your toes, you
should only lift the toes, not the ball of the foot (metatarsus) as well. If you imagine your foot
making a triangle where the outermost bones (1st & 5th metatarsals) in the ball of the foot
are the base of a triangle and your heel is the point of the triangle, you will have an easy time
keeping your feet flat and knees stable before lifting your toes.

Have a 20-second break between each set; then you are done.
The exercises
Wall sit
Sit against the wall with no chair, and approach a right angle. You can climb a little out of the
90-degree wall-sit in the later sets. Your head and neck are forward. Your arms are out to the
sides with a slight bend to the front with the palms facing down. Arms hold 2.5-lb. dumbbells.
Don't move your arms. On the 3rd set, don’t use any weights. Your hands are slightly bent.
14
Crippler
Have a pad on the floor in front in case you need to fall over forward. Have a board or
dumbbells to put your heels on (2.5 inches high) so that you are tilted gently forward. Push
down your heels on the bar of the dumbbell. Toes are on the floor. Your upper legs angle out
and down while your lower legs angle back in towards you. Your knees make a 90-degree angle
and come over the toes.
Chest press hold
Lie down on your back. Tuck your shoulders down so they are away from your ears and not
scrunched. Pull your back towards the floor and stick out your chest. Hold your arms in 90°
angles so that your upper arms extend out to the sides and your forearms are vertical. Between
the weights you hold in your hands, there is an imaginary line, and this should connect at the tip
of your sternum, not the shoulders.
Your elbows should hover just above the ground, in line with shoulder socket. You want to
prevent the elbows from breaking the plane created by the back. If the position cannot be
maintained in the middle of a set, lightly rest elbows on ground without negating the rest of the
position for one breath as needed. Do a pelvic tilt (tuck tailbone slightly under and forward) to
keep entire spine flat against the floor. Pull in your abs to maintain this position, and pull your
navel to your spine with each exhale.
Lift your legs in 90° angles with your upper legs being vertical and your lower legs held
horizontally straight out in front of you. Keep the knees in a straight line above hips and your
shins parallel to the ground. Keep your legs spaced evenly and hip width apart. Pull your toes
toward your shins, just enough to flex legs. Keep the soles facing straight ahead.
Crucifixion - similar to chest press hold
Do a lateral raise (pec fly) with your palms facing up and your fingers curled back towards your
chest. Hold the 5-pound dumbbells in the farthest position away from the chest so that your arms
are almost fully extended but not locked. Your wrists are at the line of the solar plexus. Your
shoulders are on the floor, and your arms are slightly off the floor. The dumbbells are about six
inches off the ground; keep the dumbbells in a horizontal line with the solar plexus.
Your forearms are just a tad higher than the upper arms. Keep your chin in line with your chest.
As you progress, you can go lighter in weight, but maybe push feet out a little
Bentover crucifixion
Stand. Bend over forwards 90 degrees with a flat back. Look straight down and not at your feet.
Holding dumbbells, your arms angle outwards to the sides and then forwards so that your elbows
are making 90-degree angles and your upper arms are parallel to your spine. Your wrists are in
line with your solar plexus. Your elbows are not higher than your flat back.
15
Have a stick or board or book on the back to keep it flat. Elbows do not pinch the torso; triceps
do not break the plane of the spine. Stay still; do not rock forwards or backwards. Legs are fully
extended, just short of locking the knees. Flex your thigh and quads. For the last two sets, put
dumbbells down and use a towel, strap, or board, for which your forearms will be wider apart.
Tricep extension
This is the same as the bentover crucifixion except for the angle of your arms. Your arms angle
back and down at 135 degrees, and your upper arms are more parallel with the floor than your
forearms are. Alternate having forearms angle straight back and away from the body on a
backwards diagonal to the sides. When your arms get tired, drop the dumbbells but keep at it
with no weights.
Recliner
Sit down on the floor with your legs in front, fully extended but not locked. Your soles are
facing straight out in front of you. Sit tall and lean back a little but with a straight back. Look
straight ahead with your head level. Flex your thighs and quads. Lean back farther for a tougher
workout
The more you increase the bend of the knee, the easier it gets. Lift the dumbbells out to each
side as if you're doing a lateral raise. Your arms are out, but rotate your wrists so that your
palms are facing forward. Your arms are extended but not locked. Never let the arms break the
plane of the shoulder blades. As your arms tire, move down to smaller weights and then
eventually no weights.
The rock hold
Sitting in the recliner position, hold each end of the same dumbbell in front of you with your
hands (just one dumbbell). Your palms are almost in the same vertical plane as the solar plexus.
Push your elbows out so that the upper arms angles out and the lower arm angles in. The more
the angle in the arms, the more resistance there is. Your head is in line with your tilted back.
The stiller you are, the more intense it is;
Don't let the arms start to lower to the sides. When your arms get tired of the weight, use a stick,
strap, or towel and hold it at the solar plexus level with your elbows at ninety-degree angles.
Your upper arms angle down and out; your forearms point forwards and are parallel to your legs.
Your palms are two feet apart.
16
Other popular muscle-strengthening exercises
Arms
Forearms – hammer curl
Stand with dumbbells in each hand. Arms hang by your sides with palms facing toward your
body. Bend one elbow, lifting your arm until your forearm is vertical. Stand tall, rather than
swaying back in order to help yourself lift the weight. Slowly lower your arm back to your side.
Throughout the motion, don’t let your elbow move forward or backward. Switch sides and
repeat, alternate arms until you finish the set.
Lower biceps - concentration curl
Sitting, lean forward with your tricep against your inner thigh. With an upwards palm, lift the
dumbbell toward your shoulder, keeping your back flat and your upper arm and the rest of your
body still.
Upper biceps – curl
Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing in, arms straight. With elbows to sides, raise one
dumbbell and rotate forearm until forearm is vertical and palm faces shoulder. Lower to original
position and repeat with opposite arm. Continue to alternate between sides.
Triceps
Tricep pushups
Do these push-ups with your hands on the floor in the middle with your thumbs and index
fingers touching each other and making a triangle or diamond shape. Lower yourself to your
knees if you have to.
Triceps dip
Sit on the edge of a bench with your heels together and your legs straight. Grip the bench. With
your torso upright and your abs engaged, slide your body forward off the bench. Bending your
elbows, lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your wrists straight
and your back close to the bench. Push yourself up until your arms are fully straight. Focus the
motion on your triceps. Repeat.
17
Shoulders
Rear shoulders and upper back
Bent-over lateral raise
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and bent knees. Bend forward from your hips, keeping a
flat and neutral spine and chin. If you have to, lie face-down on an incline bench with your chest
pressed against the pad. Bring the dumbbells down below your chest, palms facing each other.
Lift the weights slowly outwards and up, raising them in line with your shoulders. Don’t lift
your torso as you lift the weights. Exhale. While inhaling, lower the weights slowly to the start
position. Do not rest between reps. Repeat.
Chest and front shoulders
Pushups
Make sure your back and legs form a straight line at all times. Keep your pelvis tilted up and
your hamstrings pushing back.
Dumbbell military press
Sit with palms facing forward, and lift the dumbbells until upper arms extend straight out to the
sides. Keeping torso still and back straight, straighten your arms over your head in a controlled
fashion. Palms always face forward. Don’t lock your elbows or allow the weights to touch.
Return to the original position.
Medial deltoids (Middle shoulders)
Twisting dumbbell shoulder press
Sit on a bench with your back straight and your feet on the ground. Grasp a dumbbell in either
hand and hold each at shoulder height with your palms facing your body. Lift both dumbbells
over your head and twist your wrists simultaneously so that your palms now face forward.
Lower the dumbbells while twisting your wrists until you reach the original position.
Lateral raise
Sitting on a bench with your palms facing your sides, grasp a dumbbell in each hand, overhand
grip. Keeping your elbows bent slightly, raise your arms to the side until they’re parallel to the
floor. Don’t raise your arms above your shoulders and neck. Return to the original position.
18
Back
Dumbbell row
Place left hand and left knee on the bench and your right foot on the floor. Bend over forward
and lift dumbbell from floor with right hand. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring
right hand to armpit, fully contracting the right side of your back. Return slowly. Exhaust right
arm before switching arms.
Shrug
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each
hand, with your palms facing your sides. Slowly shrug your shoulders as high as you can while
keeping the rest of your body still. Pause, then slowly return to the original position.
Thigh
Inner thigh - lift
Lie on your side. Stretch out your arm and rest your head on it. Press your other hand against
the floor. Bend one leg and put your knee on the ground in front of you. Lift up your bottom leg
a few inches. Lower your leg until it almost touches the floor. Perform all reps on one leg, then
switch to the other.
Just cardio: The run-walk method
Website
http://www.jeffgalloway.com
Getting motivated
When you're in shape, you begin to think differently about yourself and your life. By piecing
together a series of successful running experiences, you begin the transition into a fitter lifestyle.
Eat regularly to maintain motivation
Overview
Motivation increases when we eat more often. Eat regularly during the day - especially during
the afternoon – to keep your blood sugar up. You also burn fat faster by eating more often. Each
time you eat a small meal or snack, your metabolism speeds up. By revving up the metabolism,
several times a day, you will burn more calories.
19
When blood sugar level is maintained throughout the day, you will be more motivated to
exercise and will feel like adding other movement to your life. Overall, you'll have a more
positive mental attitude and will be able to deal with stress and solve problems. Just as eating
throughout the day keeps metabolism up, the steady infusion of balanced nutrients all day long
will maintain stable blood sugar. It's best to combine complex carbs with protein, and a small
amount of fat, such as flax meal.
Before you exercise
About 60 minutes before you want to exercise, eating a snack that has carbohydrate and about
20% protein will make you feel good and get you out the door. Keeping a snack as a BSL
booster can often be the difference whether you run that day or not. Soluble fiber such as oat
bran, seems to bestow a longer feeling of satisfaction than unsoluble fiber such as wheat bran.
During the workout
Most exercisers don't need to worry about eating or drinking during a run-walk until the length
of the session exceeds 90 minutes.
Afterwards
Re-load within 30 minutes of exercising with a drink like Endurox R4. The 80/20 ratio of carb
to protein has been most successful in reloading the muscles.
Run regularly
Run regularly. Whatever it takes to keep you getting out there, even for 10 minutes, three days a
week- do it! Yes, even as little as 5 minutes will maintain some of the adaptations. If you do 5
minutes, you will do 10 on most days, and that will maintain most of the adaptations.
Do the schedule for at least 21 days
Set the schedule for 21 days and meet it. 21 days are needed for habits to form, and a high
percentage of those who follow the schedule for 21 days will continue for 6 months. Some tips:

Find a place in your schedule when you are very likely to have time to walk and run. For
most people this means getting up 40 minutes earlier. Go to bed 40 minutes earlier.

Get your spouse, significant other, friends, co-workers, etc., to be your support team. Promise
that if you get through the next 3 weeks having done the runs, you will have a party for them,
picnic, whatever. Pick supportive people who will e-mail you and be supportive during and
after the training, and the celebration.
20

Have a friend or three who you can call in case you have a low motivation day. Just the voice
on the phone can usually get you out the door. Of course, it is always better to have a positive
and enthusiastic person in this role.

It is best to also have a back-up time to run. The usual times for this are at noon or after
work.
Mental rehearsals
Rehearsals develop patterns of thinking that get you in the groove for the behaviors you will
need when challenged. Rehearse your brain for a series of behaviors, and do this repeatedly until
it feels automatic. As you repeat the pattern, revising it for real life, you become what you want
to be. However, you must first have a goal that is do-able, and a rehearsal situation that is
realistic.
1. State your desired outcome: To be walking and running after a hard day.
2. Detail the challenge - low blood sugar, fatigue, a stream of negative messages.
3. Break up the challenge into a series of actions, which lead you through the mental barriers,
not one of which is challenging to the left brain.
4. Rehearse the situation in your mind, fine-tuning it so that it becomes integrated into the way
you think and act and reflects the specific situation that you will encounter in your real
challenge.
5. Finish by mentally enjoying the good feelings experienced with the desired outcome. You
have felt the good attitude, the vitality, the glow from a good run-walk, and you are truly
relaxed. So, revisit these positive feelings at the end of each rehearsal.
During the run
Visualize magical words such as, “Relax, power, glide.”
Keep a journal
Get a training journal, look ahead, and write down the three days a week you will run each week
for 2-3 weeks. Journal keepers are more likely to be long-term runners. The writing of each
day's mileage in the journal is often a great source of motivation – simple but satisfying.
Reward yourself afterwards
After you’ve finished your first week of three sessions, congratulate yourself with a special
running outfit, meal, trip to a great run-walk area, etc. Schedule a special run each week in a
scenic area, or with a motivating person or group. Each month, plan to run in a local fun run or
regional festive event.
21
Usual excuses and overcoming them
No free time
Once you quickly decide whether there is a medical (or other legitimate reason) why you
shouldn't run, most of the time you'll conclude that the brain is just trying to make you lazy. If
you don’t think you have enough time, take a look at your schedule. You'll discover other time
blocks that allow you to do other things. By making time for a run, you will also tend to be more
productive and efficient, more than "paying back" the time you spend running.
I might get hurt
If this happens, you are the one responsible. You have almost complete control over this
situation. By going at a conservative pace, with the right amount of running and walking, you
will feel better and more energized after the run than before. If you have a bad habit of pushing
the pace too much in the beginning, then get control over yourself. Walk more in the beginning,
and slow down your running pace. As you learn to slow down, you'll be able to go farther with
more energy.
I feel too weak
Eat regularly so that you will have the energy to run. By eating a small amount about every 2-3
hours, you will feel more energized, more of the time. You can overcome low blood sugar by
having a "booster" snack or drink about an hour before a run. When a drink with 80%
carbohydrate and 20% protein is consumed within 30 minutes of the start of a run, glycogen is
activated better, and energy is supplied sooner and better.
I don’t have my gear with me
Take an old bag (backpack, etc.) and load it with a pair of running shoes, a top for both winter
and summer, shorts and warm-up pants, towel, deodorant, and anything else you would need for
a run and clean up. Put the bag next to the front door, or in the trunk of your car, etc. Then, the
next time you are waiting to pick up your child from soccer, etc., you can do a quick change in
the restroom and make some loops around the field.
It’s too hot or humid.
Go slower.
Pedometers
A pedometer, or step counter, gives you an incentive and reinforcement for adding extra steps to
your day. No other device gives you such a sense of control over your actual calorie burn-off.
Once you get into the goal of taking more than 10,000 steps a day in your everyday activities,
22
you find yourself getting out of your chair more often, parking farther away from the
supermarket, walking around the kid's playground, etc. These devices are usually about one inch
square, and clip onto your belt, pocket, or waistband.
Get one from a quality manufacturer. When tested, some of the really inexpensive ones
registered 3-4 times as many steps as the quality products did – walking exactly the same course.
Your goal is to accumulate an additional 10,000 steps at home, at work, going shopping, waiting
for kids, etc. on your non-running days, and 6,000 on your running days.
Using a step counter will allow you to break up the walking into an all day series of step
segments. You will find many pockets of time during the day when you are just sitting or
standing. When you use these to add steps to your day, you burn fat and feel better. About
dinnertime you should do a "step check." If you haven't acquired your 10,000 (or 6000), walk
around the block a few extra times after dinner. For suggestions, see www.jeffgalloway.com.
Recording your morning pulse

As soon as you are conscious, count your pulse rate for a minute. Record it before you forget
it. If you don’t have your journal by your bed, then keep a piece of paper handy with a pen.

After 2 weeks or so of readings, you can establish a base line morning pulse. Take out the top
2 high readings, and then average the readings.

The average is your guide. If the rate is 5 % higher than your average, take an easy day.
When the rate is 10 % higher, and there is no reason for this [you woke up from an exciting
dream, medication, infection, etc.), then your muscles may be tired indeed. Take the day off
if you have a walk-run scheduled for that day.

If your pulse stays high for more than a week, call your doctor to see if there is a reason for
this (medication, hormones, metabolic changes, etc.)
Maintain good running form
Go slowly. No huffing and puffing is allowed. Good running posture is actually good body
posture. The head is naturally balanced over the shoulders, which are aligned over the hips. The
ideal position of the head is mostly upright with your eyes focused about 30-40 yards ahead,
above the horizontal plane. When you straighten up, you’ll receive a stride bonus of an inch or
so without any increase in energy. Also, breathing improves when you straighten up.
Don’t lead with your arms. Don’t swing your arms, and maintain little or no knee lift. Keep
your feet close to the ground and have short strides. Foot placement should be so light that you
don’t feel yourself pushing off or landing. Imagine that you are running on thin ice.
23
Schedule for the fat-burning training program
All walks and runs should be done very slowly. Oxygen is needed to burn fat. Therefore,
running easily will keep you in the aerobic, or "fat burning" zone. Don’t huff and puff. You
want to be able to talk or sing as you do your running. This is called the "talk test.”
For fat-burning purposes, walk earlier in the day and more often. The number of calories you
burn is based upon the number of miles covered, and walk breaks allow you to cover more
distance while still staying in the fat-burning zone. When in doubt, walk more and slow down.
If you walk before your running muscles start to get tired, you allow the muscle to recover
instantly - increasing your capacity for exercise while reducing the chance of next-day soreness.
So walk slowly, with a short stride. If you must skip an exercise day, let it be a walk day. Try to
make it to each of the running days.
Long-term goal




One slow long run-walk a week of 60 min+ (90 min+ is better)
Two other slow run-walks of 45 min+
Two-three cross training sessions of 45 min+
Taking an additional 6 -10,000 (or more) steps a day in your daily activities
For run-walks
When starting and ending
1. Walk for 3 minutes at a slow walk to warm the muscles up gently.
2. For 2 more minutes, continue to walk slowly, increase to a normal walk pace if you wish.
3. After your run-walks, walk slowly for 5-10 minutes as a "warm down.”
Walk breaks
Walk breaks work because by shifting back and forth between walking and running muscles, you
distribute the workload among a variety of muscles, increasing your overall capacity. Walk
breaks significantly speed up recovery because there is less damage to repair. To keep track of
them, set your watch to beep when it's time to walk, and then beep again when it's time to start
up again. Check www.jeffgalloway.com or a good running store for advice in this area.
If you feel good during and after the run, continue with the scheduled ratio. If not, run less.
Don't ever be afraid to drop back to make the run more fun, and less tiring. Adjust the breaks
where needed.
Run slowly during the running phase
By slowing the pace, you can beat fatigue with almost no risk of injury. You get the same
endurance from the long runs if you run slowly as you would if you run fast. However, you'll
24
recover much faster from a slow long run. So forget about speed. Focus only on endurance and
force yourself to slow down.
For walking-only days
The time that you spend walking, on the walking only-days, could be extended 5 minutes each
day. As long as the legs and body are recovering, you could continue increasing the run-walk
segment by an additional 3-5 minutes until the total reaches 30 minutes.
Mileage
Don’t increase total mileage more than 10% a week. Monitor your mileage that you run
[walking is usually OK) in a logbook or calendar. If you exceed the 10 % increase on a given
week, take an extra day off. Every 3rd or 4th week, drop your total mileage in half. This is
helpful even when increasing by no more than 10% per week. Your logbook can guide you here
also. You won't lose any conditioning and you'll help the body heal itself, and get stronger. A
steady increase, week after week, does not allow the legs to catch up and rebuild.
Initial schedule
Week Mon
Tues
Wed.
Thurs. Fri.
Sat.
Sun.
Run 10 seconds, walk 1 minute, run 10 seconds, walk 1 minute, ...
1
18 min,
15 min. 19 rw
18 w
Off 20 rw 15 w
Run-walk walk
2-3
22 rw
28 w
24 rw
30 w
Off 26 rw 30 w
4
22 w
22 w
20 rw
25 w
Off 22 rw 20 w
30 rw
33 rw
23 rw
Run 12 seconds, …
35 w
30 rw
35 w
35 w
32 rw
35 w
25 w
23 rw
25 w
Off
Off
Off
33 rw
36 rw
30 rw
30 w
33 w
25 w
33 rw
33 rw
23 rw
14 seconds, …
38 w
33 rw
38 w
38 w
33 rw
38 w
25 w
23 rw
30 w
Off
Off
Off
40 rw
43 rw
33 rw
30 w
30 w
25 w
11
12
13
35 rw
35 rw
25 rw
16 seconds, …
40 w
35 rw
40 w
40 w
35 rw
40 w
40 w
25 rw
40 w
Off
Off
Off
46 rw
49 rw
36 rw
32 w
32 w
25 w
14
36 rw
44 w
18 seconds, …
36 rw
44 w
Off
51 rw
33 w
5
6
7
8
9
10
25
15
16
17
36 rw
25 rw
37 rw
44 w
35 w
48 w
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
37 rw
25 rw
38 rw
38 rw
25 rw
40 rw
40 rw
25 rw
40 rw
48 w
38 w
52 w
52 w
40 w
56 w
56 w
42 w
60 w
36 rw
25 rw
37 rw
44 w
35 w
48 w
Off
Off
Off
54 rw
39 rw
57 rw
33 w
25 w
36 w
20 seconds, …
37 rw
48 w
25 rw
38 w
38 rw
52 w
38 rw
52 w
25 rw
40 w
40 rw
56 w
40 rw
56 w
25 rw
42 w
40 rw
60 w
Off
Off
Off
Off
Off
Off
Off
Off
Off
60 rw
42 rw
60 rw
60 rw
45 rw
60 rw
60 rw
45 rw
60 rw
36 w
25 w
38 w
38 w
25 w
40 w
40 w
25 w
40 w
After week 26
After 3-6 sessions at each ratio, add 5-10 seconds of running, maintaining the same amount of
walking. When you can run for 30 seconds, gradually reduce the walking time to 30 seconds,
every 3-6 sessions. When 30 seconds/30 seconds feels too easy, gradually increase the running
time, 5-10 sec every 3-6 sessions. Every third week, drop the distance by 25% and then return it
to the same level.
Do a session a week beyond 90 minutes
The longer session should gradually increase up to an hour and half, keeping you in the fat burn
zone long enough to encourage your muscles to adapt to fat burning. For best results, this should
be done every week. If you don't have time for a 90-minute session, shoot for at least 60
minutes.
Monday: Do a moderate walk-run of 40-60 minutes. This will allow you to maintain the fatburning adaptations gained in the longer one on the weekend. Do it at whatever pace you wish,
but when in doubt - go slower - and go longer.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (each day): Do alternative exercise for 40-60 minutes.
Friday: You can have this day off if you wish. Because it is the day before your long one, it's
best to take it very easy if you do any exercise. A short and gentle walk would be fine, for
example, but you need fresh muscles for the long one.
Saturday: Do a long walk-run. Start with the amount that you finished up with at the end of your
fat burning program in week 26 (usually 60 minutes), and gradually increase to between 90 and
120 minutes. Once you reach the time that you want as your limit, you can adjust the run-walk
ratio as you feel comfortable. Don't be afraid to put more walking in the beginning. The mission
here is to keep going while feeling good. You should finish knowing that you could have run
farther.
26
Sunday: Do an alternative exercise that raises body temperature while allowing you to continue
for 60+ minutes. Even on time-crunched days, try to shoot for 45 minutes. Stair machine work
is not recommended.
Long-term fat loss
As you run, you increase the storage of glycogen and water to process energy and cool you
down. Your blood volume also increases. These internal changes help you exercise better, but
they cause a weight gain (not a fat gain). If your weight is the same, a year after starting, you
have burned off several pounds of fat. Don't let the scales drive you crazy.
Pain and injuries
Overview
Once a new runner has achieved a certain level of fitness, there is a tendency to push more or rest
less. At first, the body responds. When the runner keeps pushing, the body breaks at one of the
"weak links."
When one of the weak links shows inflammation, loss of function or pain:
1. Take at least 2-5 days off from any activity that could irritate it.
2. If the area is next to the skin (tendon, foot, etc.), rub a chunk of ice on the area[s)-constantly
rubbing for 15 minutes until the area gets numb. Continue to do this for a week after you feel
no symptoms.
3. If the problem is inside a joint or muscle, call your doctor and ask if you can use prescription
strength anti-inflammatory medication. Don't take any medication without a doctor's advice and follow that advice.
4. If you have a muscle injury, see a very successful sports massage therapist. Try to find one
who has a lot of successful experience treating the area where you are injured. The magic
fingers and hands can often work wonders.
5. As you return to running, stay below the threshold of further irritation with much more
liberal walking.
6. Don't stretch unless you have Ilio-Tibial band injury. Stretching interferes with the healing of
most injuries and often increases the healing time.
Take extra vitamins
When you think you have a running injury, take 1000mg of Vitamin C, 3-5 times a day.
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What to do while running or walking
If the pain comes on when running, just walk for an additional 2 minutes, jog a few strides, and
walk another 2 minutes. If the pain comes back after doing this 4 or 5 times, stop running and
just walk. If the pain goes away when you walk, just walk for the rest of the workout. When the
pain stays when walking, try a very short stride. Walk for 30-60 seconds. If it still hurts, try
sitting down and massaging the area that hurts. Sit for 2-4 minutes. When you try again to walk,
and it still hurts, call it a day; your workout is over.
Stretching
Stretching causes a lot of injuries. Most people who run and walk don't need to stretch at all. In
other sports, you are asking your body to do what it was not designed to do. Our ancient
ancestors didn't play tennis or golf. But they did walk....and run. Stretching pushes the tendons
and muscles beyond what they are currently ready to do, and often pushes them into injury. A
gentle walk for 5 minutes, followed by a very gradual transition from walking to run-walk is the
most effective warm up.
Stress fractures
If the pain is in a very specific place, and increases as you run, you could have a more serious
problem: a stress fracture. This happens to those who do too much, too soon. Stress fractures can
also indicate low bone density and calcium deficiency. If you even suspect a stress fracture, do
not run or do anything stressful on the leg and see a doctor. Stress fractures take weeks of no
running and usually require wearing a cast for the first few weeks. They may also indicate a
calcium deficiency.
Muscle injuries
1. Call your doctor's office and see if you can take prescription-strength anti-inflammatory
medication. Always follow your doctor's advice about medication.
2. See a sports massage therapist who has worked successfully on many runners. Deep tissue
massage can speed up muscle recovery.
3. If you experience no improvement after 4 days of not running, call an orthopedist and set up
an appointment.
Specific injuries or pain from the toes up
Gout – toe joint pain
The swelling of the big toe joint, with pain, is the result of an accumulation of uric acid in your
foot. The pain may also be felt in the ankle, with significant and often debilitating tenderness on
the bottom of the forefoot. Major causes are too much protein and being dehydrated.
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Heel pain – plantar fascia
This pain on the inside or center of the heel is felt when you first walk on the foot in the
morning. As you get warmed up, it gradually goes away, only to return the next morning.
The most important treatment is to put your foot in a supportive shoe before you step out of bed.
Be sure to get a "shoe check" at a technical running store to make sure that you have the right
shoe for your foot. If the pain is felt during the day, and is painful, you should consult with a
podiatrist. Usually the doctor will construct a foot support that will surround your arch and heel.
This does not always need to be a hard orthotic. Usually a softer one, designed for your foot,
works quite well.
Back of the foot – Achilles’ tendon
The Achilles tendon is the narrow band of tendon rising up from the heel and connecting to the
calf muscle. It is usually injured because of excessive stretching, either through running or by
stretching exercises. First, avoid any activity that stretches the tendon in any way. It helps to add
a small heel lift to all shoes, which reduces the range of motion. Every night, rub a chunk of ice
directly on the tendon. Keep rubbing for about 15 minutes, until the tendon gets numb. Bags of
ice or frozen gels don't do any good. Usually after 3-5 days off from running, the icing takes
hold and the Achilles feels stronger each day. Anti-inflammatory medication very rarely helps
with the Achilles tendon.
Shin injuries
If you have shin pain, first try to rule out a stress fracture. In this case, the pain usually gets
worse as you run. If the pain gradually goes away as you run, there is less worry of a stress
fracture. This is probably a shin splint. If you stay below the threshold of activity that irritates the
shin muscle, you can run with shin splints as they gradually go away (check with doctor to be
sure). If the pain worsens, you might have a stress fracture and should check with your doctor.
You should not run if you have any type of fracture. Even after you make the corrections, shin
problems often take several weeks to heal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Just walk for 1-2 weeks, and walk with a short stride, gently.
Avoid downhill terrain.
When in doubt, run slower and walk slower on all runs.
Shorten your stride and use more of a "shuffle.
If you are an over-pronator on the forward part of your feet, get a stable, motion control shoe.
Ask your foot doctor if there is a foot device that can help you.
Calf muscle
The calf is the most important muscle for running. It is often irritated by speed work, and can be
pushed into injury by stretching, running too fast when tired, too many speed sessions without
adequate rest in between and sprinting at the end of races or workouts.
Knee injuries
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1. Call your doctor's office to see if you can take prescription-strength anti-inflammatory
medication.
2. Make sure that your running courses don't have a slant or canter.
3. Try gentle walking on your running days, for a week or two. Sometimes this will allow the
knee to heal while walking maintains a lot of the conditioning.
4. Sometimes knee straps (available at many running stores) can relieve pain. Ask your doctor.
In most cases, you must try these to see if they help.
5. Get a shoe check to see if you are wearing the right pair (if you over-pronate, a motioncontrol shoe may help). Look at the most worn pair of shoes you have, even walking shoes.
If there is wear on the inside of the forefoot, you probably over-pronate, and an orthotic or
foot support may help.
6. If you have internal knee pain, a glucosamine supplement may help (usually takes 6-8 weeks
to take effect). The best in this category is Joint Maintenance Product by Cooper Complete.
Ilio-tibial band syndrome
This band acts as a tendon on the outside of the leg from the hip to just below the knee. The pain
is most commonly noticed on the outside of the knee, but can occur anywhere along the band.
When the running muscles get tired, they don't keep you on a straight running track. The I-T
band tries to restrain the wobbling motion, but it cannot. By continuing to run, your wobbling
motion will overuse the band.
Once the healing has started (usually a few days off from running), most runners will heal just as
fast when continuing to run or completely laying off. In this case, however, it is crucial to get
your doctor's OK to run, and then, to stay below the threshold of further irritation.
Treatment
1. Stretch. Stretching the I-T band releases the tightness that produces the pain. With this
injury, you can stretch before, after and even during a run. The primary role for stretching is
to allow you to run when the band tightens.
2. Self-massage using a foam roller. This is the most effective treatment for Ilio-Tibial band
injury. Put the roller on the floor and lie on it using body weight to press and roll the area
that is sore. Rolling before a run will help it warm up, and rolling afterward often helps the
injury recover faster. This cylinder of dense foam is about 6 inches in diameter and about
one foot long. Roll gently for 2-3minutes and then apply more pressure as desired. This is
actually a deep tissue massage that you can perform on yourself. For the I-T band, roll it
before and after running. See www.RunInjuryFree.com for more info.
3. Massage Therapy: A good massage therapist can tell whether massage will help and where to
massage. The two areas for possible attention are the connecting points of the connective
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tissue that is tight, and the fascia band itself, in several places. "The stick" is a self-massage
roller device that has also helped many runners recover from I-T band problems as they run.
As with the foam roller, it helps to warm up the area before a run, and to roll it out afterward.
The Stick can help the muscles recover quicker. It will often speed up the recovery of muscle
injuries or Ilio-Tibial Band injuries (on the outside of the upper leg, between knee and hip).
This type of device can warm up the leg muscles and reduce the aggravation of sore muscles
and tendons. By promoting blood flow during and after a massage, muscle recovery time is
reduced.
To use "the stick" on the calf muscle (most important in running), start each stroke at the
Achilles tendon and roll up the leg toward the knee. Gently roll back to the origin and
continue, repeatedly. For the first 5 minutes a gentle rolling motion will bring additional
blood flow to the area. As you gradually increase the pressure on the calf during an "up"
stroke, you'll usually find some knots or sore places in the muscles. Concentrate on these as
you roll over them again and again, gradually breaking up the tightness. See
www.RunInjuryFree.com for more info.
4. Walking: Maintain a short stride.
5. Direct ice massage on the area of pain: 15 minutes of continuous rubbing every night.
Hip and groin pain
There are a variety of elements that could be aggravated in the hip area. Since the hips are not
prime movers in running, they are usually abused when you continue to push on when leg
muscles are very tired. The hips may be forced to do more work and must take on more
extraneous motion for which they are not designed. Ask your doctor about prescription-strength
anti-inflammatory medication, as this can often speed up recovery. Avoid stretching and any
activity that aggravates the area.
Side pain
Deep breathing from the beginning of a run can prevent side pain. This way of inhaling air is
performed by diverting the air you breathe into your lower lungs. Also called "belly breathing",
this is how we breathe when asleep, and it provides maximum opportunity for oxygen
absorption. If you don't deep breathe when you run, and you are not getting the oxygen you need,
the side pain will tell you. By slowing down, walking, and breathing deeply for a while, the pain
may go away.
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Buying a new shoe
In general
Your foot tends to swell during the day, so it's best to fit shoes after noon. Look for a shoe store
devoted to running. Set aside at least 30 minutes and compare three candidates. Bring with you
your most worn pair of shoes, foot supports, socks used, and a pair of shoes that work well for
you.
While trying on the shoes, be sure to stand up and measure how much extra room you have in the
toe region. Go with the size that feels comfortable on the largest of your feet. Run and walk on a
pavement surface and notice the difference in various shoes. Ask if you can take the shoes to an
indoor or clean surface to run around in – preferably at least a quarter mile.
If you have a floppy foot, make sure that you get the support you need. You want a shoe that
feels natural on your foot-no pressure or aggravation - while allowing the foot to go through the
range of motion needed for running. Runners that need motion control should feel more firm
support from the shoe.
Go by how they fit and not the size noted on the box of the shoe. Most runners wear a running
shoe that is about 2 sizes larger than their street shoes.
Width issues
Running shoes tend to be a bit wider than street shoes. The shoe shouldn't be laced too tight
around your foot because the foot swells during running and walking. On hot days, the average
runner will move up one-half shoe size. Again, leave extra room at the end of each shoe.
Breaking in a new shoe

Wear the new shoe around the house for an hour or more each day for a week. If you stay on
carpet, and the shoe doesn't fit correctly, you can exchange it at the store. But if you have
put some wear on the shoe, dirt, etc., few stores will take it back.

In most cases you will find that the shoe feels comfortable enough to run immediately. It is
best to continue walking in the shoe, gradually allowing the foot to adjust to the heel, the
ankle pads, and to make other adjustments. If you run in the shoe too soon, blisters are often
the result.

If there are no rubbing issues on the foot when walking, you could walk in the new shoe for a
gradually increasing amount, for 2-4 days.

On the first run, just run about half a mile in the shoe. Put on your old shoes and continue the
run.
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
On each successive run, increase the distance run in the new shoe for 3-4 runs. At this point,
you will usually have the new shoe broken in.
Water running as cross training
Water running is the most effective cross-training mode for runners, and it can improve your
running form. All of us have little flips and side motions of our legs that reduce our running
efficiency. During a water running workout, the resistance of the water forces your legs to find a
more efficient path. In addition, several leg muscles are strengthened which can help to keep
your legs on a smoother path when they get tired at the end of a long run.
To maintain conditioning, you must simulate the time and the effort level you would have spent
when running. For example, if you were scheduled for a long run that would have taken you 60
minutes, get in the pool and run for 60 minutes. You can take segments of 40-60 seconds in
which you reduce your effort (like a walk break), every few minutes, to keep the muscles
resilient.
You'll need a flotation belt for this exercise. The product "aqua jogger" is designed to float you
off the bottom of the pool. Pull in the elastic belt so that it is close to the body. There are many
other ways to keep you floating, including water ski float belts and life jackets.
Get in the deep end of the pool and move your legs through a running motion. This means little
or no knee lift, kicking out slightly in front of you, and bringing the leg behind, with the foot
coming up behind you. As in running, your lower leg should be parallel with the horizontal
during the back-kick.
If you are not feeling much exertion, you're probably lifting the knees too high and moving your
legs through a small range of motion. To get the benefit, an extended running motion is needed.
It's important to do water running once a week to keep the adaptations that you have gained. If
you miss a week, you should drop back a few minutes from your previous session. If you miss
more than 3 weeks, start back at two 5-8 min sessions.
Relevant muscle-building
Remember not to stretch, except for the Ilio-tibial band. While weight work is not a great fatburning exercise and does not directly benefit running, it can be done on non-running days. You
can still do it on running days. Just make sure you wait until after a run. To reduce the leaning
and slumping of the upper body, it helps to build up the muscles that help you stay upright.
The foot lift
Sit on a bench with the knee bent at a right angle. Your foot must be significantly off the floor.
Hang a bag or pocket book with a pound of weight over the foot. Lift your foot up and down 10
times. Move the angle of the foot to the inside and the outside. Add more weight as a set of 10
feels easy.
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Heel walking
Use a very padded shoe. Walk on your heels, so that your toe region is off the floor. Start with 10
steps, and increase until you can do 2-3 sets of 20-30 steps.
Toes
The "toe squincher" exercise can help develop foot strength that will also support the foot. It can
be done 10-30 times a day on both feet (one at a time). Point the toes and squinch them until the
foot cramps (only a few seconds). This strengthens the many little muscles in the foot that can
provide a platform of support. It is particularly effective in preventing plantar fascia.
Races
See http://www.signmeup.com/calendar and www.active.com.
10k Training Schedule
Start with jogging one to two minutes and walking two to three minutes. As your training level
increases you can adjust your run/walk ratio to running 5 minutes/walking one minute on your
long runs. The day before the long run should be a no-exercise day. On the days that you walk,
you could also do cross-training on a machine other than a treadmill, or go for a swim.
“r-w” = run-walk
Wk. Monday
1 Walk (or
cross-train)
2
Walk
3
Walk
4
Walk
5
Walk
6
Walk
7
Walk
8
Walk
9
Walk
10
Walk
11
Walk
12
Walk
13
Walk
Tuesday
Wed.
Thursday
Fri. Sat.
r-w 20-25 min Walk r-w 20-25 min Walk off
r-w 20-25 min
r-w 25-30 min
r-w 25-30 min
r-w 30-35 min
r-w 30-35 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
r-w 20-25 min
r-w 25-30 min
r-w 25-30 min
r-w 30-35 min
r-w 30-35 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
r-w 30-45 min
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Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
Walk
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
Sunday
2 miles
2 miles
3 miles
4 miles
4 miles or 5K
5 miles
5 miles or 5K
6 miles
6 miles or 5K
7 miles
3.5 miles
4 miles or 5K
10K Race
Bibliography
- The Miracle Ball Method: Relieve Your Pain, Reshape Your Body, Reduce Your Stress, by
Elaine Petrone (2003)
- Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week, by L. E. Morehouse and L. Gross (1990)
- Running: Getting Started, by Jeff Galloway (2008)
….
…
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