the 12 days before Christmas!
Hi, friends!
Thanks for coming along with me on this journey we call …
Covid-Christmas???
Whichever holiday you celebrate (or don’t!), this is certainly a challenging time for many of us … and while we may not all be in the same boat, we are all weathering the same storm.
Eventually, the storm WILL end and we will be able to dock our ships and have a celebration together!!!
In the meantime, I thought we could have a little fun and play an exercise game. So, in my few minutes of quiet over the weekend (we are on quarantine here, so alone-time is hard to come by!), I crafted an exercise set, paired with The 12 Days of Christmas.
Each day, I will post a new move on my Facebook and Instagram accounts (links to those at the bottom of the page, if you don’t already follow me there). And here on the blog, I will explain each exercise in more detail, including my reason for putting it in this workout!
On Christmas Eve, we will hit day 12 and go through the entire workout in one shot (it only takes about 10 minutes).
So thanks again for playing this game with me - hope you have fun!!
(PS - these exercises are designed to be fun and for general fitness; they are not specific to any individual needs, and I will not be held liable for any damage to you or your property in performing them. You are assuming all risk and performing these exercises at your own risk. If you have questions or need specific advice, please contact your trusted healthcare professional.)
Happy holidays!!
-Megan
(aka Coach Megan, aka Dr. James) :)
Alright, here we go!
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On the first day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
a 1- minute plank on each side!
Option 1: the full plank (arm and leg extended, weight on hands and sides of feet)
-Side planks are a great exercise for building endurance through our trunk and hip muscles, which help to stabilize the pelvis as we run, walk, squat, climb stairs, etc. There are also endless options for modifying to make the exercise harder or easier, depending on what level you’re at - so it’s definitely one to keep in your toolbox for just about any stage of training!
Option 2: modified plank, weight on forearm and outside of bottom knee
-As you do the plank, be sure to keep everything stacked and in a straight line. In my experience, plank-newbies find it easier to line up heels/butt/shoulders/head against a wall to find the right alignment, before doing it “free-standing”. And of course, remember to breathe!!
Open Book, the “closed” or starting position
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On the second day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
2 open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side.
-The open book exercise targets our thoracic, or mid-back, mobility. Many of us spend a lot of time doing things in front of us (driving, cooking/eating, texting, working on the computer…), and miss the opportunities to move in other directions. Thoracic mobility is essential for just about anything involving rotation (think: getting a kid out of a carseat, unloading from the dishwasher to a cabinet, even putting on a coat!), but it gets lost in our daily routine.
Open Book, the “open” position
-This pairs SO well with a meditation or relaxation at the end of a long day. It just feels GOOD to lie down in a different position! Our bodies are designed to MOVE, and be flexible in all different planes, so let’s not miss out!
-You may feel or hear a few pops/cracks as you get into the “open” position; that is OK. It’s like cracking your knuckles - the release of CO2 from the joint space. Generally, unless it’s painful or otherwise causes some injury/restriction, those pops/cracks shouldn’t concern you. Just breathe! :)
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On the third day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
3 burpees (yes with the push-up!)
2 open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side.
-Burpees combine power, agility and proximal stability all in one exercise. All of these are important pieces for not just a runner, but any athlete - and honestly, for most of us in our daily lives! PLUS, burpees are a plyometric exercise - great for building bone!!
-Bonus: they are efficient! It only takes a few reps to feel your heart beating faster, and to get the strength and power benefits.
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On the fourth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
4 Goblet squats,
3 burpees,
2 open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side.
-Squats are one of the most foundational moves to our every-day function AND most athletic endeavors! Think of all of the times you use this motion - sitting on the toilet, picking up toys/clothes from the floor, bending to tie your shoes…
-The goblet squat is great for learning a hip-hinging motion: with the weight in front of you, and your elbows aiming toward your knees, you HAVE to counter-balance by sending your hips backward … or lose your balance and fall forward! I won’t say it’s a fool-proof method, but it’s pretty close.
-For athletes, squats (which come in many varieties!) help to develop the extension mechanism of our lower body through our quadriceps (front of thighs) and gluteals (essentially your buttocks), which translates to POWER! Yes, distance runners, you need power too - your push-off is (well, should be - and can be!) a super powerful part of your stride that propels you forward, flying through the air!
-BONUS: your kids can get involved in this exercise! I used a wiggly 30-ish pound “weight” (aka my daughter!) in this video and she loved the ride!
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On the fifth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Box jumps, and all plyometrics, are designed to exercise and refine the natural “springs” in our bodies. By working through the cycle of stretching (or “pre-loading”) then shortening (through a powerful contraction) our muscles/tendons, plyometrics are beneficial as part of a strength training program to increase the strength and power of our movements.
-Again, YES these are helpful for distance runners. Think of every step you take: you land on your foot, and then as your body weight transitions over that leg, you start to explode off of that foot and push forward - it is a stretch-shortening cycle!
-There are MANY varieties of box jumps: starting on the floor vs. the box/step, double vs. single leg, facing the same direction, turning in the air or doing a second hop with a turn … to name a few! Which type you do will depend on where you are in a rehab or strengthening program, the demands of your sport, and your ability!
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On the sixth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-The carioca drill (or grapevine as you might remember it from your elementary school PE class) serves three main purposes:
1) dynamic warm-up: gets your blood flowing, joints lubricated, and the muscles ready to work! You could also do a walking carioca as part of your cool-down for a little stretch :)
2) lateral movement: for those of us single-plane athletes (ahem, endurance athletes!), we don’t get much time in this plane - BUT it is important to give those lateral movements some attention, as the muscles worked during exercises like carioca help in stabilizing our bodies (mainly, pelvis and ankles but also other areas), which is certainly helpful!
3) agility and coordination: you never know what the surface is like - especially if you’re a trail runner, or you head out for a walk on a snow-covered road. Agility & coordination drills help to develop your body’s reactions to these little bumps so you can keep on moving and not get hurt!
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On the seventh day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
Tricep push-up: starting position
-Push-ups!!! Another great exercise that can be modified (easier or harder) in so many ways to meet the level of challenge you need in the moment! In general, push-ups challenge our chest, shoulders, and core…but, variations can shift the focus to other muscles as well or in a different way.
-Triceps push-ups are the closest simulation, I think, to the running form: leading with elbows in a forward-backward motion, close to the body, and shoulders away from the ears. With a narrower base of support (hands close versus out wide in a regular push-up stance), your balance and stability will be challenged more, requiring some extra work from those wonderful postural stability muscles on all sides of our torso.
-Can these be done on your knees? Yes, but you really lose a lot of the balance aspect and core demand, which is why I love push-ups in the first place. I would suggest, as an easier beginning point, to do these on an incline, such as putting your hands up on a bench or step…and gradually lower that height until you can do them on the floor!
Tricep push-up: down/low position
Tricep push-up: coming up!
Tricep push-up: returning to starting position
Tricep push-up: don’t let your hips lag as you come up.
Tricep push-up: don’t let your hips lead, either!
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On the eighth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
eight table twisters,
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Have you ever been told you have “flat feet” or a “low arch” and given a pair of orthotics to “fix it” so you can run better? I’m a strong proponent of teaching our bodies to help themselves. So yes, orthotics do have their place and I sometimes recommend them for a short-term “band-aid fix” - but certainly not without also addressing what’s going on in the foot itself. Our bodies are capable of amazing things. When we walk, run, squat, jump, stand in line at the grocery store … we are relying on our feet to hold us up and keep us, more or less, comfortable.
-Table twisters are one of my favorite exercises because they allow for focus on some small muscles in and around the foot that help us to balance, utilize our arch structures appropriately (the arch DOES need to drop a little bit as we move!), and pay attention to the ongoing battle of the big toe vs. the other four (hint: the big toe should win - but it’s hard!). Dynamic stabilization of our foot is really key in building an effective platform for movements, especially movements with high load demands like running!
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On the ninth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
nine lunge to high knees,
eight table twisters,
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Alright, we’ve got another balance challenge here today! Think of this exercise as an exaggerated running motion, and then you might start to understand how important single leg balance is to your running (and walking, and climbing stairs, and getting out of the shower…).
Reverse lunge position (with runner arms!)
High knee position (with runner arms!)
-In the reverse lunge position, you’re (a) placing one leg behind you, and working into the hip-extended position, which is really helpful for “pre-loading” the spring of your hip flexors to drive your leg forward … and (b) strengthening your quads and glutes on the front leg, where most of your weight is in this position.
-In the high knee position, you’re (a) driving one knee forward/up - a good knee drive is the difference between a “shuffle” and an actual jog/run … and (b) balancing on the down leg, simulating the split-second you’re in contact with the ground while running/walking - needing to minimize energy lost to wobbling so you can maximize the energy to get you going forward!
-This is another one I recommend doing sans shoes, so your feet can really learn to work without the external support of the shoe (read: TRAIN your feet under harder conditions so that when you run, the demands don’t feel as high to your body - everything is relative!). Try to do this in a continuous, cyclical motion - without letting your moving leg/foot touch the ground between positions!
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On the tenth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
TEN SECONDS BALANCE,
Nine lunge to high knees,
eight table twisters,
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Balance! Single leg! I think this one is obvious why it’s included in a well-rounded exercise set for anyone, but especially for runners. When you walk, you have either 1 foot or 2 feet on the ground at all times; when you run, you have either 1 foot or NONE (aka the “float” phase). So yeah, single leg balance is a good thing.
-Practicing this barefoot allows your foot muscles to “wake up” a bit more. It’s good to vary your surface - harder / firm (like a tile or wood floor) makes the balance aspect easier, and allows you to focus more on proprioception (your foot and brain communicating about where you are in space) … softer or uneven (like a pillow or sand) really challenges the muscles to keep you stable. Of course, you CAN do this with your shoes on - and if that gives you more opportunities to work on your balance, then that is a good thing (think: standing in line at the store, pumping gas…)
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On the eleventh day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
ELEVEN SINGLE (leg) DEADLIFTS,
TEN SECONDS BALANCE,
Nine lunge to high knees,
eight table twisters,
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Balance! (see day 10…same concept, except now we’re adding movement to it, so more of a challenge!)
-Posterior chain! This is a great exercise for strengthening your glutes, hammies, and calves - all big players in the running game. To make this more challenging, you can add a weight in the opposite hand (so if your right leg is on the ground, weight goes in your left hand)
-Modifications galore! Here’s another one with many options. You can tap your foot down to a “kickstand” position rather than lifting up to a high-knee. Add a bent-over row in the down position for some extra shoulder/back strengthening. Stand on a soft or uneven surface for a greater challenge to your balance. Slide your hands forward on a table to make the balance piece easier.
(so many reasons to love the single leg RDL, right!?)
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On the twelfth day of Christmas, Coach Megan gave to me:
TWELVE BENT-knee heel lifts,
ELEVEN SINGLE (leg) DEADLIFTS,
TEN SECONDS BALANCE,
Nine lunge to high knees,
eight table twisters,
seven tricep push-ups,
six cariocas,
five box jumps,
four goblet squats,
three burpees,
two open books,
and a 1-minute plank on each side!
-Calf raises (or heel lifts, to make the syllables match the original song!) strengthen the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Both of these muscles are important for absorbing the impact force of landing, and transferring that energy into the push-off to propel you forward. Both of these muscles also help to stabilize the ankle when you walk and run.
-Straight-knee raises will target the gastroc, the “beefy, bulky” calf muscle you can see as you go up on your toes. Bent-knee raises will target the soleus - and it’s this one that we, as runners, want to pay special attention to. It absorbs up to 8 times our body weight (wowza!!!) when we land, which helps to offload that force from our bones. This muscle has more of a slow-twitch fiber make-up than the gastroc, so it’s more resistant to fatigue of distance running though it doesn’t generate quite as much power.
YOU MADE IT!!!!
Day 12! The whole workout should take about 10-12 minutes, so it’s a great “movement break” for the middle of your work or school day, or when you just feel like you need to move. Add weights, height, resistance bands, or change the surface you stand on to add more of a challenge - ask me for more options specific to each exercise. Thanks for joining me in this fun exercise game. Merry Christmas!! :)