After winter, the temperature is low, the air pressure is high, and the weather is dry. The elasticity and flexibility of the body's muscles, tendons, and ligaments decrease, and the viscosity of the muscles correspondingly increases, causing the body to become stiff and inflexible, greatly reducing flexibility. Therefore, it is essential to warm up before running! Due to the low temperature, warming up can be done indoors to reduce time spent outside.
Here are some indoor warm-up exercises. Save them and start practicing!
[First Exercise: Knee Hug/Knee Lift]
Knee Hug: Bring your knee towards your arm, with your arm positioned at about chest height. Both your hips and knees should be at 90 degrees. Knee Lift: Hold your knee with both hands and bring it towards your chest. Key points: During the warm-up, maintain a frequency of 10-20 repetitions. Pay attention to the rhythm and height of the knee, progressing gradually from slow to fast, and from low to high, finally adding the knee lift. Keep your body stable and breathe rhythmically.
[Second Exercise: Ankle Flexibility Training]
Equipment: A towel. Kneel on one knee on the towel, keeping your knee and hip joint straight, with your toes and knee pointing forward. While performing the exercise, shift your body weight forward, extending your knee slightly outward. Ensure the heel of the back foot is raised, with the toes touching the ground, and hold for 5-10 seconds. Ensure a stretching sensation in the knee and ankle.
[Third Exercise: Inner Thigh Stretch]
Stand with your legs apart, wider than shoulder-width. Keep your chest up, abdomen in, and head up. Place your hands in front of your chest and shift your body weight to one side until you feel a stretch in the inner thigh. Alternate legs. Ensure your knees and toes point outward without deviation. You can increase the difficulty by stretching the opposite side of the abdomen and back simultaneously. Do not hold your breath and maintain body stability during the exercise.
[Fourth Exercise: Hamstring Stretch]
This exercise involves gradually straightening your legs from a squat position. In the squat position, ensure your knees do not go past your toes and maintain body stability. When standing, do so slowly, keeping your hands on your toes. As your legs go from bent to straight, you should feel a stretch in the hamstrings. If you have good flexibility, you can gradually lift your heels to intensify the stretch.
[Fifth Exercise: Jumping Cushion Dynamic Training]
When jumping, do not jump too high; just lift your body off the ground. The cushioning phase is crucial, involving a coordinated process from the toes, ankles, knees, to the hips. Maintain a stable body center of gravity throughout the process, landing slowly and smoothly. Do not aim to break your speed record in winter, as the cold weather lowers your physical capabilities. It is better to run longer distances at a slower pace. Properly distribute your speed to ensure you stay warm after running. Avoid speeding up too early, which can leave you cold and prone to catching a cold.
Pay attention to your breathing to prevent side stitches, which are common in winter due to two reasons: ① cold air ② speeding up too quickly. It is recommended to primarily breathe through your nose, using your mouth as an auxiliary. If you must breathe through your mouth, press your tongue against your upper palate to buffer the cold air.
If you are running in windy weather, it is best to start running against the wind. This way, you will be running with the wind on your return, conserving your energy and reducing the risk of cold wind affecting your body when you sweat, thereby lowering the chances of catching a cold or experiencing headaches.
Snow reflects sunlight like a silver-white reflector, scattering strong light in all directions. Prolonged exposure to this reflection, especially on sunny days, can cause snow blindness, leading to symptoms like blurred vision, dizziness, swelling, and tearing. Severe cases can cause photophobia and persistent pain around the eyes. To prevent snow blindness, dark sunglasses are more effective than light-colored ones, with dark green lenses offering the best protection by effectively blocking excessive UV light.
When the sunlight is not strong or on cloudy days, you should remove your sunglasses, as dark green lenses can impair vision in low light, posing a greater risk to teenagers. Although you may not sweat as much in cold weather as in summer, your body still loses a significant amount of water. Therefore, you must ensure adequate hydration before, during, and after running. Warm water, sports drinks, and various porridges and soups are good choices.
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