{"product_id":"pliability-for-runners-isbn-9781578269105","title":"Pliability for Runners","description":"\u003cb\u003e Runners: Boost Performance, Improve Results, and Avoid Injury\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscover the transformative power of pliability with \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePliability for Runners\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, designed to help runners of all levels enhance their performance and prevent injuries. This book offers over dozens of exercises and sport-specific workout plans, all backed by modern, field-tested science. It is an essential resource for achieving optimum athletic performance while breaking the injury cycle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecreational runners, cross-country and track athletes, competitive road racers, and professional athletes worldwide recognize the critical importance of proper body maintenance. Without it, muscle fatigue and injuries can hinder performance and progress. Pliability (the loosening, softening, and relaxing of muscles) is gaining traction in professional sports, physical therapy, and health\/fitness as a key method to offset these issues.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Benefits of \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePliability for Runners\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eEnhanced Performance:\u003c\/b\u003e Improved muscle elasticity and strength lead to better running efficiency and speed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eInjury Reduction:\u003c\/b\u003e Regular pliability exercises help prevent muscle fatigue, repetitive motion injuries, and general wear-and-tear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eIncreased Flexibility:\u003c\/b\u003e Greater range of motion and muscle relaxation contribute to overall better athletic performance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eBetter Recovery:\u003c\/b\u003e Pliable muscles recover faster from workouts, reducing downtime and enhancing training consistency.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKey Features of \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePliability for Runners\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eExpert:\u003c\/b\u003e Written by an exercise physiologist and coach at the Boston Running Center, ensuring credible and effective advice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eComprehensive:\u003c\/b\u003e Detailed explanations on improving muscle pliability, flexibility, and resilience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eTargeted :\u003c\/b\u003e Includes stretches and exercises suitable for every fitness level, focusing on muscle strength, range of motion, explosive power, chronic muscle tension, endurance, and flexibility.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003eField-Tested:\u003c\/b\u003e All workout plans are backed by the latest research and practical application in sports science.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePliability for Runners\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e redefines running performance and injury prevention, making it a must-have for anyone serious about their running journey. Whether a recreational runner or a professional athlete, this book provides the tools and knowledge to keep you running strong and injury-free.\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ePliability: A Global Challenge\u003cbr\u003eStopping the Injury Cycle\u003cbr\u003eWhat is Pliability? \u003cbr\u003eThe Science Behind Pliability\u003cbr\u003eGetting Started: Learn About You\u003cbr\u003eImproving Pliability is in Your Hands\u003cbr\u003eSelf-Tests: Range Of Motion\u003cbr\u003eSelf-Tests: Strength\u003cbr\u003eFinal Checklist\u003cbr\u003e10-Week Programs for Returning to Running \u003cbr\u003eFAQs Pliability for Junior Athletes Pliability for Explosive Sport Athletes\u003cbr\u003ePliability for Job-Based Running Requirements \u003cbr\u003ePliability for Master Runners\u003cbr\u003eFinal Thoughts: A Coach’s Perspective\u003cbr\u003eReferences\u003cb\u003eJoseph McConkey, MS,\u003c\/b\u003e is a running coach and exercise physiologist, specializing in deducing and correcting causative factors to repetitive motion injury. He has worked with the full spectrum of running athletes, from first-time runners, to marathoners around the world, to Olympic athletes at the elite high altitude training camps of Ethiopia and Kenya.  He has coached at the club, college, and pro levels and have been the director of the Boston Running Center's Gait Analysis Lab for the last 10 years. Joseph's expertise on injury-prevention has him regularly presenting at hospitals, rehab centers, running camps, and club events. Joseph holds the highest accreditation by the USA Track and Field Association and the IAAF (the international governing body of track and field), as well as a Masters in Exercises Science with a focus on Injury Prevention and Sports Performance.\u003cb\u003eWhat is Pliability?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“I love and believe in pliability. In fact, improving my pliability was a major reason I was able to set the world record while staying healthy and injury-free. Pliability works!”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—Becca Pizzi, first American to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Pliable’ is defined as a person or thing that easily bends or is influenced. It can describe anything from leather, plastic, or wood to the nature of public opinion, and everything in between. In the realm of exercise physiology, the word ‘pliability’ takes on a similar connotation and can be defined as the ability of our soft-tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia) to be compressed without excessive resistance or discomfort. It is a clear, easily deduced physical attribute that many exercise professionals now rely on when assessing an athlete’s or client’s health and fitness. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Pliability is the foundation of muscle health. A muscle that is not pliable cannot contract, cannot gain strength or power, lacks nutrition and hydration, is prone to injury and cannot perform as intended.”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—Physical therapist William Hernandez with Delos Therapy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelos Therapy is a thriving physical therapy practice based out of Chicago and is part of a recent movement in the health\/fitness industry. This movement values improving pliability before anything else—before strength, before flexibility, before training. This simple concept has been known and practiced by individuals for decades, and over the past 10 years is moving quickly into the mainstream (including Tom Brady's TB12 training center, where the pliability of NFL football players is valued just as much as pure strength). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Mr. Hernandez suggested, pliability is perhaps the single most important building block from which a healthy, strong, and coordinated athlete can be fully developed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre Your Muscles Pliable? \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you are pliable your muscles are soft when relaxed, and while relaxed, feel little to no pain if direct pressure is applied. In other words, positions on the foam roll, acute pressure into the muscles of the back, targeted strong thumb pressure into the calf, are all no problem. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf a muscle lacks pliability there is some discomfort and noticeable tension when pressure is applied. A pliable muscle feels like soft Play-Doh, easily absorbing pressure, whereas a non-pliable muscle feels a bit stiff and slightly aches with compression. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy Does a Lack of Pliability Affect Performance?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a muscle lacks pliability that area of the body is likely in the midst of an inflammatory response. This means pro-inflammatory proteins, called cytokines (with ‘chicken scratch’ names like IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), have flooded the area to localize and reduce damage. This causes an increased sensitivity to pressure, stretching, and perhaps even muscle contraction. Unfortunately, not all damage is repaired by the inflammation response, and not all of the pro-inflammatory agents clear out when their work is done. This leaves an altered chemical makeup within the blood and tissue cells, which then inhibits normal functioning throughout the system. The result is decreased coordination, inhibited super-compensation, and attenuated strength gains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy is this so? Envision a desk at a high school chemistry class, covered with tiny vials of various fluids. In this experiment, all of these vials need to be added and subtracted from each other at a specific nano-second or your desk catches on fire! This is how our neuromuscular system works…with perhaps slightly less drama. It is a perfectly executed chemistry experiment, where the passing of positive and negative ions, sodium and potassium exchanges, the opening and closing of synapses within the blood plasma membranes, and the traveling of neighboring neurons within the peripheral nervous system all happen in perfect synchronization. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a tissue is chronically inflamed, however, the experiment has gone awry. Too much from this vial, not enough from that vial, what’s this new vial! The major role of inflammation, myogenesis (to repair and build muscle tissue) is no longer possible, the muscle is easily fatigued from exercise, atrophies, and is much more likely to get injured. Not quite the recipe for a PR performance. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor this reason, it is critical to have a healthy, fully circulated, loose and pliable body \u003ci\u003ebefore \u003c\/i\u003etraining. If you don’t, and you continually train when your muscles are inflamed, it is like trying to mortar a brick wall together with dry cement. It might stand for a bit but with a slight wind, watch out below! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePutting Things in the Right Order\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is unfortunately very common for runners to find out they have a weakness and then immediately start doing strength exercises. A muscle simply will not be as responsive, meaning it will not get as strong as it could, if you are ‘strengthening’ it when it is tight, stiff, not-pliable. Too help right the wrongs of this relatively small but important part of your world, let’s start by putting things in the right order, with pliability BEFORE strength.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePliability for Runners: Order of Operations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImagine two deflated balloons, each the same exact size. Balloon #1 is full of nothing, just the air that fills the folds of the balloon. Balloon #2 though has a spoon-full of sand inside. On the surface they look the exact same, but if you poke around, you feel #2 has a bit of stiffness to it. No big deal, the difference is very slight. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow inflate the balloons. Sure enough the balloon with the sand inflates quicker, since there was less air space to fill, but then you notice the empty balloon eventually lifts higher and higher. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the difference between strengthening a muscle that is pliable versus not pliable. The ‘not pliable’ muscle will often contract quicker (as it is always stiff, so it is essentially contracting all the time) and thus initially seems stronger. However, this can be thought of as a ‘false strength’ as this stiff muscle will fatigue and reach its maximum output well before the healthy, pliable muscle. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOkay, we’ve defined what muscle pliability is, and that the benefits of improving pliability extend to injury-prevention, strength training, and your bio-mechanics. Many coaches, athletes, and health practitioners recognize it is a critical piece to optimal performance, and slowly but surely the science community is coming along.","brand":"Hatherleigh Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302019387621,"sku":"NP9781578269105","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781578269105.jpg?v=1767734885","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/pliability-for-runners-isbn-9781578269105","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}