NatNews

Athletes take part in a variety of competitions, workouts, and activities that put strain on their bodies on a regular basis, creating a strong need for them to ensure that they are keeping their bodies intact and in healthy condition.

One practice that many runners often overlook is stretching, though doing so can be rather detrimental to one’s overall performance. Michelle Sepulveda, owner of Stretch Zone’s Dallas — Preston location, recommends that runners perform dynamic stretches—such as high knees—prior to running, while passive stretching should be performed after a run.

“Stretching, in general, is important for day-to-day health,” she said, “but for runners and bikers, specifically, that repetitive motion gets certain muscles tight. So, making sure that you’re stretching them and stretching everything around those muscles so that you have good mobility, range of motion, and flexibility helps your overall body mechanics on a day-to-day basis.”

Stretch Zone offers personalized routines performed by trained practitioners who help athletes by using an innovative method that aims to properly position, stabilize, isolate, and manipulate muscles using principles of neuromuscular behavior.

In addition to stretching, some runners prioritize chiropractic care as part of their regular routines. Ismael Gonzalez, chiropractor at Performance Medicine and Sports Therapy in Plano, said that chiropractic treatment helps increase an individual’s mobility and flexibility while also decreasing the amount of injuries he or she will face in the future. However, there is no standard frequency for which all athletes should visit their chiropractors.

“Usually, what I tell people is that if you’re presented with an issue, it’s important to get it addressed sooner rather than later because that will prevent other issues from happening,” he said. “It’s also good as a preventative measure because it helps along the way to get you moving, get the blood flow going, and—as I like to say—add the WD-40 to your muscles.”

Another preferred form of body maintenance for runners is physical therapy. Samantha Sells, physical therapist and owner of Integrative Functional Performance, is a runner herself and knows the importance of ensuring the longevity of the sport in one’s life.

“I always feel for fellow runners when they are told by someone in healthcare to ‘just stop running’ or to take some time off with no direction and guidance on how to safely get back into their previous running routine/volume,” she said.

Sells sees patients at different frequencies, depending on where they are in their training cycles and what they need to achieve their goals. She said that physical therapy can provide a variety of benefits for all athletes, not only those who are injured.

“A PT screen will identify areas of limited mobility or strength imbalances that can lead to inefficient gait pattern (running slower at the same effort) or potential injury,” Sells said. “An individualized program involving manual therapy (hands-on work), mobility exercises, strengthening, and drills can make a big difference in someone’s running.”

Communication is an essential aspect of life and something that can often build a relationship up or tear it apart. According to a recent study conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), ongoing difficulties in communication are the leading cause of divorce in the United States.

But it impacts much more than marriages. Whether it’s a romantic relationship, friendship, or familial relationship, communication plays an integral role. If an individual isn’t able to express his or her feelings and needs, it makes it much more difficult for the other person to reciprocate or to make efforts to meet those needs.

“I think communication is foundational for all friendships and relationships,” White Rock Running Co-op member Paige Ryder said. “It helps us find commonalities in our interactions that lead to friendships.”

Throughout history, innovation and advances in technology have continued to impact the way individuals communicate with one another. Currently, more than 23 billion texts are sent worldwide each day. As WRRC member Ryan Herington discovered, texting can be highly advantageous for parents trying to stay connected with their kids.

“I found it helpful to use text messaging to communicate with them because they were already texting friends, and it wasn’t an interruption,” he said. “I would get more detail. I was not a big fan of texting, but I found it to be a way to be involved in my children’s daily communication and, hopefully, have a positive impact on their lives.”

However, Herington said that he doesn’t think texting necessarily benefits couples in relationships.

“Personality does not translate well through texting, and it’s easily misinterpreted,” he said. “This, in my opinion, is a significant challenge for online dating. People—both men and women—make very quick decisions on text communications that would typically not crumble a first-date scenario in the pre-cell phone era.”

For Ryder, while technology is beneficial, face-to-face conversations are still the standard.

“I think technology makes communication readily available,” she said. “Facebook messenger or ‘sliding into DMs’ allows you to communicate one-on-one without asking someone for [his or her] phone number, but I don’t think this is a substitute for in-person conversation.”

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