Combination Training: High-Impact Land with Low Impact Water

Most runners have suffered from shin splints and various other injuries associated with the high impact nature of running. These injuries which are painful often take a long time to heal. Not only is this wasted time; there are ways to avoid these injuries.

Alberto Salazar, three time New York City Marathon Champion and Olympic coach, recommends that his athletes combine dry land running with underwater treadmill running. He believes it will not only strengthen those muscles used in running, but sees water as an excellent medium for perfecting one’s form.  Salazar has incorporated this strategy into his athletes’ routines at the Nike Oregon Project:

“My sort of strategy or philosophy is to equal the workload that other athletes are doing in the world, but by doing it through a combination of dry-land running and underwater treadmill running…My goal for runners is that for whatever they run outside on dry-land to do up to another 25% of the same amount of mileage on the underwater treadmill.” – Alberto Salazar

Additionally, due to advancements in the application of aquatic therapy, athletes can use warm water therapy pools as a place to heal from their running injuries. They can perform the same running motions they use on land in the low-impact environment of water. Thanks to the buoyancy effect of water, the runner can reduce impact pressure by up to 90 percent depending on how much of the body is submerged. Another benefit of hydrotherapy is the increased circulation associated with being in warm water.  Healing can occur at an accelerated rate as a result of the increased blood flow and enhanced relaxation. Some hydrotherapy pools allow for underwater video monitoring as well. Runners can use the videos to analyze any gait irregularities that might be hampering their performance or adding to their pain.

The idea of combination (land/water) training and therapy is catching on in the professional sports world. In fact, the European Futbol club Manchester United has realized the usefulness of combination training and has purchased their own underwater-treadmill, the Hydroworx 500i, to be used in their training facilities. By utilizing this swim spa, and combining training in the water with water therapy they were able to bring one of their star attackers, Cristiano Ronaldo, back from ankle surgery a month early. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays have also started to utilize aquatic therapy in their training routines with great success.

If you are suffering from impact-related injuries in your running, combination training including aquatic therapy may be your answer. You can obtain serious cardiovascular exercise and maintain your running form while helping your injuries to heal. I recommend you visit your community facilities to see if they offer any form of aquatic therapy and if they do, give it a try. It may be perfect for you.