Get a Spring in your step this running season.

With the weather starting to show glimpses of sunshine, it must be time to dust off the runners and start hitting the tracks and trails around Port Lincoln. 

Before you do, however, it’s important to make sure your body is ready to cope with the stresses that running can place on it. Especially if you’ve spent the winter hibernating inside or you’re carrying a few niggly injuries from the end of the sporting season.

We’re very lucky to have some of the latest technology available at our clinic - the VALD Force Decks. These force plates are able to detect things that we can’t measure with our usual devices, or even see with the naked eye. 

There are hundreds of tests available to perform on the Force Decks. Today I thought I’d run you through three of our favourites that we love to use with runners wanting to improve their times and distances. 

COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP

The CMJ is basically a jump to see how high you can go. The Force Decks not only measure the height of your jump, but they are able to tell us whether one leg is producing or absorbing more force than the other. It’s important to know if there’s a significant difference, as you may be putting yourself at risk of injury if you start clocking up the K’s with one leg doing too much work. 

DROP JUMP

The Drop Jump involves “dropping” from a step of a certain height onto the Force Decks, and then trying to jump back up into the air as quickly and as high as you can. The Drop Jump tests your Reactive Ability - how quickly your muscles can absorb the force of the drop and convert this into a jump. When you run, you are doing this constantly as you land on one foot and push off to the other. The Drop Jump numbers will give us a great indication as to whether you would benefit from Plyometric training to improve your reactive ability. 

ISOMETRIC SQUAT

The isometric squat is a pure measure of power. You stand in a squatting position, pushing up against a bar with as much force as you can produce. This is measured by the Force Decks and will give us an excellent idea as to whether you could benefit from some additional strength work to complement your running. We can also see if one leg is producing significantly more force than the other and help you address this imbalance.

Here at EP Physio Plus, we love helping runners stay fit and healthy so they can enjoy as much of the beautiful conditions out on the tracks as they can. If you would like a Runner’s Assessment - give the clinic a call on 8682 6665 or hit us up on Facebook or Insta today!