Running in Place: Is It A Good Workout OR Not?

Intro

Hey what’s happening?!!…

This is Isai Rodriguez… host of the DadSplanation Podcast where I cater to the Professional Working Man, 40 and above, who’s looking to make positive changes to his health, lose weight, and become stronger overall through simple lifestyle changes.

I’m here to share inspiration, tips and proven lessons that I’ve personally learned and lived through in my 40+ years on this beautiful blue planet.

So today we’ll be talking about 12 things to do during the holidays and then we’ll move on to our 2nd segment with Running in Place: Is It A Good Workout OR Not?…

And before we get into that, if you’d like to continue the conversation, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s community where I share more entertaining “behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now

Also, don’t forget to rate me on iTunes by leaving me a nice FAT-JUICY-5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much! It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

And now let’s move into our first segment… Healthy Conversations…

Healthy Conversations:   12 things to do during the holidays

Let’s face it, you all… sitting at home with the family to watch movies like Home Alone and Elf is hitting the soul a little different this holiday season.

With daily record breaking cases of COVID-19 popping up and so many people having to quarantine from all their friends and family… no wonder this holiday season feels a little different this year…

I know there are alot of people feeling loneliness at home… and this can make being home alone during this pandemic feel that much more alone…

But that’s only if you don’t have ideas for what to do during holidays alone… because to be honest, there’s a lot to be thankful for and to celebrate if you find the right activities…

So aside from saving yourself the mental toll of family drama… being alone over the holidays gives you the rare opportunity to celebrate in the way that you and only you would want…

So, yes, being home alone during this time of year usually marked by group gatherings can be tough for a whole number of reasons but that doesn’t mean it has to be flat-out dull and boring.

So let’s get into the 12 ideas for what to do during holidays alone that’ll make you feel loved, entertained, and festive… because listen… mental well-being or the status of your mental health is just as important as your physical health… all right?

Let’s do it!!

Read every single book you said you wanted to read last year but didn’t

If you’re like me, you’ve found at least 10-20 books that you’ve gotta read but you just haven’t gotten around to actually reading them.

This would be the perfect time to get on that… you may not have another quiet time to get it all done.

Bake your favorite Christmas cookies and enjoy the fact that you don’t have to share them with the family

This one is pretty self explanatory…

Don’t you love cookies but deep down inside you wish you could eat them all?… or is that just me?…

Either way, this is a fun one if you ask me… BUT… if you’d rather be a little more in the Christmas spirit… then you can…

Bake some cookies or treats and share them with your neighbors

This one is more in the Christmas tradition… I’d recommend writing a little note to leave with the treats as sort of a basket-of-joy.

I’m sure they’d really appreciate that!

Purge your wardrobe for clothes to donate

I love this one because not only does this one make you feel good since you’re giving to the less fortunate but for me it really comes in handy…

I like making room in my closet for new clothes… I don’t do it often but this would be a great time to do that!

Dress up in your nicest winter looks

There’s something about dressing up nice that really changes your mindset…

So if you’re feeling down… if you’re feeling BLUE… then try dressing up in your nicest outfit.

I can almost guarantee that it’ll change your perception and’ll lift your spirits for sure…

Make your own festive cocktail with all the trimmings

Is there a particular cocktail drink you like to have during the holidays?…

Why not buy all the ingredients and make a few for yourself?

For me it’s going to be a few glasses of red wine… NOW LISTEN… I don’t generally condone alcohol consumption BUT it’s Christmas time… we’ve all been locked up for almost a year now… and I think we deserve a glass or two

Host your own holiday party on Zoom

Hey… there’s no reason why you couldn’t get together with a few of your buddies who are also at a loss for what to do during holidays and just have a get together…

You can even take it up a notch and make it a “Happy Hour” type thing… again… not condoning the alcohol drinking BUT… it’s the holidays and we’ve been cooped up at home for a year now.

Let’s keep our sanity!

Plan an extremely lavish trip for next year

Even if that just means adding a bunch of pictures of Austria to your vision board or skimming through AirBnb listings in Vermont…

REMEMBER THIS…

We’ll eventually be cleared to safely leave the house SO why not get yourself EXCITED for when that time actually comes…

Again, let’s keep our sanity! That’s the name of the game!

Do a home makeover that’ll keep you happy during these dark times

And to be clear…

It can be a makeover that has NOTHING to do with the holidays…

… and EVERYTHING to do with intentionally sparking joy throughout this grim and dark holiday season.

Watch that one show (or shows) that’s been recommended to you for six years

So for me… I think this would be a great time to start Game of Thrones from Season 1 Episode 1…

And Yes…

I’m the only one on this planet that has NOT watched Game of Thrones…

But maybe this would be a great time to catch up or at least get started on the dang show!

I also heard that NARCO is a great show… Ugh… so much to do… so little time

Have a day of no tech

I know this is REALLY hard for a lot of you to truly DISCONNECT from Email, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Podcasts…

But I can honestly say from experience that having an untouchable day will absolutely reset you and reduce stress levels.

And while we’re talking about “RESETTING”…

How about #12…

Catch up on the sleep you lost all year

If you have the option of hibernating ’till this whole COVID thing blows over, even better…

I’d suggest that! Hahaha!!!

But there you have it… My Peepz!!

12 ideas you can do to DE-FUNKA-FI this otherwise FUNKED UP holiday season!

Let me know in the comments which one’s you’ll be going through with!!!

And while you’re commenting, let’s get into our SECOND SEGMENT…

Mighty Man:   Running in Place: Is It A Good Workout OR Not?

Again… while you’re down in the comments…

Drop your thoughts down there in the comments area… or if you’re in the VIP Community… drop me a line and let me know your thoughts…

So here’s what I’ve found…

Running in place is used as a part of a warmup before an exercise session… I’ve used it in the past and several of the trainer’s I’ve trained with have also incorporated this as the warmup… and let me tell you… in my opinion… it really gets juices going… if you will…

It generally includes different agility drills like… high knees… butt kicks… and jump squats

Now let’s be clear… it doesn’t necessarily provide the same benefits as actually running since you use different muscles and movements… BUT many of the benefits ARE the same.

Running in place is an excellent aerobic workout option when you want to run but find yourself unable to do so…

like if it’s storming outside OR if you’re in the middle of a blizzard as my family was last week in NY…

Or for example with the current COVID restrictions… we may not be able to get to the gym and on a treadmill to really get that 5 mile run into our day.

It might also be your best option if you’re cramped up in a hotel room…

OR if you need to burn off some steam at work…

OR maybe you’re in an airport during a long layover… of course, currently I’m not exactly sure why you’d be traveling by air but let’s say you are and you’re stuck…

it’s a great option to sneak in some cardio into your day.

And If you want to go for a longer cardio session, running in place may not be the best long-term option… UNLESS… Again… unless alternatives are limited.

But there ARE benefits to running in place…

So as I mentioned… Running in place is an aerobic exercise that requires you to constantly move and contract your muscles, which improves muscle strength, stability, and flexibility.

You see… you have to use the proper form in order to maximize the benefits of running in place.

If you run in place on a carpet or padding… it can help to reduce some of the impact and stress that regular running has on your body.

Running is a good full body workout because it requires a strong core and upper body in addition to a powerful lower body… but again… there’s a lot more impact to the joints so running in place helps to reduce pain in your knees while making them stronger and healthier.

Developing the balance, agility, and coordination to run in place may allow you to reduce your risk of falls or injuries which is great as we age because these are things that quickly start to break down so if we can do something that helps build the balance and agility… WIN–WIN!

And let’s not overlook the obvious here… which is, that… Running in place elevates your heart rate which helps improve blood sugar levels and burns calories and fat… all of which help with weight loss.

You’ll also boost your cardiovascular function, enhance lung capacity, and improve circulation overall.

And here’s a little BONUS… So what I usually do is that I add-in other cardio exercises like different variations of burpees… or lateral or backstep lunges… or maybe even kettlebell swings… that target different muscles which essentially changes up my routine… this helps to keep things fresh and QUOTE–UNQUOTE boredom-free, if you know what I mean.

So anyway… Running in place doesn’t require you to use the muscles that propel you to move forward like regular running does…

You’ll basically be landing on your toes more, which builds ankle and lower leg strength…

But we have to keep in mind that using the toes and balls of your feet more often when we’re running in place can put extra pressure on your knees and hips.

Because instead of propelling your body forward, you’ll lift your knees straight up, which requires less activation from your glutes and a little more activation from your ab muscles…

You might even experience more muscle fatigue and soreness… or even discomfort after running in place.

So maintaining the correct form while running in place may be challenging to do so for long periods of time which makes it more or less ideal if you want to do a few 10-minute running sessions throughout the day and you’re limited in terms of space and time.

Regular running activates your hamstrings and glutes more the running in place and puts less stress on your hip flexors and abs.

Overall, running is a lot easier on your body (believe it or not) and provides more cardiovascular benefits than running in place… which took me by surprise when I first learned that because I thought for sure it was the other way around…

But you live and you learn, right?!!… you live and you learn…

So now… that being said… we mentioned how FORM is important when Running in Place… so now the question is… HOW DO YOU RUN IN PLACE PROPERLY?

This is a great question actually… Because believe it or not… there IS a right way of running in place…

So let’s get right into it… first a few general guidelines to get you started right…

Always warm up your body by starting at a slower pace OR doing a few warm-up exercises before you get started and when you’re ready to wrap it up, then finish with a cool-down like walking or even jogging in place for a few minutes and doing a few stretches.

Also… While you’re actually running in place… use your upper body strength to move your arms back and forth smoothly.

NOW… The actual QUOTE–UNQUOTE running goes something like this…

From a standing position… Lift your RIGHT arm and LEFT foot at the same time making sure to raise your knee as high as your hips… so hip level…

This is key here… you want the opposite arm and leg working at the same time… so again… right arm goes up with the left knee and foot… or if you’re a rebel… left arm, right knee… doesn’t really matter which you start with first as long as they’re opposing sides

Once you’re there… then you switch to the opposite foot and arm… so if you started with the right arm and left knee… you’ll quickly and as light-footed as you possibly can, you’ll switch sides… lifting your right knee to hip height and smoothly bringing your right arm down and raising your left…

Just continue these movements back and forth and you’ll be running in place.

So what I do is this… I run in place for a good interval workout and break it up with different drills…

So I’ll start with a 10-minute interval and gradually build up the duration and intensity by extending each interval to 15 to 20 minutes…

You can also make your resting period shorter if you really want to turn it up and get more Bang-For-Your-Buck…

So for example… I’ll jog in place for 4 minutes… Then I’ll run faster for 2 minutes… after that, I’ll do a 1 minute bodyweight exercise like jump squats or alternating back step lunges… once that one minute is up, I’ll jog in place again for another 3 minutes… and then rest for 1 to 2 minutes…

This really burns up some calories and gets the heart pumping good and hard for short periods of time…

I personally recommend starting off with maybe 30 second intervals and then working your way up to 1 and 2 minutes by increasing the intervals by 15 seconds or whatever you feel comfortable with…

And above all… listen to your body!!

Also… I suppose this goes without saying but Talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you’re new to fitness all together…

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER… You’ve been Disclaimed… hahaha!!

No but seriously, let’s stay safe here… that’s the name of the game… we’re trying to live to 100… not die prematurely, you feel me?

Because like I said earlier… running in place may put more stress on certain muscles, especially if you do it for longer periods of time… so you might find that you’re feeling pain in your hips, shins, and ankles in particular…

So build up your routine slowly and make sure you’re using the correct form that I described earlier and stop your running routine all together if you have any injuries or feel you’ve pushed yourself too hard…

You might even want to talk to a physical therapist or personal trainer if you feel you need someone to take a look at your technique.

This is actually something I’m thinking of offering those people who’ve gotten into my VIP community… I think it would be a great value add-on but I need to give it some thought…

Anyway… the bottomline is this…

Running in place will most likely NOT be the MAIN exercise in your fitness plan, but it can definitely bring you some really good results.

It’s a great way to boost cardio health… burn calories… and build strength… EVEN THOUGH you’re not getting the exact benefits as regular running… It’s still a very effective workout.

It’s perfect when you can’t go for a normal run or want to squeeze in a short workout during your day.

And remember… You can experiment with different exercises to include WHILE running in place to target different muscle groups and add some variation to your routine.

Closing

That’s it you guys… That’s my show for today!

I hope you found some valuable information here and if nothing else, I hope I’ve entertained you for a few minutes and was able to bring a little man-ly sunshine to your day.

Thanks for taking some time out of your day to listen to me… it’s very much appreciated!

On next week’s episode, we’ll be going over How To Master the Perfect Push-Up Arm Position so you definitely don’t want to miss out on that!

And if you’d like to continue the conversation with me, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s community where I share even more “raw-behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger and younger… each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now!

Also, don’t forget to rate me on iTunes by leaving me a nice FAT-JUICY-5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much!

It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

And before I let you all go… I want to wish everyone in the US and all over the world a Merry Merry Christmas… Happy Holidays… Happy Hanukkah… Happy Kwanza… and if there is any other religious celebration I’ve missed out there… I apologize… my thing is “FITNESS and HEALTH after 40”… not religion… SOOOO…. A HUGE WARM Happy Holidays to you as well from the bottom of my heart!!!

Until our next chat… Take care!