SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
It's become the new way to push ourselves to the limit. Instead of running a 5K or marathon race, people are getting dirty. Mud runs mix a typical 5 or 10K run with military obstacles, and yes, mud. They can be grueling, especially if you haven't prepared your body for the tasks at hand.
Taking on the challenge of sprinting, climbing, jumping, crawling and swimming your way through a mud run can be fun, but is your body ready for it? Physical Therapist Kory Zimney says while it's great to support a charity and take part in events like this, it's important to know your limits. "But do it with caution and concern realizing I need to be careful on how hard I push myself, because I'm asking my body to do something it's normally not used to doing," said Zimney.
But Zimney says you can do things to get yourself prepared, if there's a mud run in your future. You just need to train specifically for what you want to do . "So obviously if you want to play basketball, you should play a lot of basketball and not more football," said Kory Zimney. So that means if you're going to do a mud run, practice mud runs. Crawl through the mud, pull yourself over hay bales, and any other obstacles you think your body might not be ready for, so you don't get injured trying. Zimney says when we first try something, we don't always pick the best way to perform the first time "And that's the advantage of practicing it before hand, is you can kind of tell 'what does my body feel like when I'm actually doing this'? And 'is there a way I can make it a little easier, a little more efficient'? Because you want to find how your body moves when it has to push or pull or crawl like that," said Zimney. So make sure you're in good position, lifting with your legs. And also, remember that being super fit can sometimes endanger your health. "A lot of times, people, we do things to become more fit. We have to realize that sometimes when we push that fitness barrier and work into performance, we actually are moving away from being healthy," said Zimney.
If you do injure yourself during a run or sporting event, go for ice first for those sore spots. And rest your body. Don't push yourself to keep up your training schedule. Back off, and let your body heal.
