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Question:
Liz asks: I'm training for a marathon in October, but I’ve been getting shin splints. Are there any stretches or exercises I can do to avoid getting shin splints?
Expert Answer:
Congratulations, Liz on you desire and commitment to run a Marathon! There are many stretching and strength training exercises that can help you meet your goal. Without knowing the mileage base that you run each week, I would caution you to build slowly while training. Then I would ask if this is a condition that you currently have, or one that you are trying to prevent? If this is a current condition, I would suggest that you see a physician that specializes in this type of injury, to rule out stress fractures, or any other condition/injury you may have. If there is an injury present, then follow the plan the doctor lays out to promote healing.
For prevention of these types of injuries, I would first suggest a visit to a reputable sports store that sells good running shoes, with staff that is knowledgeable, and could fit you with the proper shoes. (Shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles, or each season, whichever comes first) It would be a good idea to bring the shoes you are currently using, so they can look at the tread on the soles to determine how you pronate when you run. Based on what they see, they can help you choose the shoes that are best for you.
Always start your training with a warm up of 8-10 minutes of light jogging, followed by 5 minutes of stretching, then proceed with your regular run. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of light jogging, followed by 8-10 minutes of stretching exercises. It would be best to find a running surface that is even in terrain, and not hard, like pavement. Cement is not giving, and is very hard on the joints. High school tracks are usually a good choice.
Strength training to improve your core and leg muscles will be key to help you build the endurance that you will need to finish the marathon. I would recommend finding a good personal trainer that is knowledgeable about running, who can design a plan for you that includes flexibility stretching and weight resistance training. This will help you to accomplish your goal of running the marathon, and give you the desire to do the next one!
Our Expert is Mel Raab, Certified Personal Trainer at the Macomb Family YMCA.
summer camp!
It's time to start thinking about summer experiences for your child! Consider YMCA Residence Camp or Day Camp -- an experience of a lifetime!
Wendy's Night
On Wednesday, July 22, dine at a local Wendy’s restaurant from 5-8 p.m. and Wendy’s will donate 15% of all sales to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign (SKC).
Summer Programs
Summer Registration!
Registration is now open for the Summer program session!
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volunteer
Enjoy a rewarding experience while serving your community. A variety of opportunities are available from teaching programs to being a camp counselor.
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Features this Month:
YMCA KIDS TO CAMP Program - A FREE Week of Camp for Kids
The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit is pleased to provide a FREE WEEK OF OVERNIGHT CAMP at YMCA Camp Nissokone for 150 Michigan children of unemployed parents and deployed military personnel. This is a $500 value per child offered at NO COST. If your family can benefit from this service, or if you know another family that may take advantage of this offer, please forward this information to them. Recipients do not need to be YMCA members.
Guidelines and a registration form are available by clicking here.
Please visit the YMCA Camp Nissokone website for maps, pictures, and camp-specific information.
If you have questions about Camp or the Free Camp Week program, please click here to contact Camp.
Would You Like to Send A Kid to Camp?
Many local families are struggling to make ends meet due to job layoffs, reductions in work hours, or extended tours of duty in the military. Yet every year, generous donors make it possible for kids to experience YMCA Camp, for example a single mother of two young boys who received camperships to attend YMCA Camp last summer.
You can make it possible for kids to experience the joys, magic and fun of YMCA Camp this summer by contributing to our Kids to Camp Campaign. Donate today!
Kids to Camp Campaign
Goal: $75,000
Raised to date: $10,225
Children sponsored: 20
Children in Need: : 130
Click here for more information and the various ways to donate.
YMCA parent tips: make up and break up-children and friendship
One of childhood's toughest lessons is learning how to be a good friend. Being a good friend means that someone will like you back and that you'll be included and respected.
That's important to kids, right? Not always. But it's definitely important to parents! So much so that it can cause stress and put needless pressure on children.
Parents need to understand the emotional steps children take in building friendships. Every child is different, but there does seem to be a process that children follow in learning how to be a friend.
The basic idea of friendship is that it is a two-way street: a give-and-take relationship. That means being able to figure out what someone else is feeling-and reacting accordingly. Hardly an easy concept for a 3-year-old to master-or even sometimes for an adult.
Between the ages of 3 and 7, your child thinks of "friends" as those with whom he or she is playing at the moment or often. Friendship is not thought of as a relationship that endures over time.
Somewhere between ages 4 and 9, children slowly become aware that other people might think differently than they do. Then a friend becomes "someone who does things that please me." Still, there's no real focus on the two-way relationship.
It's not until ages 6 through 12 that kids begin to understand the reciprocal nature of friendship. And it's usually not until teen years that friendship is understood as a process in which different people with different ideas and personalities learn to cooperate.
The lessons of friendship include learning how to discuss a problem, handle differences in opinion and find ways to compromise. Your child can learn those things without an adult's intervention. By dealing with other children and comparing his own behaviors to theirs, he will build a stronger concept of self.
What does all this mean for parents? Relax! Kids can and will work things out. It's not always easy. But it is a natural process.
Listed below are some tips on helping your child make friends:
- Be a friend to your child.
Roots of good friendships start at home. Early communication skills are used later with friends.
- Make sure your child has regular contact with other kids.
Interaction takes practice.
- Don't hover.
Research shows that the presence of an adult keeps kids from interacting and talking.
- If possible, stay out of conflicts.
Unless you see violence brewing, step back. Give children a chance to resolve their own conflict. If you do get involved, use phrases like, "What can we do about this?"
- Don't take children's words too literally.
You're not my friend" can really mean "I'm mad at you right now."
- Relax.
Nurture support, but don't push. Be prepared for the hits and the misses.
Boll's Garden Plot for Kids
The Boll Family YMCA and the Majestic Café are teaming up this summer to teach kids about sustainability. The Majestic Café has secured a garden plot in downtown Detroit that the Trailblazers from the YMCA Day Camp program will take care of for the summer.
The youth participants will plant and tend the garden for the summer while learning about how to grow their own food and how to reuse spaces especially in urban settings. Food preparation will be woven into the curriculum as participants will have the opportunity to learn about the different uses of the food they are growing.
The food will be put to good use in the restaurant and will find its way back to the YMCA. The Majestic Café prepares meals for the Boll Family YMCA Child Development Center and the garden was based on foods used in the CDC menu.
“This is an exciting program that we can offer our youth at the Boll Family YMCA”, Stacia Roeth, Associate Executive Director stated. “We are looking forward to a positive enriching opportunity that allows our youth to learn about where their food comes from and how urban planning has become an essential topic linked to the continued revitalization the City of Detroit,” stated Miss Roeth.
Why the Y? Presentation
July 8, 2009 (12pm)
Please join us for a free 'Why the Y?' informational session to learn more about how the YMCA is strengthening our community.
The Why the Y? Presentation offers a unique opportunity to get an inside look at how the YMCA meets the ever-changing needs in the communities we work and live in, and how you can become involved. In just one hour you will see and hear a few stories that highlight the huge success the Y has had in meeting community needs one person at a time.
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Your gift to the Strong Kids Campaign helps make YMCA opportunities available to those who otherwise couldn't afford to participate.
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