. Spinal erectors These muscles strengthen and stabilise your spine for balance. Obliques These are the muscles that rotate your mid-section and support you when twisting and bending. Hip flexors and rotators Key players in stabilising your

Q I have recently discovered that when I’m training and racing hard I end up suffering from a terrible sore throat. I eat a well balanced diet, take multi-vitamins and have tried echinacea. Should I take antibiotics, cut down on the alcohol – I don

and effort, it might actually be worth leaving your heart rate monitor at home for a few weeks. That way you can avoid the psychological distress of failing to balance your pulse rate with your workload.—Dr Patrick Milroy, RW Medical Advisor

hormones. But when a heavy training schedule puts pressure on your immune system, you can ensure that you make healthy diet choices.The key to maintaining an efficient and effective immune system is to consume enough of the nutrients that play a vital role

have been able to construct two genuinely representative samples of runners, balanced between men and women and spread over the age ranges from under 30 to over 60. The difference between the groups is that one group is made up of runners who have been

that includes some lactate threshold (the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood) efforts and a few 10- to 30-second effort sprints.Cut to the coreDon't burn precious time in the gym. Just target your core muscles; they'll help you stay strong

parallel with the floor.Keep your weight on your front foot – your back leg is for balance only. Make sure your front knee stays behind your toes. Pushing up through the front foot, return your feet to the start position, and lower arms to shoulders.Do 20

balance, and when it tips towards the negative – whether from running itself or from associated stress – some women will suffer menstrual irregularities. Young runners, those who train at intense levels and those with a history of menstrual irregularities

metabolism earlier in the day, but all things considered, the impact on weight loss is fairly trivial.”If you train in the evening, eating at night actually has its advantages: “You have to eat a well-balanced meal to encourage recovery, no matter how late

is the likeliest scenario, but you can make it less likely if you improve your on-the-run balance. Twice a week, reach slowly to touch your left toe while balancing on your left leg, repeat 10 times, then switch legs. To avoid falling on trail runs, take shorter