for poor movement patterns, which, in the long term, can cause degeneration and trauma in muscles and joints." In other words, you can run without good hip, knee and ankle alignment, but it's a risky game to play. Chain reactionHere's an example

triglyceride (fat) levels and heart attack and stroke risk, they also help keep joints supple. Omega-3s improve oxygen delivery to cells during exercise, help prevent and heal joint, tendon and ligament strains and also help reduce inflammation caused by over

."No single surface can meet all your performance and injury prevention goals - Dixon believes there is an optimum range of surfaces that place an acceptable level of stress on the joints. So, varying what's underfoot will help you boost your fitness - even

-setting. Most of us find it easier to disappoint ourselves than to disappoint someone else.Will I Damage My Joints?It’s surprising how many non-runners put this forward as their excuse for a sedentary lifestyle. All the long-term research I have seen says no

resistance training to complement your running. Fat is slow on and slow off – you can’t run hard to lose it faster. You just end up overloading muscles, joints and your brain. –Joe Beer, sports scientist and triathlon coach

-out for running?A Spinning is the technique of pedalling rapidly in low gears. It reduces the strain that your muscles and joints have to cope with, which results in less wear and long-term fatigue than running. Spinning is, therefore, great for your heart

and burns additional calories while allowing your legs time to recover from the repetitive load of running.Exercising places stress on your joints and muscles, so concentrating on a single sport (such as running) will mean the same muscles are always under

.com) and author of Runner’s World Guide to Cross-Training, the key to preventing most running injuries is to increase the strength and stability of three important joint areas: the hips, knees and ankles. "Most people blame the force of impact itself for running

’s time for a change. Otherwise, your repetitive stride pattern will tighten the muscles and joints and make you more susceptible to injury, while your gait simply trains you to run slowly. You risk fatigue, heavy legs and probably the onset of terminal

and requires more effort."No single surface can meet all your performance and injury prevention goals - Dixon believes there is an optimum range of surfaces that place an acceptable level of stress on the joints. So, varying what's underfoot will help you