down whilst you are doing so, so take care.A great deal also depends on the intensity of the training. It is no good waiting for 21 days of nothing and then trying a flat-out track session. If you were to start running in less than three weeks

you maintain proper form and run efficiently, even through fatigue. With strong lower abs and lower-back muscles, such as the erector spinae, it's easier to stay upright. If your core is weak, you may end up shuffling, slouching and putting too much

be packaged into a pill,” says ageing specialist Dr Robert Butler, “it would be the single most prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.”Still, even runners can become side-tracked by bad habits such as poor nutrition, high stress and inadequate sleep

not ovulating, the presence of a period does not guarantee a healthy menstrual cycle. A lack of ovulation can signal insufficient levels of progesterone, which can lead to over-stimulation of the uterine lining, putting you at risk of endometrial cancer. If you

on Mondays or any day after a holiday. Her advice is to make a weekend schedule, and stick with it. For help, line up a training partner.11. Stay involvedIt seems counter-intuitive, but keeping busy can keep you healthy. Having projects to do gives your day

's easy to lose track of your water intake and if you're in a hot climate you'll be sweating even when you're doing nothing. Stay hydrated, and conserve your energy and glycogen stores by drinking fluids that contain electrolytes and natural sugars

, decreased perceived exertion and increased running economy. In 2004, prior to the Athens Olympics, US track athletes were given the chance to attend a pre-Olympic training camp in Crete about two weeks before they moved to Athens. The runners followed a heat

, suffers from chronic hay fever. "I'm so allergic to pollen in the air, it causes my chest to tighten when I run," he says. "If I don't manage my hay fever carefully, it can seriously affect my performance on the track."Sneezing regularly during a race can

my mileage and practised running above 14,000 feet, but still I'd limped home after aggravating an old Achilles injury. Today I was ready for a charmed third try. I was fit, healthy and confident of a top-10 finish. Maybe I'd even break three hours

. But that doesn’t mean staying slim is a battle you can’t win. It’s possible to outsmart your genes and maintain a healthy weight.Case in point: a 2009 Finnish study published in the International Journal of Obesity tracked 16 same-sex twin pairs (chosen because