8 Unconventional Ways To Improve Running

Runners can suffer from conditions that doctors can’t always treat. However, alternative medicine can offer relief from various injuries and illnesses. Individuals who enjoy running multiple miles per week can manage their health and wellness by utilizing alternative practices.

Homeopathy

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Homeopathic practitioners often analyze their patients running and training history and prescribe medicine. For example, runners who are suffering from an injury might be prescribed a supplement named Arnica. Individuals with a history of plantar fasciitis might be prescribed Rhus tox, a gel produced from the poison ivy plant.

Hypnosis

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Hypnosis allows runners to take a break from their training and enter an altered state of consciousness. Entering this state of mind has been shown to relieve stress and manage pain.

Visualization

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Athletes who focus on a specific image or concept help improve the connection between their body and their mind. In fact, individuals who visualize use the same brain activity as they would while preforming the activity.

Ayurveda

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This ancient practice began in India thousands of years ago. Practitioners use meditation, breathing and nutrition to treat individuals as a whole. Practitioners believe that all disease and injury stem from an imbalance in breath.

Meditation

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Individuals who meditate control their breath in order to maintain a strong focus. During meditation, practitioners may also use a word or an idea to help them go deeper into the meditation. This technique has become very popular in the running community because it offers a free and versatile method of maximizing training efforts.

Chiropractic Care

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Spinal manipulation can help align bones, joints and muscles to improve health or relieve pain from an injury. Although spinal manipulation is widely used by the running community, it is not recommended for everyone. For example, individuals who are at a risk for strokes should avoid treatment.

Acupuncture

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Acupuncturists use small, thin needles and insert them into more than 400 specific points on the human body to restore health. The practice is thousands of years old and is based on the idea that your body has a natural energy flow, Qi, which causes illness and injury when imbalanced.

Massage

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Many individuals are familiar with massage, but it wasn’t until recently that professionals began to recognize it as a legitimate medical treatment. Individuals who enjoy fitness training can benefit from massage because it eases muscle soreness and speeds recovery time.

Mackenzie Martin writes for Mettis Trainer. She is a writer at Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. Find her on Google+.