Hello runner friends!Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness SeriesMIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let’s get started by talking about trail running. Why? Because trail running is awesome! And also because the Dogwood Canyon Trail Runs are just around the corner (official training starts this Saturday)! Which means it's time to start getting ready to tackle those Ozark hills!
Now if this has you saying, "But Melissa, I'm a road runner not a trail runner. Trail running is too hard,” consider this. Dogwood has three different distances (15k, 25k, and 50k) to choose from — which means it's a course that can be beginner friendly, moderately challenging, or downright hard as well depending on the race length you pick. But it's doable and enjoyable, nonetheless. Especially if you come wearing the right shoes, which can make all the difference. And I say that from experience, having worn road shoes my first year that were unable to grip the slick and rocky terrain. I never made that mistake again! Speaking of shoes, did I tell you that HOKA is the official sponsor of the 15k this year??? And that they (in my humble opinion) make the best trail shoes? And let me reiterate that wearing the right trail shoes can make the experience all the more easier and pleasurable. So do your research and find the trail shoe that works best for you (I'll be sporting the Speedgoats and the Challengers once again for the 50k/15k Dogwood Challenge). You’ll be glad you did!
But hey, if you're still skeptical about going off road, check out these Ten Health Benefits of Trail Running, with my two cents thrown in of course.
*On a side note, trail running is my favorite type of running hands down and Dogwood Canyon is my all-time favorite trail to run. I ran the 15k in 2010 (and have been back every year minus one for injury) and loved it so much that I quickly moved up to the 25k and then the 50k Challenge. So without further ado, here we go:
Health Benefits of Trail Running1. Trail Running Is Amazing For Your Core
Tired of all those crunches and planks, but still want to build your core? Hit the trails.
The uneven footing, rapid changes in direction, and increased need to focus on balance make for an amazing core workout. Staying upright and navigating the varied terrain of trails means you have to maintain full-body tension at all times. This full-body tension keeps the core firing in what is essentially a standing plank hold during the entire time you are running. If you are looking to build a stronger core, getting off the road and onto a trail is a far more fun way to do this than slogging through an at-home core routine.
2. Trail Running Improves Your Balance
The key to good balance is a solid core, strong lower body, and stable ankles. Thankfully, trail running has you covered on all three counts. Running on unpredictable and uneven surfaces works the core, strengthens the legs, and challenges your ankles and feet to build a rock-solid base for balance and stability.
Tired of all those crunches and planks, but still want to build your core? Hit the trails.
The uneven footing, rapid changes in direction, and increased need to focus on balance make for an amazing core workout. Staying upright and navigating the varied terrain of trails means you have to maintain full-body tension at all times. This full-body tension keeps the core firing in what is essentially a standing plank hold during the entire time you are running. If you are looking to build a stronger core, getting off the road and onto a trail is a far more fun way to do this than slogging through an at-home core routine.
2. Trail Running Improves Your Balance
The key to good balance is a solid core, strong lower body, and stable ankles. Thankfully, trail running has you covered on all three counts. Running on unpredictable and uneven surfaces works the core, strengthens the legs, and challenges your ankles and feet to build a rock-solid base for balance and stability.
3. Trail Running Increases Your Endurance
Whether you’re training for your first 5K or preparing for your next marathon race, you’ll appreciate how trail running boosts your endurance. Balance requires you to activate the small stabilizer muscles in your foot each time it hits the ground, which strengthens feet and helps them take on more mileage with less pain. By charging inclines at high intensity, you can develop explosive leg power and increase your an aerobic threshold that’s critical for long-distance exploits.
4. Trail Running Lowers Your Risk of Injury
If you are concerned about the injury risk of trail running, it might surprise you to learn that studies show trail runners may have a lower risk of running-related injuries compared to road runners. Running on trails puts less stress on the lower leg compared to running on concrete and tracks, and the power and stability challenges of trail running may create improved core and knee control to reduce the risk of ACL injuries.
Many running injuries are the result of overuse due to certain muscles, tendons, or ligaments getting stressed over and over again beyond their ability to recover; with trail running, the constantly changing terrain and varying direction of forces helps to avoid overloading any one area on the body as you run, protecting vulnerable areas from overuse.
5. Trail Running Improves Your Heart
Since you’re doing a little (or a lot) of extra work to run on varied terrain, your heart has to work harder. The constantly changing nature of off-road trail running — going up steep inclines and descents, for example — can increase your heart rate differently compared to running on a flat road or treadmill.
6. Trail Running Builds Powerful Legs
While road running can help beginners build some leg muscle and strength, seasoned runners will find it’s usually not enough stimulus to continue getting stronger. Running tends to work slow-twitch muscle fibers for endurance; more rapid, explosive movements are necessary to work the fast-twitch muscle fibers responsible for more muscle size and strength.
Running downhill on trails forces your quads to act as brakes while you descend. In contrast, running uphill puts more stress on your glutes, which helps your body negotiate climbs. Technical trails, or trails with a lot of peaks and valleys, engage your calves to stabilize and propel your stride.
Trail running adds sprints, jumping, and rapid cutting to the mix, stimulating those fast-twitch fibers and taking your lower body strength and power to the next level. With more time spent on the trail, you will not only find your glutes, quads, and calves growing more muscle, you’ll also likely notice that you’ve become a faster, stronger, and more explosive runner.
While road running can help beginners build some leg muscle and strength, seasoned runners will find it’s usually not enough stimulus to continue getting stronger. Running tends to work slow-twitch muscle fibers for endurance; more rapid, explosive movements are necessary to work the fast-twitch muscle fibers responsible for more muscle size and strength.
Running downhill on trails forces your quads to act as brakes while you descend. In contrast, running uphill puts more stress on your glutes, which helps your body negotiate climbs. Technical trails, or trails with a lot of peaks and valleys, engage your calves to stabilize and propel your stride.
Trail running adds sprints, jumping, and rapid cutting to the mix, stimulating those fast-twitch fibers and taking your lower body strength and power to the next level. With more time spent on the trail, you will not only find your glutes, quads, and calves growing more muscle, you’ll also likely notice that you’ve become a faster, stronger, and more explosive runner.
7. Trail Running Strengthens Your Joints
To top it all off, the increased strength and power you develop from trail running means more stable muscles and joints, which means fewer rolled ankles, fewer twisted knees, and more secure movements as you navigate the trails.
Since trails offer softer surfaces than hard asphalt, landings are more forgiving. Your feet experience less shock upon impact, which can be a game-changer for runners who need a break from pounding the pavement.
8. Trail Running Can Burn More Calories Than Road Running
Are you hoping to lose weight? Trail running is a sure fire way to burn through extra calories compared to road running thanks to higher energy demands from navigating uneven terrain, maintaining balance, and scrambling up and down hills.
Although the exact amount of calories burned through trail running will vary greatly from person to person depending on a number of different factors, a good rule of thumb is about 10% more calories are burned for each degree of incline as compared to level road running.
A 10° hill means a whopping 100% increase in calories burned compared to road running on a level surface. This means that crazy hill on your local trail could be torching twice the calories every second you sweat your way up!
Are you hoping to lose weight? Trail running is a sure fire way to burn through extra calories compared to road running thanks to higher energy demands from navigating uneven terrain, maintaining balance, and scrambling up and down hills.
Although the exact amount of calories burned through trail running will vary greatly from person to person depending on a number of different factors, a good rule of thumb is about 10% more calories are burned for each degree of incline as compared to level road running.
A 10° hill means a whopping 100% increase in calories burned compared to road running on a level surface. This means that crazy hill on your local trail could be torching twice the calories every second you sweat your way up!
9. Trail Running Makes You Smarter
Due to the high mental demands of trail running, it boasts mental benefits in addition to its positive health and fitness effects. Research shows that complex exercise activities involving a high cognitive demand increase measures of perception, working memory capacity, and spatial awareness in participants.
In other words, your brain works faster, remembers more, and has a better sense of where your body is in space — all from simply running on a trail. If you want to build more mental agility, trail running is a fantastic challenge for both body and mind, with proven benefits to both.
10. Trail Running Can Help Manage Anxiety and Depression
Feeling stressed? Trail running may be just what the doctor ordered! Combining exercise, which has been proven to reduce symptoms of depressive disorders, and time spent in nature, which provides a variety of physiological and psychological benefits, trail running can be a powerful tool in managing anxiety and depression.
Feeling stressed? Trail running may be just what the doctor ordered! Combining exercise, which has been proven to reduce symptoms of depressive disorders, and time spent in nature, which provides a variety of physiological and psychological benefits, trail running can be a powerful tool in managing anxiety and depression.
The modern world is full of screens, ads, buzzing phones, and incessant background noise. Switching your run from an urban environment to a trail can make you feel less anxious and depressed. Taking some time away from everything to be surrounded by nature, relative silence and fresh air is good for your body and your mind.
*and I would add that spending time in nature is good for the soul as well.
So there you have it friends. Whether you want to lose weight, build strength, or keep your mind healthy, trail running has so much to offer! Especially running the amazing trails at the Dogwood Canyon Nature Park! Start slow, be safe, and go enjoy the great outdoors to discover why trail running has seen a 231% increase in participation in the last 10 years!! Hope to see you there!!
Happy (trail) Running!
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