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Trail Running is Good....

Sunday, 09 August 2015 00:10

Hit the trails! Try trail running for better balance, power and fun

By Lisa Jhung (usatriathlon.org)

Why: Your Body

Running on trails does a body good. Thanks to varied terrain and softer natural surfaces underfoot, running on trails can both improve your overall fitness and be more forgiving to your body than road running.

Nice bod
A fit physique may not be your main reason to head out for a run on trails, but it’s not a bad side effect. Running on variable surfaces, such as trails riddled with rocks or roots — or even on smooth, twisty singletrack — forces your body to use stabilizing muscles (hello, core) and strengthen connective tissues (ligaments and tendons) that don’t normally get recruited on road runs. And running hilly terrain on trails builds leg strength — working quads, calves and gluteal muscles more than running on flats....

Plus, research shows that trail running can burn up to 10 percent more calories than running on a road or track for the same time or distance.

Better balance
The varied terrain of trails engages small, intrinsic muscles situated deep within our bodies for balance, improving coordination by teaching us proprioception. READ MORE