Clean Run - August 2020 - 18

Go back over all your old runs on video and see how you perform. How do you turn? How do you move?
Is your body giving off the right signals, or is your verbal cueing and physical cueing in contradiction?

As an intrinsic biomechanics' specialist, I address those asymmetries since
they may cause problems later on in
the body. I use a multi-disciplinary
approach to strengthen and support
my clients. Some of those changes
can improve someone's quad power output by up to 50%, which could
be the difference that allows you to
get to the next obstacle sitting in a
particularly tricky place on course.
By knowing what your body needs,
you can easily identify the areas that
you need to work on and create a
unique training plan for you, sifting
out the things you don't need, which
will make your training plan easier to
achieve, and less time-consuming.
At the moment, less is more. We are
experiencing lockdown here in the
UK, and the research shows that moderate exercise is better for our immune
system than sweating it out hard because of the chronic production of
cortisol in times like this. Cortisol can
cause some serious conditions and
cause our body to react negatively to
exercise. So, it is even more important
now to streamline what we are doing, strip out what does not work, and
tap into what we need, and what our
dogs need from us.
Go back over all your old runs on video and see how you perform. How
do you turn? How do you move? Is
your body giving off the right signals, or is your verbal cueing and
physical cueing in contradiction?
Then look at the small stuff; strip it
back to the bare bones, as small incremental changes can make big

differences. By looking at improving
1% in every area of your game, you
can start to see positive improvements to the way you move and
handle your dog. This is known as
the marginal gains theory (Sir Dave
Brailsford). In 2008, Great Britain's indoor cycling team adopted marginal gains theory, and it paid off; they
brought home multiple gold medals.
As a handler, if you use this theory
and look at making small 1% changes in every area of your performance,
you will see greater improvements
to your whole game. Implementing
this way of thinking and training will
see your partnership improve, and
help you achieve those qualifiers and
goals you set for the season.

Getting Started
How can you start making these
changes?
1. Look at your time. Don't feel like
you have to blank out hours at a
time to do things for yourself. Take
5% of your dog's training week,
and plan something for yourself
instead.
2. You also don't need to spend hideous amounts of money on gym
membership or equipment. Get
creative; you already have a lot of
things for the dogs that can be
utilized.
3. Focus on the basics. The big exercises look great on your Instagram
account but are not necessarily great for your body. A house
with a poor foundation won't last

a lifetime. Things like standing on
one leg while brushing your teeth,
or doing glute squeezes when you
are stuck in traffic can quickly become good habits.
4. Do a combination of activities
to help you move better. The research actually shows that a wellrounded program is better for performance. After all, you don't just
see swimmers in a pool. They do a
wide range of different fitness modalities that complement, support,
and strengthen their body outside
the water. Try a combination of exercise that includes Pilates as well
as your usual fitness favorite.
5. It has to be fun. If you don't enjoy what you are doing, you won't
stick to it. Think about things you
like to do rather than what Sally
down the road is doing.
6. Especially at this time, try replacing HIIT (high-intensity interval
training) for SIIT (slow intensity interval training). In the UK, we have
"Couch to 5K." This sort of training
is moderate and builds up slowly rather than trying to cram as
much as you can in a short space
of time.
7. Doing more mindful movement
programs like Pilates or yoga, even
meditation, can help you mentally prepare yourself as well as your
body. Even practicing visualization
for your sport will help you focus your mind and is a great practice to when the season does start
again. D

Stacy Weeks is a movement specialist in Pilates, personal training, intrinsic biomechanics, SAQ, nutrition, and dance. A member of the Intrinsic Biomechanics Association,
her passion is movement analysis to help people move better, improve performance, and reduce injury. Control Precision Flow is a research and evidence-based dog
sport handler training program established in 2013, online, and in person. Stacy is also an Agility Club Instructor (1st class) and has been involved in agility for over 12
years. She has worked with hundreds of competitors and is regarded by many as an expert in her field in the UK, working with Kennel Club Olympia winners and gold
medalists in international agility competition. She currently works with many agility competitors at all levels. Her award-winning business, Red Yew, based in Devon,
UK, operates from the bespoke Red Yew Studio and has been featured in national publications such as National Geographic Traveler and The Independent. She hosts
and collaborates with experts in their field from around the world, including Dr. Kathrine McAleese. Stacy is due to embark this year on a professional doctorate, focusing
on dog sport handler movement and fitness, which will be the first of its kind, not just in the UK, but in the world.
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Clean Run | August 20

Clean Run - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2020