OnFitness Magazine - July/August 2016 - 46

Are you fit enough?

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21-day training protocol
to prevent stitches in any
sport

V O L

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N O

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Day
-------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Distance (yards)
-------------------
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 20
Repetitions
-------------------
5 6 7 8 9 10 10 8 10 5
Rest (seconds)
-------------------
30 30 30 30 30 30 20 30 20 45

W W W. O N F I T N E S S M A G . C O M

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Rest for one day and begin at day 12.
Attempt to maintain your same running
time from the first rep to the last.

Skydiving
fitness
--------------------
Training for skydiving
is quite different from
that for most sports. It
consists of explosive
movements that are
followed by quick
recovery and instant
stabilization. Begin by
placing five rows of
stations. You move
from one exercise to
the next row without
rest. Begin slowly until
you have mastered the
exercises for 15 reps
each and then add
additional rotations to
series of rows. The
first row is a general
overall exercise for
warming up: jumping
jacks. The next row is
curling dumbbells
from the waist until
they are lifted over the
head. The third row is
composed of burpees.
Start on your stomach
and quickly stand and
quickly return to the
stomach position. The
fourth is static planks.
The fifth is a navy
crawl. Lie on your
back; arms and legs
are pointed up and
held off the ground.
Lower the right leg
and the left arm down
to the ground and
return to the upper
position. Repeat with
the left leg and right
arm. Switch back and
forth, 20 reps each
side.

Day
-------------------
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Distance (yards)
-------------------
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Repetitions
-------------------
5 6 7 8 9 10 10 10 10 10
Rest (seconds)
-------------------
30 30 30 30 30 30 20 20 15 10

At the conclusion of this first
21-day training protocol, you
should be conditioned enough to
run an entire distance of 200
yards without stopping.
The 200- and 400-meter runs
are considered the toughest races
to run for a true test of all-out
speed, strength, power and
endurance.
Another common running
technique is known as
acceleration strides. This simple
technique involves jogging at a
slower pace and then
implementing a time or distance
interval that is performed at a
faster pace.
Basketball suicides are very
similar. You run forward to the
foul line and sprint back to the
base line, then run forward to the
3-point line, then sprint back and
repeat. This format quickly builds
resistance to fatigue and helps
athletes avoid getting the stitch.
You can use this technique with
any type of training that requires
activities longer than 10 seconds.
Cross-fit training is a huge event
specifically directed toward this
type of special interval training.
Other tips to avoid
the stitch
Learning to breathe in a
rhythm while you run is an
important technique and prevents
hyperventilation. Patterned
breathing is easier to learn at a
slower pace.
While jogging, learn to breathe
in during every two or three steps.

Running wind sprints:
running a short distance
as fast as you can from
start to finish. Traditional
sprint lengths include 130
feet, 328 feet and 565
feet. Although the 1300and 2600-foot runs are
also categorized as
sprints for competition,
neither involves running at
full speed the entire time.
It's also reasonable to
sprint for nonstandard
distances - such as the
distance between trees at
your local park.

Then exhale forcibly during only
one or two steps. This will also
improve your oxygen uptake
system and make your lungs more
efficient.
Avoid eating or drinking for at
least an hour prior to any
strenuous activity. A significant
amount of research has shown
that running or training on an
empty stomach helps prevent side
stitches from occurring.
When you eat or drink prior
to running, you significantly
increase the blood supply to your
digestive system.
This pulls blood away from
the lungs, which often results in a
poor supply to the breathing
muscles. This is specifically true
for high-fat or high-starch meals,
which take hours to digest.
Drinking carbonated
substances specifically results in a
volume that imposes a pressure
on the chest cavity that often
results in stitches as well.
It is important to note that you
will not die from a side pain or
stitch, but you can die from

dehydration. So consuming clear,
simple water before, during and
after any physical activity can save
your life and increase your
performance.
Spinal curvature
Another likely cause of stitches
is related to spinal curvature. Spinal
scoliosis is commonly associated
with premature onset of sidesplitting pain. Spinal manipulation
often helps improve mobility and
can have a positive effect on
preventing side pain while running.
Hernias
Individuals with hiatal hernias
will also have significant problems
with stitches. This defect is when
the abdominal contents have
broken through the protective
dome just below the diaphragm.
Most of the conditions
associated with side pain should
automatically improve with
simple training in less than a few
weeks. If symptoms persist or
you have any repetitive sharp
pain, consult a physician. Z
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OnFitness Magazine - July/August 2016

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