My Top 7 Tips For Turkey Trotters By Dr. Hailey Jackson

The Hopkins County Turkey Trot is one of my favorite races of the year for many reasons. A few of those reasons include the physical activity it promotes, the community support for local citizens, and of course, the socialization that comes with the turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning. 

So of course, this blog is for all of the runners that will be lacing up to run a 5K or 10k on Thanksgiving morning. 

My top 7 tips to help both your running game & pelvic floor include: 

👀Look straight ahead 

Where you look affects your whole spine. Keeping your eyes allows for a better position of your spine, thus reducing likelihood of injury. 

👃🏻Inhale through your nose 

Breathing through your nose allows for 20% more oxygen than if you breathe through your mouth. While it may feel weird at first, it is a way more efficient way of breathing. 

🧘🏻‍♀️Relax your shoulders 

Having stiff or tense shoulders doesn’t allow for use of your arms which impacts my next point. 

🤷🏻‍♀️Use your arms when your legs get tired 

Your legs move with your arms, so if you get tired focus on pumping your arms and your legs will go with them. Additionally, using your arms allows for mid spine mobility, which leads to my next point. 

😵‍💫Rotate your mid spine 

Rotating your mid spine allows for better pressure management in your core, and use of your diaphragm for breathing purposes. Rotation of your mid spine additionally reduces rotation at your lumbar spine versus decreasing risk of injury in your low back.

💪🏼Strengthen your glutes 

Single leg stability is key with running as you spend 60% of the gait cycle on one leg while running. Strengthening your glutes allows for better stability down the chain (hips, knees, ankles). 

🧎‍♀️Don’t let your knees dive in 

The above will also help with this. Strengthening your lower extremity and promoting good alignment of the lower extremity will reduce risk of knee injury. 

🦶Land on the ball of your foot 

When we walk, we land on our heel. But when we run, it’s important to land on the ball of the foot, not the heel. Landing on your heel repetitively does not allow for good shock absorption and will increase the likelihood of injury. 

Best of luck to all the turkey trotters next week and thank you to all the volunteers that allow for such a great event to take place year after year. 

If you’re unable to run due to pain with any of the body parts listed above or pelvic floor dysfunction (urinary leakage, hip pain, lower abdominal pain, urinary urgency, etc.) our team would love to help you. To join the waitlist, click here.