I spent the
later portion of 2016 with various injuries that almost took me out of my
December marathon. I tried acupuncture,
saw a sports physician, and eventually started physical therapy at the new
Kaiser Sports Medicine Facility at the Golden 1 Center (in Sacramento). It’s a state of the art facility and my
Physical Therapist Dr. Kyle is amazing.
He brought up some a great points.
He asked me “As a runner, how often do I run with both feet on the
ground at the same time?” He then talked
about how runners should focus more on single leg training because that is how
we use our muscles. He suggested single-leg
squats, single-leg deadlifts, clamshells, walking lunges, and some other
exercises. 
It not only
saved my marathon (I finished, even though the time was slower than I would
have liked), but I came out of the marathon stronger than ever. I have been training for my first 50k and
besides the exercises that Dr. Kyle suggested, I have been using an awesome
piece of equipment called the SlackBlock.
I ran across
the SlackBlock online and
contacted the company. They sent me the SlackBlock and a book Balance
is Power by Jim Klopman. The book
explains the importance of balance, not only in sports performance, but in
life. There has been a decline in
balance as a society. The book is really
easy to read, explains why balance is important and how to improve your
balance. The book is $15.99 on Amazon
(free with Kindle unlimited).
The SlackBlock is a simple piece of
wood with black skateboard like grip tape.
It is attached to a blue foam block with Velcro. The blue foam block is rectangular and has
four triangular parts glued on to provide added lateral support. It is an inexpensive solution to improving
your balance, which will provide several benefits.
By using the
SlackBlock, you will increase
the strength in your legs, ankles, and core.
Also, as you run longer distances, your body tends to get tired and your
balance can be reduced. By doing training
exercises to help improve balance, you will be able to retain your balance
longer. Another benefit is that having
great balance and a stronger ankle/Achilles area, you will be more efficient in
your gait. This can help use less energy
during your runs and could even make you faster.
I started by
watching a video about how to use the SlackBlock. It says to start with one foot and balance
for 2 minutes. That seemed like a really
long time while I was trying to balance, but it got much easier after a try or
two. I went through the exercises and
quickly started seeing the benefits in my running. I am almost completely injury free at this
point. I know that my physical therapy
exercises play a big part in my recovery, but I think my balance exercises have
been just as important. I love the SlackBlock and strongly recommend
it to any runner who wants to become stronger and more injury free.
Pros:
Inexpensive
($59.00)
Compact
Easy to use
Can see
benefits in a few days
There are a
few tools that every runner should have.
Foam Rollers, a stretching mat, and a SlackBlock are important tools in
my runner’s toolbox. While there are
still plenty of ways for me to become injured, I think it is important to focus
on becoming more injury free. The SlackBlock helps reduce the risk of preventable injuries. Get your SlackBlock today for $59.00 and
let me know what you think.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
