Firstly congratulations on making the commitment. Most training regimes will cover running frequency and distances in some detail. The importance of diet, rest, and general well-being will be highlighted but often specialist guidance is lacking. There are several disciplines from within the complementary therapy community that significantly benefit a person training for a marathon. Did you know, for example, at the London 2012 Olympics Osteopaths joined the medical team supporting and treating the athletes? Or that many runners use Acupuncture to improve their performance (check out this article in Runners’ World).
At The Maris Practice, they have a number of consultants experienced in treating sportsmen and women to help them achieve their goals. They are a one-stop-shop for athletes to support their overall well-being, vital for competition success.
Their team includes:
- Nutritional therapist, Sarah Noyce, who advises on sports nutrition to help you meet your body’s dietary needs during training, in the lead up to the race and importantly afterwards.
- Osteopaths, including Claire Mac Donald, Jessica Busen-Smith and Mark Bolton who specialise in Sports & Exercise Rehabilitation. Osteopathy involves observation of your movement and gentle examination of muscles etc to identify issues which are then worked on using a variety of gentle stretches, exercises and massage. A musculo-skeletal exam at the start of your training is useful to identify any weaknesses or imbalances in your body which make you prone to injury or impede training. If issues are identified, exercises would be recommended to help.
- Massage therapists, Evelina Parry-Wingfield (who specialises in Aromatherapy) and Georgia Pontet (who specialises in Shiatsu Massage) can both help stretch out training aches and pains while giving you time to relax and de-stress.
- Acupuncturists, Charles Bourne and Graham Woods, can reduce your recovery time from injuries, reduce inflammation, help with pain management and increase your circulation which improves stamina.
If you want to find out more, please call them on 020 8891 3400 or visit their website www.TheMarisPractice.com