The London Marathon is just around the corner and for those of us who haven’t been training all year the question arises – if I started preparing now, could I run it next year? The answer is 100% yes, but long-distance running isn’t for the faint of heart and can place considerable stress on your back and joints if you don’t maintain good form.
Good form when running involves proper alignment and technique. It includes maintaining a stable core and correct posture, landing on the midfoot or forefoot and taking short strides.
While this shouldn’t be too much of a problem for people who generally live active lifestyles, it’s a different story for the majority of us who spend our days slouched over at a desk.
Why is good form essential to protect your back when running?
Protecting your back during a marathon is important to prevent injury. Long-distance running can put a lot of strain on the body, especially the knees, ankles, and lower back.
Maintaining good form:
- Distributes the impact of each stride across the body, reducing the risk of overuse injuries.
- Encourages runners to maintain good posture by keeping the shoulders relaxed, the chest open, and the spine straight. This reduces stress on the lower back and helps prevent back pain.
- Reduces fatigue-induced injuries by promoting proper breathing.
- Good form opens up the chest and allows the lungs to expand fully. This helps runners maintain a steady breathing rhythm and reduces fatigue.
Introducing the next-generation compression top to protect your back, the Lyne FIT sports T-shirt.
Aside from your running shoes, the second most important piece of gear to maintain good form – protecting your back and your chances of success – is a compression top. Compression tops are shown to support muscles and joints, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility.
PERCKO, the HealthTech startup specialising in products to protect and relieve your back, developed the Lyne FIT, a next-generation compression top. This sports T-shirt goes one step further and uses built-in elasticated tensor technology (Lyne technology) to better protect your back and optimise your performance.
Sports physiotherapist Dan Boyd trialled the Lyne FIT with a patient and said “For running and posture when you’re running, and posture during upright sport more generally, it’s been exceptionally good.”
How does Lyne technology used in Lyne FIT work?
A patented system of elasticated tensors is strategically built into the next-generation compression T-shirt (similar to Kinesio taping) to provide a dual action:
On the shoulders to open the chest, improving breathing
On the lower back to realign the spine and the pelvis, reducing the risk of back injury by avoiding uneven compression of the lumbar disks.
PERCKO worked with a team of biomechanical experts, physiotherapists and osteopaths to develop Lyne technology. All Lyne products are certified as medical devices.
Six studies on over 4,400 testers were submitted as part of the certification process of Lyne products as medical devices.
- Price: £99
- Sizes: Men (S-XXL) Women (XS-XL)
- Composition: Designed in France with OEKO-TEX® certified fabrics, Lyne FIT is made of polyamide and elastane.
- Care: It is machine washable up to 30°C
To find out more information on the compression tops head over to the PERCKO website here – percko.com