Is Running Putting Your Spine at Risk? Dr Ulrike Mitchell

Your spine starts showing signs of aging at age 20.  Is too
much running putting it at more risk?


We talk about the spine a lot to our athletes. Your posture and
spinal mobility are huge players in good running form, which
allow you to run faster and longer with less effort. 
Flexibility in the thoracic spine in particular allows you to run
light and tall, as well as makes more room for lungs to fully
expand to their potential.


So what can we do to make sure that our spine is supported,
helping us run faster and pain-free?  And what happens to
our spinal health as we age, especially if we’ve spent years
pounding out mile after mile?


Brigham Young University’s Dr Ulrika Mitchell researches the
spine and is on the show to talk about it.  


Dr Mitchell was born in Germany and got her degrees in Sports
Science and Physical Therapy there before moving to the US in the
90s.  She got her PhD at BYU and now teaches Functional
Anatomy and Orthopedic Impairment at the university. Her research
is mostly focused on the spine, low back pain, and she frequently
studies runners as she is a runner herself.


Coach Claire asks her all about how the spine functions when we
run, how to make sure that it is optimally supported, what
exercises we can do to maintain proper spine alignment as we run,
and what happens to our spines as we age. 


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