Book Review: Anatomy for Runners

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Are you a runner?  Do you know a runner?  If yes, then I HIGHLY recommend Anatomy for Runners by Jay Dicharry. MPT, CSCS.  It’s simply a fantastic book on the hows and whys of overcoming running injuries and increasing your performance.

Dicharry hits numerous nails very solidly on the head.  He doesn’t just talk about treating the symptoms of our injuries. Rather, he gets at the true causes of our injuries–namely we don’t know how to stabilize our spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet appropriately.  We’ve forgotten how to move!  The book covers anatomy, gait mechanics, soft tissue maintenance, corrective exercises, footwear, orthotics, stretching, strength. Chapter 9 is a self-assessment process to help you figure out if you’re both mobile and stable enough to run.  If you’re lacking in those departments, he presents strategies and exercises to shore up your weak areas.  Impressively, he presents all this fairly technical information in a very easy-to-read kind of way.  This isn’t a dry, boring textbook.

Dicharry is a physical therapist, strength coach, running coach and a cycling coach; so he knows his science.  But, I think one of the most important aspects of Anatomy for Runners is that Dicharry writes from the perspective of a formerly often-injured runner.  This point-of-view is one with which I and probably a lot of other people will identify.  He cites numerous conversations with doctors that told him to rest and he’d get better.  He’d rest, run again, then he’d be injured again.  (Guess what, resting doesn’t fix anything!  If you’ve got a flat tire and you quit driving the car, the flat won’t fix itself.)  Other docs told him him he should probably quit running.  If you’ve heard that then you know how maddening and disheartening that advice is!  He didn’t quit.  He did the good work of figuring out how to run properly. I think his words will give hope to people who may have arthritis, worn cartilage, worn menisci (that’s plural for miniscus) and other “injuries” that may have lead physicians to tell you to quit running.

So it’s almost Christmas.  People are asking you what you want and you’re wondering what to buy for them.  Click the link below and get this book!