Threshold runs are a powerful tool in your training toolkit, but running them at the right pace is what makes them so effective. Too slow and you never stress the right physiological system for improvement; too fast and you’ll wind up with reduced fitness gains and more fatigue.

“Threshold pace usually refers to the fastest pace you can sustain while keeping lactate production and clearance relatively balanced, often called your lactate threshold or anaerobic threshold pace,” explained Baird.

“In practical terms, it’s a ‘comfortably hard’ effort you could hold for about 45 to 60 minutes in a race setting,” said Baird. It’s usually somewhere between your 10K and half-marathon speed, though that can vary depending on your experience and fitness level.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. A subscription is required to access.

Baird suggested thinking of your body like a car. It can look great on the outside, she said, but “you can’t forget that there’s an engine inside that also needs to be able to drive it down the street at the speed that you’d like.”

In other words, she said, regardless of how strong and resilient your muscles, bones and joints are, if your cardiovascular system is suffering, “eventually, you’re going to have to slow down.”

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access. 

VO₂ max is widely regarded as a gold standard of aerobic fitness. It shows up on watches, in training apps and across social media as a benchmark for comparison. But the number that you’re seeing might not present your fitness level as accurately as assumed. Research questions whether the most common way that we measure VO₂ max – that is, based on bodyweight – actually provides the best way to compare aerobic efficiency across different body types. 

Elite marathoners tend to have high relative VO₂ max values, partly because of their smaller, lighter frames, said Baird. Meanwhile, athletes like rowers, who typically carry more muscle mass, often post lower relative VO2 max numbers than marathoners, even though their absolute readings may be larger.

Baird stressed that for most people, runners included, simply being active and maintaining a well-rounded routine is far more important to both your aerobic fitness and your overall health than trying to optimize this metric—or trying to manipulate your way to a better score. 

Consulting with a medical professional is essential for understanding your full set of health metrics and optimizing both performance and overall wellness. Learn more about performance services at HSS, including VO₂ max testing, here.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. A subscription is required to access.

“If you can produce better force into the ground and absorb force in a better manner when you land, then you will be a faster runner, or you will be a more tolerant runner of the speeds [and distances] that you want to run at,” said Baird.

While many runners think they need to focus mostly on speed gains to get that edge at the end of a race—even going all-out with VO2 max efforts—zeroing in on your biomechanics can make the difference. “If you are solely focused on improving your VO2 max, then you may find that you are going to continue to be injured because it’s high-intensity, repetitive work,” Baird shared. Neglecting your mechanics on top of that can lead to overloading certain joints and tissues, which can lead to injuries, she explained.

It’s unrealistic to think you can focus on improving both speed and form all year round, every single year, Baird said. So she suggests periodizing your training, which looks like setting specific workout focuses that change throughout the year based on your races and your goals.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. 

Every 34 seconds, heart disease claims another life, making it the leading cause of death among both men and women in the U.S. Because two of the key risk factors that can cause heart disease—high blood pressure and high cholesterol—have very few obvious symptoms, it may even be a surprise to discover that your heart is in danger.

Heart disease is a very broad term, encompassing a number of conditions that adversely affect your heart, arteries, and blood vessels. But whether you’re newly diagnosed with heart disease or have been living with it for some time, there are steps you can take to manage your condition, and continue to live long and prosper.

Your heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, you can make it stronger and healthier with exercise. “The benefits of exercise on cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes are well documented,” said Dr. Steven W. Werns. “An exercise program can lead to decreased blood pressure, decreased cholesterol, and better control of diabetes, especially when combined with diet and weight loss.”

“The thing that has the biggest impact on heart health is reducing sedentary time,” said Baird. “Exercise can be as easy as walking, whether that is powerwalking outside or simply walking around the office for 10 minutes if you’ve been sitting for two hours.”

Read the full article at healthcentral.com.

Experts including Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS share advice to help determine your optimal workout time – and how this can improve your running performance.

According to Baird, exercising earlier in the day means that you’re more likely to feel focused and productive from the off. ‘This includes mood-boosting endorphins and neurotransmitters that help with focus and mental clarity,’ said Baird, who added that you may also feel a sense of accomplishment from getting something done first thing in the morning.

Read the full article at menshealth.com.

Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS explained that while 10,000 steps is a popular benchmark, the most effective daily movement goal should be personalized. 

Baird emphasized that national exercise guidelines are based on minutes of activity—not steps—and that factors like pace, intensity, and individual goals matter more than hitting a single number. She notes that walking can help many people meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, and that incorporating higher-intensity movement and reducing sedentary time are key for improving overall health and supporting weight loss.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. 

Equally important, though, are metabolic (a.k.a. conditioning) factors, or what’s happening on the inside or the engine of the car. In particular, that comes down to your overall aerobic capacity, your lactate threshold, and what energy source (fats versus carbs) your body uses to support your runs.

However, the “biomechanical bucket also affects the metabolic bucket,” Baird said , meaning that poor form could make you less able to improve your aerobic capacity, for example.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. 

Baker began running during the pandemic before setting her sights on the marathon, that was until she started feeling some serious pain last year.

"I began to develop pain in my glute and the pain travelled through my leg to my knee and it began to prevent me from running," said Baker.

The pain led Baker to HSS where she's spent a ton of time after a hip labral tear was discovered three months before last year's race. The initial diagnosis could have meant surgery, but that wasn't on Baker's mind.

Determined to run the 2023 race, Baker and the team at HSS gathered to meet her goal -- all without going the route of surgery.

"I had wonderful support through all the professionals here, and I felt good because it was a very manageable plan," she added.

Todd McGrath, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS explained that surgery would have cost Baker the chance to run last year's event and this year's because of the long rehab process. But with the help of Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS, Baker has trained even better and harder in preparation for her second straight marathon.

Watch the full video at ABC7ny.com. 

Recovery days — both active ones and full rest days — allow your body to repair your muscles and replenish its stores of energy, said Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS. Active recovery can provide some pain relief by reducing soreness, she added, and promote better mobility and range of motion.

As a general rule, Baird recommends placing an active recovery day after the most intense, high-quality workouts of your week. But it’s also important to take a bigger-picture view: Consider your long-term exercise routine to make sure you are balancing heavier weeks with lighter ones. If you’re coming off a few weeks of more intense exercise, you may need a period of lower-intensity workouts with more active recovery days built in.

“We can’t just look at a workout as a workout for the day and not consider it in the context of your week or your month or your year,” Baird said. “All of these things are cumulative, and that cumulative effect can either promote improvement or it can promote deterioration in your improvement.”

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access. 

A handful of years ago, the test — which tracks how much oxygen your body absorbs — was an obscure tool mainly used by elite athletes. Today, it’s touted by fitness professionals and wellness experts as being a useful measure for all exercisers.

But getting an accurate number requires an expensive and exhausting lab evaluation. And estimates provided by wearable devices might not tell you much. So how useful is it to invest time and money in the full work-up, and how important is knowing your VO2 max?

For everyday people who want to be healthy and live a long time, the measurement is “the best piece of empirical information we have on health and longevity,” said Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS.  The key, she said, is acting on what the data tells you.

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access. 

A strong, healthy heart isn't just about keeping up during exercise. Measuring how well your heart works at rest is just as important for unlocking a longer life and better fitness.

According to Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSC, exercise physiologist at HSS,  you don't need to worry too much about your resting heart rate at any one point in time. 

What's more important than a single measure of your resting heart rate is how it changes over time, Baird said. If your resting heart rate is trending lower over time, that's a good indicator that you're becoming more fit.

"You can track relative changes to see that the system is getting stronger," she explained.

Read the full article at businessinsider.com. 

If you face a jam-packed daily schedule, try starting small, said Baird. Instead of carving out 30 to 60 minutes several times a week, plan several short bursts of movement throughout the day. “If you’re not able to do much, doing anything is going to be helpful in so many ways,” she said.

For example, walk a few laps around the block during lunch, she said, or sneak in a series of squats between meetings. Ideally, you want these bursts to add up to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and 30-to-60 minutes of full-body strength training per week.

Or you could multitask: Try walking or using a resistance band while on a phone call or watching TV, she said. 

If you want to have a dedicated workout window, Baird recommended taking a hard look at your calendar and asking yourself: Is there anything that could go, or anything you could trade for a dose of movement? Could you experiment with setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier? 

Read the full article at nytimes.com. 

This former Division I tennis player set her sights on the sport of running after college but setbacks almost had her sitting on the sidelines.

"I'd run a lot, I would get hurt, I would rest. I would run, get hurt, rest, and I felt like I was kind of trapped in this cycle of repeated injuries and nothing was really making it go away," she explained. "And I wasn't even sure why it was happening in the first place. So when I decided that this was the year I was going to take on the marathon, I knew I had to do something different."

She was diagnosed with stress reactions that can lead to stress fractures.

Enter HSS and and its running performance services, connecting Elizabeth with resources like Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, exercise physiologist who offered a more holistic approach to marathon training.

"Like she said, she was kind of stuck in a cycle and she didn't know why this was happening," Baird said. “Between her work with Marci A. Goolsby, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS, Asma Mohammadi PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, CSCS, USATF-1, the physical therapist who did her running analysis and introduced her to me - and then the actual programming and the fitness testing, we were able to figure out, I think pretty clearly, what sort of factors were contributing to that and manage them across a 14-week program.”

Read the full article at abc7ny.com. 

If you’ve ever worked with a coach or PT, attended a group class at the gym, or read a set of exercise instructions, you have, without a doubt, been told to 'engage your core'. The fitness world is constantly reminding people about the connection between their athletic pursuits and the muscles that make up their midsections.

'I try to explain the core to people I’m working with as the canister of your trunk. So, we’re talking about all the musculature between your shoulders and hips,' Baird tells Runner’s World.

A strong core is a prerequisite for solid posture, which is why a strength-training programme that prioritises core exercises is recommended. This helps you build strength in the core outside of your runs, Baird said, allowing the benefits of a stable and strong midsection take hold when you actually hit your stride.

Read the full article at runnersworld.com. 

One contributing factor may be an inaccurate heart rate formula. The most common heart rate formula people use is 220 minus your age to get your max heart rate, then they calculate zones based on percentages. This isn’t a very accurate measure for most people as age is one of a number of factors that determines your heart rate, says Baird.

“There is incredible variation in heart rate among individuals due to factors such as sex, age, fitness level, health considerations, and lifestyle. These all contribute to a person’s heart rate at rest, during exercise, and maximally,” she explained.

Genetics may be another reason. Some people just have higher heart rates, said Baird. One solution is to run by RPE (rate of perceived exertion) instead. Running by RPE is paying attention to your breath, sweat rate, heart rate, and muscle fatigue when running and adjusting your pace to stay in range.

To run easy, you should notice how hard you are breathing and whether you can talk, said Baird. When running easy, you should be able to speak in complete sentences and carry on a conversation.

Read the full article at themotherrunners.com. 

“It’s different than standing in front of the mirror and doing squats and being like, I’m going to perfect these eight reps of squats,” said Baird. “Because running is repetitive, it’s environmental, it’s interactive, you’re usually doing other things when you’re running. And it’s an intrinsic human motion we learn when we’re really young. So for all those reasons, it’s really hard to change your running form, especially in real time.”

Even if you are able to maintain a form cue over the course of a run, your body might not be able to handle multiple miles with a new technique. “If you go from a heel strike to a mid-foot strike in the moment, chances are your body’s not developed in a way to tolerate this change in the repetitive loading,” explained Baird. “You’ll end up stressing a different area that you’re not used to stressing. We are a linked chain of movement, so you can’t just change one link and expect the other links to stay the same.”

For Baird, the answer is helping runners develop not the best running form, but their best running form, based on their goals and their body. “Good running form is unique to the person,” she said. “Each person is a unique kinetic chain with unique tightness, weakness, strength, stability issues, loading issues, so all of these things have to be considered.”

Read the full article at wellandgood.com. 

Getting older doesn’t have to mean moving less. The key to longstanding fitness, experts say, is envisioning the kind of athlete you want to be 20, 30, even 40 years from now, and training smartly in the present for that future.

“If you’re dreaming of retiring and hiking the mountains of Hawaii, make sure you can do that now, first and foremost,” said Baird. 

Making a few changes to your habits early can slow these declines and prepare you for decades of physical activity,  Baird said, from the functional (like chasing after grandchildren and lifting luggage) to the fun (like playing tennis and running half-marathons).

The best way to measure cardiorespiratory fitness is to test your VO2 max with a doctor or an exercise physiologist, explained Baird. “VO2 max is sort of the overall functional capacity of your body to do hard work,” she said, and regular aerobic exercise and HIIT workouts can help you boost it.

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access.

Running on sand is hard. Funnily enough, that’s partially because it’s so soft: Sand absorbs far more force than a road, a track, or even a packed dirt trail, said Baird.  This means you have to push off that much harder just to go the same distance on beach runs. Sand on the beach can also be slanted and/or uneven, adding a challenge to your balance and stability.

You may find that your ankles are also having to work harder, especially if you’re running on uneven or slanted sand. Baird recommends trying to find the flattest part of the sand, at least to start.

Even if it feels easy in the moment, don’t make the mistake of doing too much and hurting yourself. “A lot of times people feel like, if it feels easy, then my body must be tolerating it really well,” said Baird. “And that’s not always true—maybe the next day you wake up and you realize what you really asked of your body.”

A few simple cues can make running in the sand feel like less of a slog. For one, Baird said you’ll want to focus on taking shorter, faster steps, since long strides will be nearly impossible.

Read the full article at wellandgood.com. 

Allowing your body time to recover so you can run faster on runs that are meant to be fast is just one of the many purposes of slow runs. “A lot of the benefits that are going to make you a good runner are achieved through lower intensity running,” said Baird. She suggested thinking of running fast and running slow as different gears, each of which require your body to produce energy in a different way. If you only ever run fast, “you’re mostly going to be training adaptations associated with the high gear,” even though those low-gear adaptations are essential for distances from 5Ks to marathons.

Running in your low gear, or in your heart rate zones one and two, “is going to help you build resilience in your tissues on the biomechanical level,” explained Baird, “and help your body learn how to metabolize fat, and work in the aerobic training zone, which helps build out your cardiovascular system.”

And without layering in those slow runs, said Baird, we run the risk of overtraining and getting injured. While running fast all the time may result in temporary gains, she says, it will likely eventually lead to decreased performance.

Read the full article at wellandgood.com.