The Sensory Run

TUNING INTO YOUR BODY, INSTEAD OF TUNING OUT WITH TECH, CAN REVIVE A STALE RUNNING ROUTINE. HERE’S HOW.

- Cassie Shortsleeve

WHEN I THINK of the summer I spent on the coast, I think about my 10-K runs to the ocean. What I remember most is taking in the sights of still ponds, the buzz of open-air jeeps, and the feel of uneven cobblestones beneath my running shoes as I cut through the town centre. No music. No phone. Just me and a few uncomplicated, tech-free kilometres in a picturesque setting. Taking it all in left me feeling calm and centred.

To reach this zen-like state – one in which we exert physical effort with ease – we have to tune into our senses, explains Christina Heilman, PhD, certified strength and conditioning coach and author of Elevate Your Excellence. A ‘sensory run’ is one in which you let go of your mind and focus on what’s going on inside and around you through the five main senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Heilman says doing so allows you to be truly present (without judgment), and helps you tune into what your body needs in that moment.

It may seem rudimentary, but leaning into those sensations can make you a better athlete. “If you’re interested in training, competing, and improving, you have to pay attention to what’s going on inside your body as well as how that relates to what’s going on outside,” says Jack Raglin, PhD, a sports psychologist and kinesiology professor at Indiana University Bloomington. And this sensory-focused approach can help you push your performance to the next level, too. Research finds that elite athletes (more so than non-elite athletes) use sensations such as hydration, muscle pain and fatigue, as well as their surroundings, to optimise their runs.