GET RUNNING
Dr. Ryan Modlinski first started running in
medical school as it was one of the only forms
of exercise that easily fit with his busy schedule.
He quickly began to relish the mental benefits
of running – being able to let stress from school
go and clearing his mind of all the things he had
to do. But he also, of course, saw the physical
benefits of running and exercising regularly.
On days when he ran, he had more energy, was
less tired, slept better and was just an all-around
happier person.
Today, Modlinski is a nonsurgical orthopaedic
physician with Norton Orthopaedic Specialists as
well as the medical co-director of the Kentucky
Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon
and helps patients achieve their fitness goals
every day. Modlinski also believes that everyone,
even people who consider themselves couch
potatoes, has more potential than they realize
to get up and get moving. All you have to do is
take that first step.
If exercise isn’t currently part of your schedule,
Modlinski encourages changing that as we head
into the new year. And for those who are setting
fitness goals and making resolutions, the number
one priority must always be to be healthy.
“The most important thing about this is getting
healthy because exercise can play a wide variety
of roles as far as treating a lot of different chronic
diseases. It’s not just being more fit or running
a specific time,” he said. “Chronic exercise has
been known to reduce high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and improve joint pain. There are so
many medical benefits that I stress to patients…
. I say, ‘Look, at the end of the day we’re doing
this to be healthy, and then the secondary goals
of time and distance can come later.’”
However, with any lifestyle change, setting
specific, concrete goals is only natural. Modlinski
said those interested in turning over a new leaf in
exercise must first assess themselves to be sure
they are setting goals that are realistic. To do so,
20 EXTOL SPORTS / DECEMBER 2017
you need to figure out where you are at the start:
What are you able to do without fatigue, shortness
of breath or pain? It’s a subjective situation to
be sure, but fitness devices such as Fitbits and
Garmins can help you figure out when you may
be pushing yourself too hard, as Modlinski says in
training, you should challenge yourself at a level
that’s just beyond where you are now.
When the average person hears about a runner
in the news or online, it’s usually due to some sort
of extraordinary triumph. If you’re just starting
out, comparing yourself to a well-seasoned athlete
is not an advisable way to approach your journey,
Modlinski cautioned. “Some people have this idea
that they get from a family member or see in a
magazine that, ‘Gosh, this lady ran a full marathon
in four months – I can do that!’ And that’s great
for that person and you can do a full marathon,
too, but let’s have a more realistic timeframe.
Considering where you’re starting from, maybe
that’s going to take us a year or nine months to
accomplish. So, we always want to come up with
a realistic compromise on their goals.”
As with most endeavors, the beginning is
always the most difficult. But once you’ve decided
that becoming a runner is something you want
to do, putting in those first three weeks will
have unparalleled payoff in the end. “The first
three or four weeks are very difficult with any
new routine, whether it’s exercise or quitting
smoking,” Modlinski said. “A lot of studies have
shown that three weeks seems to be a magical
time for some strange reason to recondition and
reprogram the brain. So, I tell patients, ‘Look, you
may not like this for the first three weeks. You
may hate life. You may be a bear to your family.
But if you can get past those first three weeks,
you’ll start to feel a lot better. You may not see a
huge weight change or anything, but you’ll feel
more energy and you will feel better.’ And once
we get there, then it’s not hard to convince that
person to stick with it.”