Corewell Health Medical Group Orthopedics Tips
The Amway River Bank Run presented by Fifth Third Bank with Corewell Health, the Official Health Partner, will celebrate 48 years of road running on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
You’re Almost There
You are about one month away from running the 48th Amway River Bank Run. You have been dedicating a significant amount of time and effort to your training and will see all those benefits come to fruition soon. (read more)
Hill Yeah!
It’s a beautiful day. You are out enjoying a morning run/walk with crisp air filling your lungs and sweat dripping down your brow. (read more)
Beat the Blister
Blisters are a common problem for runners and walkers and can seriously affect training when they occur. They are caused by excessive shear forces, or friction, across the skin and often form in areas of thick skin, such as the heels, toes and balls of the feet. (read more)
Baby It’s Cold Outside…But Don’t Let That Derail Your Workout
Oftentimes, completing your workout doesn’t require a lot of thought. Running and walking in the summer basically means you just lace up your shoes and go. But exercising in the winter months can be more complicated and require planning to ensure that you remain safe, comfortable and injury free. (read more)
An Unusual and Overlooked Cause of Leg Pain
The human body is the most complicated machine ever created. It is an extremely regulated system that can alter its operations based on stressors, weakness, injuries, and functional abnormalities. (read more)
A Pain in the Butt
You are enjoying a nice summer morning run/walk, ramping up your distance, feeling great about where you are in your training and then suddenly you start feeling an ache in your lower back/buttock area that progressively worsens with each strike of your foot on the pavement. (read more)
Knee Pain? Could Be Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Congratulations to all those who competed in the 47th River Bank Run. It was great to hear the pounding of feet and cheers from the crowd throughout Grand Rapids, and to see the smiles of exhaustion and happiness as participants crossed the finish line and celebrated their accomplishments. (read more)
Back Where We Belong
So many great things happen in May. Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations and warmer weather (hopefully). And the River Bank Run, of course. You have been putting in months of work and training and we are only a short few weeks away from the 48th running of this iconic Grand Rapids road race. (read more)
Recharging Your Battery
When a race is coming up, you probably make a priority out of adhering to your training schedule. Athletes spend so much time focusing on training, exercise techniques, cross training, and diet that they can lose focus on one of the most important things — doing nothing at all. (read more)
Every Breath You Take
The faster you run, the harder it is to catch me. What am I? Your breath! There aren’t many things better than finishing a hard workout, covered in sweat and out of breath. You feel healthy, satisfied and accomplished for completing the hard work. (read more)
A Workout Before Your Workout
Athletes always try to get the most out of their workouts and exercise at a peak performance level. For runners and walkers, this could include cross training with weights, yoga and other cardio exercises as well as monitoring your diet and vitamin/mineral supplements. (read more)
The Weather Outside is Frightful, but Stretching Can Be Delightful
It’s the natural cycle of the seasons… it’s getting colder. And the colder weather may necessitate a longer warm-up for tighter muscles, joints and tendons, especially if you are running or walking outside. (read more)
It’s Go Time: Last Minute Tips for a Successful Race Day
It’s been an extremely long two-and-a-half years since we’ve heard the cheering of the crowd and pounding of feet on the pavement in downtown Grand Rapids for the Amway River Bank Run. (read more)
Hydration: How, When and Why?
While training and conditioning are the most important factors for race day success, hydration comes in close behind. It is important to understand the role hydration plays in training and on race day. (read more)
Slowing Down for Success
In about a month, we will finally return to the streets of Grand Rapids for the Amway River Bank Run. It will be exciting to see the culmination of participants’ hard work and training. (read more)
These Shoes Were Made for Running
On the surface, running and walking appear to be free: You can do them anywhere, anytime, and for as long as you want without any associated costs. But that’s not quite true. (read more)
Give it a Rest
Getting into a workout routine is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your body. We all know that exercise improves your mood, physical conditioning and overall health. (read more)
Stepping Up Your Workout Game
The good news — or bad news, depending on if you have been training or not — is that we are only four months away from the 2025 Amway River Bank Run. (read more)
Taping Your Pain
Exercise is a way of life. We all know the mental and physical benefits of exercise. When we miss a workout it can throw our schedules, lifestyles and moods into disarray. (read more)
The Major Dirty Word for an Athlete…Arthritis
Arthritis. It’s the word no one wants to hear when they go to the doctor. I have had patients avoid the doctor’s office for years, fearing that they would be diagnosed with arthritis. (read more)
Shouldering the Pain
Have you ever been on a run or brisk walk and noted a burning, throbbing or stabbing pain in your neck or around a shoulder blade? Did you ask yourself why this was occurring? Shoulder and neck pain are very common in runners and walkers. (read more)
Walk This Way
What is one of the oldest and least injury-prone exercises that also provides the benefits of weight loss, decreased incidence of heart disease and diabetes, improved brain function and mood? Walking! (read more)
Exercising Under Pressure
Many of us go through life trying to do the right things. We exercise regularly, eat healthy, avoid bad habits, try to get enough sleep and manage stress (which seems to be very difficult in 2020). (read more)
The Beat Goes On
Despite the “COVID fatigue” we are all struggling with, we continue to learn new and important things about COVID-19 and its short-term and long-term effects on even the healthiest of athletes. (read more)
Born to Run… With a Mask On?
I am not a big fan of the terms “new normal,” “uncertain times” or “unprecedented,” as they all seem to be overused and thrown at us daily for the past six months to describe COVID-19. I prefer “temporary setback.” (read more)
Summer Running, Had Me a Blast
Training for the River Bank Run this year is unlike anything that we have seen previously. New date. New time of year. New season to train. Typically, we are training in winter and spring for the run in May. Now we are training in the heat of summer for an October run. (read more)
Don’t Snooze So You Don’t Lose
This time last year, I was writing to give you last-minute tips and encouragement for the upcoming River Bank Run. That will have to wait a few months, but I still want to urge you to keep on training and exercising and trying to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible. (read more)
Just Keep Running, Running, Running
Well, here we are on an uncharted course. Boston Marathon-delayed. Indianapolis 500-delayed. NBA, MLB, NHL-postponed. Amway River Bank Run-delayed until October 24. (read more)
Keep Training – unless you are sick
Exercise is part of maintaining a healthy immune system and decreasing stress levels – especially amid the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Running outdoors can be a great way to avoid crowds. (read more)
Be Kind to your Feet
Runners often ask me: What is the best running shoe? This is not an easy question to answer and can require an in-depth evaluation. Every runner’s anatomy and running gait is going to be different, much like a fingerprint.(read more)
Your Hips: Balance is Key
Imagine a game of tug of war. There are six ropes attached to a ring and extending in different directions. At the end of each rope is a 200-pound body builder. This tug-of-war would be a well fought and even battle and may take a while to declare a victor. (read more)
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Your Best Shot
As I talk with experienced River Bank Run participants, one goal I consistently hear is that they would like to improve on their time from previous years. So how can you intensify or alter your training/workouts to improve your strength, endurance and overall health? (read more)
Don’t Whip It: When heel whip can lead to injury
Remember the hit song “Whip it” by Devo? It is a catchy pop song (and a great running song, in my opinion) released in 1980 that has the repetitive lyric, “Whip it, whip it good.” (read more)
Crossing Up Your Routine
The crisp breeze on your face, the rhythmic strike of your feet, the beating of your heart and the fresh air flowing through your lungs while beads of sweat flow down your brow. These are some of the simple pleasures of running. (read more)
Exercise Benefits Body and Mind
Everyone knows that exercise benefits the body. We exercise to stay in shape, lose weight and maintain overall health. (read more)
Keep on Rolling: The Pros and Cons of Foam Rollers
Runners strive for peak performance in training and competition. Whether they are maintaining a specific diet, training program or brand of shoe, runners are very much creatures of habit. One common practice is foam rolling. (read more)
Supplement Your Healing from an Injury
In a perfect world, we would all be able to run and exercise to our heart’s content. However, pain and injuries happen to even the most elite athletes. That’s when runners may hear the words they never want to hear from their health care professional: I would recommend that you do not run at this time. (read more)
Running on plants: A Culinary Medicine approach for athletes
An optimal diet for maximizing athletic performance in endurance sports should do the following: (read more)
A Secret Ingredient to Boost Performance
Every runner is looking for an edge when it comes to competition or just a daily run. Even small factors can make the difference between a “good” or “bad” run. These include sleep, diet, hydration and stress, to name a few. Athletes may notice that if part of their daily routine is off, training may be more difficult. (read more)
Relax, Refresh, Renew
It was an absolutely beautiful day for the 42nd Amway River Bank Run. (read more)
Race Day is Near, Are You Ready?
You are just days away from the 42nd running of the Amway River Bank Run. All of your hard work, training and dedication will culminate on May 10th in the largest 25K in the country. (read more)
Stress fractures: Should it hurt like this when I run?
We are only a few weeks away from the Amway River Bank Run and the culmination of all of your hard work over the past several months. (read more)
Keeping Your Feet on the Road
We are quickly approaching the Amway River Bank Run! It is hard to believe that the race is only about a month away. (read more)
The Bane of Many Runners: The Iliotibial Band
We have been seeing many runners in clinic and at training runs who are experiencing lateral thigh and leg pain. (read more)
Painful Yet Treatable: The Infamous Runner’s Knee
Knee pain is one of the most prevalent complaints of pain among runners. (read more)
Wanted: Pain-Free Feet and Ankles
The foot and ankle have more than 26 bones and 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. (read more)
The Weather Can Be Delightful, not Frightful
Running in the cold offers many challenges, including ice, snow, windchill and, here in Michigan, diminished daylight and sunshine. (read more)
Running: Starting with the Basics
The first Amway River Bank Run training run at the David D. Hunting YMCA in downtown Grand Rapids takes place on December 1. (read more)
Shorten Your Stride to Decrease Injuries
I see many runners in my clinic who have sustained overuse injuries. (read more)
Running or Walking to a Healthier You
Many of you have been running or walking as exercise for years; others may have just started, and still others are likely thinking about initiating an exercise program. (read more)
More Than Just Running: Yoga and Pilates
Running is great form of exercise. (read more)
Watch out for the summer heat!
Congratulations to all of you who participated in the 5/3 River Bank Run! (read more)
Hydration: A Key to Success
Water. The human body is 55-65 percent water. (read more)
Ready, Set, Go!
I am excited about race day, but I would not be surprised if many participants are feeling a combination of excitement and nervousness. (read more)
The Countdown is on…
Race day is just over a month away! (read more)
A Strong Finish Requires Proper Nutrition
As race day nears, we get a lot of questions on diet. (read more)
Shin Pain: When Should You Worry?
There is a lot more to running than just putting one foot in front of the other. (read more)