How to Prevent Running Injuries
Your running success will
largely depend on your ability to prevent running injuries. If you’re
injured, you simply can’t run efficiently or enjoyably. Or if the injury
is serious enough, you simply won’t be able to run at all. It’s almost
every day that I talk to at least one person who had to quit running
because of injuries. Almost half the runners I talk to are dealing with
some kind of nagging injury that is hindering their performance or
enjoyment of running. I feel this topic is particularly important to
address, and have provided some pointers below to help you keep running
healthy.
Lots of injuries are caused by
not warming up, or warming up improperly. Most people stretch for only a
few minutes or seconds, then head out running. A proper warm up requires
that you do a light pre-workout jog for 5-10 minutes, then do a 10-15
minute full body stretch. The idea is to stretch when your body is more
pliable. Running, or stretching when your body is cold puts a lot of
stress on your muscles and joints, increasing your risk for injuries.
After your run, do a light
5-10 minute jog or walk to cool down. Then, stretch another 10-15 minute
full body stretch. But don’t stop there. Keep your body limber. Stretch
on a daily basis, even on your days off. Just 10-15 minutes of light
stretching per day will greatly reduce your risk for running injuries.
A good way to prevent running
injuries is to replace running shoes often. Over time, a running shoe
will lose its ability to absorb shock and support the foot, which
increases your risk for a myriad of injuries. Switch to a new pair every
300-400 miles to ensure that you continue to receive adequate cushioning
and stability. Logging your miles on a note card provides a simple way
to keep tabs on your running shoes.
Make sure that you are wearing
a shoe that is right for you. There is not one running shoe that will
meet the needs of all runners, because we all have our own unique
biomechanical needs. The right shoe will correct for your particular
foot flaws, the wrong shoe will only aggravate them. The two main things
to consider when choosing a pair of running shoes are cushioning and
support. The amount you need largely depends on your body weight, arch
height, mileage, and running style.
Click here to learn how to choose
running shoes.
Always use proper running
form. Improper running form causes imbalances in the body, which with
the high impact of running leads to injuries. Many times, when one part
of the body is out of sync, it throws off the rest of the body.
Experienced runners know that strict form is essential to keeping
healthy so that they may continue running long term.
Click here for more
details on proper running form.
When you feel an injury coming
on, switch to a non-impact activity such as biking, swimming, rowing,
and elliptical. Running is a repetitive high impact activity.
Cross training helps prevent running injuries from accruing by breaking
up this repetitiveness and strengthening different parts of your body
rather than just the ones you use for running motion.
Mix in a few days of strength
training. Strength training increases the mass and elasticity of
connective tissue (muscle, ligaments, and tendons) to help prevent pulls
and tears. Work especially on the abs, obliques, and lower back to help
you maintain good posture on your runs. Most injuries can be prevented
by simply keeping the core strong and in proper alignment.
The types of surfaces you run on
will have a huge impact on your risk for injuries. Avoid running on hard
surfaces like concrete (probably the worst type of surface to run on).
It
will send the shock of your pounding feet back up your body. Always try
to run on softer surfaces, such as grass, dirt, track, or at minimum,
asphalt. These types of surfaces will absorb your impact much better.
Additionally, try to run on even surfaces as much as possible. Any
unevenness in your body will increase your risk for injuries, whether
they are caused internally or externally. Since most streets are sloped
on the side it’s nearly impossible to run on an even plain. To
accommodate for this, switch to different sides of the road occasionally
during your run.
Avoid making large
increases in your weekly mileage. If you over reach your conditioning,
your body will respond in kind by taking longer to recover. Make slow
gradual increases, limiting it to no more than 10% per week. For
example, if you average 30 minutes of running per day this week. Do no
more than 33 minutes of running per day next week. This applies to speed
work as well. If you run a 10 minute mile this week, don’t plan to run
faster than a 9 minute mile next week. In the world of running, patience
truly is a virtue.
More Running Injury Prevention Links
How to Prevent Running Injuries
How to Prevent Running Shin Splints
How to Treat
Plantar Fasciitis
How to Prevent and
Treat IT Band Injury
Helpful Links
Homepage of eRunningTips.com
Benefits to Running
Beginners Running Guide
Proper Running Form
Running Heart Rate Zones
Interval Running Guide
Tempo Running
Improving Running Cadence
Creating a Weight Loss Running
Program
How to Choose Running Shoes
How to Prevent Running Injuries
Online Running Stores
Running in Cold Weather
Hot Weather Running Advice
Prevent
Running Cramps |
