Have you dealt with knee, ankle, hip, or low back pain while running? It can be an incredibly difficult hurdle to get over, especially if you are a runner. Spring is finally starting to show its face here in Wisconsin and while the temperatures continue to rise, it is only natural for us to get out our running shoes and start getting back into shape for summer. However, after hiding out in our homes and only using a treadmill, elliptical, or nothing at all, it is normal for us to have some aches and pains after returning to our activities.
Check out these five tips and tricks you can do to stay healthy while running and reduce the risk of an injury.
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1. Get Your Body Ready
This should be a no-brainer, but sometimes people are very bad at listening to what their body is telling them. Runners have such a passion for their training that they will often train through pain in order to keep up with their goals for their next race. If you have any issues that are affecting your training, whether it is a prior injury or a new one, please consult a medical professional to address these issues before they become something serious. Avoiding the issue can lead to poor or altered mechanics that can result in longer recovery time and hinder training.
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2. Check Your Kicks
If you are have been training in the same running shoes that you ran a few hundred miles in last year, you should look to upgrade. As time goes on our shoes get worn based on your gait. For example, if you tend to run on the outside of your shoe, that part will wear faster than the inside which can lead to a change in your foot mechanics. Medical professionals recommendation rotating your running shoes every 300 to 500 miles. Your feet will thank you for it.
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3. Pace Yourself
Just because you trained for that 10K you ran last October does not mean that you’re ready to pick up where you left off . By gradually increasing the intensity, duration, or distance of your runs, you will be able to keep yourself on track to reach your goals while decreasing the risk of causing an injury from overstressing the muscles and joints . While increasing difficulty is one way for improving performance, it should not be pushed to such a limit and with a frequency that you don’t give your body the chance to adapt to the stress.
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4. Mix It Up
There is a common misconception that the best way to improve your running performance is to run more. Mixing it up and doing cross training can be extremely beneficial for improving your running times and reducing injury risk.
Cross training includes:
- Strength training
- Sprinting
- Swimming
- CrossFit
- and many more!
Giving your body different kinds of physical stimuli can translate over to other activities. Additionally, the stronger and more resilient a muscle is, the lower the risk of it being injured from repetitive stress!
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5. Recover, Recover Again, and Recover Some More
The ability to recover from training is more important than the training itself. It goes without saying that a proper diet, hydration, sleep, and rest days are a necessity for any training regimen. Working a few recovery weeks into your program with lower mileage can be a very effective tool. Along with your own recovery strategies, make sure that your whole medical and support team are also involved! Having as many resources as possible to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation process can be the biggest difference between crossing the finish line or fizzling out.
BONUS TIP: Keep Recovering
Keep in mind that this post is meant to act as an educational tool to give you some options for improving your training. Before beginning training for any activity, consult a medical professional to ensure you are not at an increased risk of injury before you start.
Want More Information?
If you would like more information on improving your performance or are looking to get back to an activity but are held back by an old or preexisting injury, please contact us at (414) 332-6001. We look forward to helping you achieve your fitness goals.
HAPPY TRAILS!
Resources
- Faigenbaum, A. D., and G. D. Myer. “Resistance Training among Young Athletes: Safety, Efficacy and Injury Prevention Effects.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, 01 Jan. 2010. Web.
- Hübscher, Markus, Astrid Zech, Klaus Pfeifer, Frank Hänsel, Lutz Vogt, and Winfried Banzer. “Neuromuscular Training for Sports Injury Prevention.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 42.3 (2010): 413-21. Web.
- “Running Shoe FAQ.” Runner’s World. N.p., 26 May 2015. Web.