How to ensure running benefits your health without incurring avoidable injuries
Running is one of the most popular and convenient ways to get fitter and healthier. But its rise in popularity is likely due to the additional benefits that accompany this exercise. It has a great social side; with many free running groups, such as the weekly Park Run, it is an excellent way to meet new people. Running requires limited equipment making it affordable and can fit into anyone’s lifestyle, however like any exercise there are many common injuries that runners may encounter.
A few typical injuries include; plantar fasciitis which causes heel pain; shin splints which is pain in the shin or lower leg, and the Achilles tendinopathies, this is swelling, stiffness or pain in your lower leg, with affects as many as 150,000 runners per year*.
Injuries can be inconvenient and put off inexperienced runners from venturing out again. However, knowing how to prevent these injuries and how to cope with them means that you are less likely to experience them in the future and able to continue to enjoy running’s many benefits. We’ve compiled a few tips to help prevent serious injuries to ensure you can enjoy the benefits of running.
Tips to prevent injury
Most running injuries come from people over exerting themselves. Setting your goal is key but what is more important is planning each step of how you are going to achieve it. Increasing your running activity by 10% each week is an effective way of reaching your target. There are many apps and programmes that can help increase your stamina and distance over a period. For instance, the Couch to 5k programme helps beginners to build their way to completing a 5k run.
Many people make the mistake of overworking muscles used in running, this leads to an imbalance of overused and underused muscles which can lead to injuries. Research indicates that having a few sessions a week where you focus on strengthening a different group of muscles ensures no muscles are ignored, maintaining the balance of used muscles. Biomechanist Reed Ferber, Ph.D., head of the Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary says: “When you strengthen the hips – the abductors, adductors, and gluteus maximus – you increase your leg stability all the way down to the ankle**.“
The warm up is the major part of your running routine that can reduce chance of injury, the duration of the warm up depends on the length and intensity of the exercise session. This means you need to plan what workout you are doing so you can prepare a warm up. The purpose of a warm up is to stretch out the muscles and relieve any stiffness of the joints which allows more blood flow to the muscles. But remember, it is also important to finish with a cool down.
In the unfortunate case that you sustain an injury the immediate treatment is to apply the affected area with ice (although not directly) and rest. This is the first step to all running injuries. Ice can help reduce swelling and inflammation of the affected area, therefore helping to ease muscle aches and relieve pain as well as protecting any damaged tissues. Do this throughout the day for around 20 minutes only to avoid risk of frost bite. In the meantime, you should think about modifying your exercise, make it less strenuous. If pain persists then it is vital you contact a physiotherapist for professional advice.
It is important to not let an injury put you off running or any other exercise. Remember that running injuries are common and if you do sustain an injury you need to make sure you’re on the right track to recovery before starting to build your strength again.
If you have a persistent running injury call us to discuss your condition prior to making an appointment on 0208 657 5700 or email any questions to us at treatments@sandersteadphysio.com
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