Her Active Life

Click here for the Lead Stories

Three Ways to Run Injury-Free

Posted April 8, 2008 at 01:00 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Her Fitness, Athletics, Sports Medicine, Her Health, Injury & Rehab

Among those who call themselves runners, there seems to be a shared sense of community and understanding. We smile knowingly at tales of windy 20-milers or sunrise jogs on the water. We compare black toenails and favorite Clif Gel flavors. And, unfortunately, we sympathize and relate to stories of injury or woes of those taking lengthy breaks from the running routine, spending their mornings in physiotherapy rather than on the trails.

Many might think that injuries are a natural consequence of such a high-impact sport, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. A runner can go years without suffering more than a few missing toenails, so long as they use prudence in their training. Here is a guide to the top three silly errors that can have you limping instead of sprinting:

1. Skipping the stretch

Maybe you’re busy, in a rush, or just can’t be bothered – maybe you’ve never stretched and don’t see a reason to start now. Think again. Stretching does more than prevent injuries, it also increases your range of motion, helps you recover and avoid post-run stiffness, and relaxes your entire body before you hit the shower. What does it all add up to? Fewer injuries and faster, better runs. A win-win situation.

Take 10 minutes to do simple stretches for your hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, and hips after each run. If you really don’t have time, then make time – cut a mile off your run and use those minutes to stretch instead. Would you rather shave a few minutes off each jog, or miss out on months of blissful summer running because of chronic tendonitis? Think about it.

2. Overdoing it

You’ve been feeling great, running strong, and are training for a big event. What do you do? You kick your long run from 10 miles to 12, do an extra speed workout, and skip your rest day. Problem? Definitely.

There are lots of ways you can overtrain – increasing mileage by more than 10% of your current weekly total; skimping out on legitimate recovery runs in favor of tougher workouts; taking insufficient rest days. Not only does overtraining result in injuries, but it can lead to sluggishness (on your runs and all day), insomnia, chronic soreness, and trouble concentrating.

Make your mileage increases gradual, ensure that recovery runs feel easy and always do them the day after challenging workouts, and cut back on miles every three to four weeks to avoid burnout and give your body a chance to come back even stronger.

3. Being Exclusive

As a runner, you might have an unabashed obsession with the sport – to the point that it’s all you do. Or maybe you just don’t have time for more than your quick morning jog. But doing nothing but running is another way to increase your odds of injury. Without developing and strengthening other leg muscles, your core, and working your flexibility, your running won’t improve and your muscles will tire out more easily.

You don’t need to be Lance Armstrong or take up daily swimming and weight training – a little cross training can go a long way. If you have access to a gym, cut down on one run a week and incorporate some biking instead. If you’ve got painfully tight hamstrings, look for a restorative or runners yoga class to take once a week.

Mixing up your workouts will train your entire body, making you a stronger overall athlete and helping you avoid burnout and injury in your runs.

Runners injuries aren’t exclusive to elite athletes and marathoners – even casual joggers can get hurt if they aren’t careful. Heed the above warnings, and treat your body well. With care, you can be a strong and solid lifelong runner.

One Comment, add yours | Permalink | Share this article

Tags: athletics, drummond, fitness tips, injury prevention, jogging, overtraining, runners, running, running advice, running injuries, stretching

Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!

1 Responses to “Three Ways to Run Injury-Free” (Leave a reply)