5 Common Running Injuries: What They Are and How You Can Prevent Them

The risk of you sustaining an injury related to running are higher than what most people think. You can suffer from a little blister to a full blown out knee caps if you're not careful while running.

Here are the 5 most common injuries most individuals suffer from when running, and how you can prevent them from happening.

1. Blisters

Blisters are caused by the constant rubbing of your shoe against your skin. They can be on the toes, side of the feet, or the heel, and anywhere in between. If left untreated, they can become infected and cause some major discomfort as well as pain.

How to prevent blisters: Always wear shoes that fit your feet. Wearing shoes that's one-size too big or small will result in you suffering from occasional blisters.

Another thing to note here is that, when you run, your feet will sweat. Hence you'll have wear a pair of socks that's long enough to go past the top of your shoes, so as to avoid having blisters at your ankles.

If you start to get a blister, use a Band-Aid to cover the area until it recovers. Let the blister heal by itself. Do not pop it, as the fluid underneath serves to keep the blister protected until the skin underneath heals.

2. Runner's Knee

Runner's knee comes as a result of you overworking your knees (from running long distances consistently) over a period of time, coupled with the fact that you do not allow the surrounding sore muscles enough time to fully recover.

How to prevent runner's knee: Stretching is the best way to prevent any physical injuries related to running. Be sure you stretch all the muscles and tendons before you start running. Your muscles should be well warmed up before you do any running.

Also, do some squats and lunges to build up your hamstrings, shins, and calves of your legs, because the stronger they are, the less likely you'll suffer from runner's knee.

3. Sore Muscles

When you over-do your running activities, you could end up with sore muscles. Sore muscles are caused as a result of tiny tears in the muscle fibers.

How to prevent sore muscles: Make sure you properly warm up your muscles before you take off on a run. Start your run slowly, and gradually increase your pace. Another thing you can do is to have a hot bath or a massage after your run to help relieve your sore muscles for a faster recovery.

4. Chafing

Chafing is caused when your clothes constantly rub against your skin, causing rashes to form around the area. You can also get chafing when you run in the rain.

Some of the common places where chafing occurs is under the bra line (for women), in the underarms, as well as around the inner thigh area.

How to prevent chafing: Wear sportswear that is specially made for running. They have flat seams, not round seams, which can help prevent chafing. Also, they fit better and don't shift around while you're running.

5. Heel Fissures

Cracks in your feet are called heel fissures. They are caused by dry feet, coupled with constant running, which over time, breaking open the skin, resulting in bleeding and subsequently, an infection around the area (for more severe cases).

How to prevent heel fissures: If you find that your feet is dry, apply moisturizer on it. Also, try not to wear sandals or open shoes (even when not running) so as to avoid drying out your feet.