Smart Ways To Prevent Running Injuries

Smart Ways To Prevent Running Injuries
By Judy Mick

The Streaking Runner
http://thestreakingrunner.com
My name is Judy Mick, and I've been running since 1978. I started running in college for a couple of reasons, the main one was to try to get off the excess pounds that seem to magically appear during this time.

Running was something that I came to enjoy. It's a great and healthy lifestyle and I can't imagine a day not running. And, that, is my claim to fame. I've actually run every day since 1985. That's what makes me a “streaker”, not what you may have thought!

I've been lucky in the fact that I've never had a serious injury. I listen to my body and cut back on days that I'm not quite up to par. But, it's a runner's biggest fear. Getting injured and not being able to run. Here are some ways to prevent running injuries.

1. Commit yourself to a warm-up. The general rule in any type of workout: Warm-up before you go. Doing so gives you a chance to prepare your body for the oncoming work and prevents the likelihood of injuries. Before a run, loosen up your legs, walk for some minutes, then do some stretching. Similarly, cooling down at the end of the run is important to reduce muscle pain. Do this by closing your workout with brisk walking or slow running. Then, do stretches.

Personally, I don’t like to stretch before I go out. I just start my run slowly for the first 1/2 mile or so until I get warmed up.

2. Avoid overtraining. The surest way to incur injuries is to overtrain and overwork your body. Sadly, many runners, in an attempt to increase their mileage and intensity just too Incurring injuries can pass as one of the greatest nightmares of many runners, which is soon, pushes their body beyond its capability and so put their selves at a great risk of injury. Two things you need to remember. One, weekly mileage increase shouldn’t be more than 10%. Two, speed buildup is a gradual process. Next time you feel like going farther and faster, ask if your body is capable of the demands, then let sound judgment overtake you.

3. Take some breaks. This is especially important if you feel soreness in your muscles or are overly tired. A day or two of missed run is better than subjecting your already fatigued body to a possibility of injury. Listen to your body well and take note of pain, or any other hint, that tries to communicate it is not up for the challenge.

4. Use good shoes. You know you need to replace your shoes when they have reached around 300 to 400 miles. By then, their shock absorption has degraded and their soles have worn-out, leaving them unsafe for running.

5. Keep from concrete surfaces. Not only are they hard, they also are not very good shock absorber. Instead, run on dirt or grass trails, or somewhere there is a soft surface. This will put less pressure on your legs.

6. Do cross-training activities. The purpose of cross-training is to develop and strengthen your running muscles through other physical means such as swimming, biking, and hiking. It is best to incorporate cross-training activities in your running program at least once a week. Remember, however, that cross-training activities are supposed to improve your stamina and not to stress your body out and leave you with less energy for running.

7. Observe rehabilitation measures should you suspect any injury. Doing so will prevent injury complications and speed up the recovery process. You can do a massage and cold therapy to ease a minor injury. For more serious cases, consult with a doctor immediately.

As I always say, listen to your body. If it says it needs a rest day, take the day off or just run a slow and easy run that day. It’s worked for me and I’m sure it will work for you.

Running On Concrete – Not A Good Thing

As I mentioned above, try to avoid running on concrete if at all possible. Many runners don’t realize that running on concrete is really not that great for you. And, there is a difference between asphalt roads and concrete roads.

Studies have shown that concrete is anywhere from eight to 10 times harder than asphalt. That’s a huge difference in how your body will feel after running.

When you run, your feet will contact the road with a force up to six times your body weight. So, with the additional hardness of concrete – that’s a lot of pounding.

Doing a short run on concrete is alright, but if you run on constantly on concrete you are risking leg injuries due to the hardness of the surface.

So, watch what surfaces you’re running on. Take care of those legs! You want them to keep you a runner for life.

Knee Pain In Runners

Knee pain in runners is probably the most common of all running injuries. And, we all have heard from our non-running friends that our knees are going to give out on us one of these days.

Well, that isn’t necessarily true. While a knee injury will probably happen to you sometime during your running life – it can be easily taken care of and doesn’t mean that you have to stop running.

The most common knee pain in runners is Runner’s Knee which is discomfort around or behind the knee cap. This pain is usually the worst as you run downhill. You also may have pain as you walk downstairs or if you sit for awhile.

Good news is that Runner’s Knee is easily to take care of. And, believe it or not, the culprit is not your knee. It’s weakness in your thighs. Your thighs are what keeps your kneecap where it is supposed to be. Running strengthens the back of your thighs (your hamstrings), but not the front (your quads). This imbalance can cause your kneecap to get out of whack. (How’s that for technical language? )

Runner’s knee can also be aggravated by wearing a shoe that does not have enough stability built in and if you have sharply increased your weekly mileage.

So, if you think that this applies to you – there are some things that you can easily do to possibly take are of your problem. First of all, when you are finished with your run – you need to ice for knee for about 15 minutes. You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy ice pack – just put some ice in a washcloth or towel and apply to your knee. Also, taking ibuprofen will help the pain and swelling if you have any.

Also, make sure that you are wearing the correct shoes – and make sure that you are not putting too many miles on a pair. This will cause the stability to break down. A good rule of thumb is to limit your mileage to 300-500 miles for your shoes.

Lastly, do some strengthening exercises. If you have access to a weight bench, so some leg lifts to get those thighs strengthened. If you don’t have a weight bench, get some leg weights. You can sit and lift your legs with those.

Knee pain is common for runners – but it doesn’t need to mean the end of your running life. Just listen to your body – back off the miles for while while your treating your knees.

More About Knee Pain In Runners

Another common knee pain in runners occurs on the outside of the knee. This is probably IT Band Syndrome.

The IT Band (or Iliotibial Band) is tissue that runs along the outside of the leg to just below the knee joint. The IT band helps to stabilize the knee. This can become irritated basically from overuse.

The overuses that can cause IT Band pain can be from several factors:

Overtraining. Some runners when they are training for a specific race, may increase their training (mileage or intensity) without allowing for enough rest in between hard work-outs. Increasing mileage too quickly. This is usually seen in beginning runners. The rule of thumb is to not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. More than that can cause injury. Increasing mileage too much, too soon after a layoff.

But, like Runner’s Knee, this can be treated if caught early. First of all, cut down on your mileage. You also may want to avoid major hills, as this will aggravate it.

When you are finished with your run, make sure you ice. As we talked about before, you don’t need to go out and buy some fancy ice pack. Ice wrapped in a washcloth does a great job.

Another thing you can do to alleviate the pain is to do some leg lift exercises. This will help to strengthen your hips. Also, if you want, visit a massage therapist for some deep massage. (Something I like to do after long runs is to use a leg roller. It can be a little painful at first, but really helps!)

Doing hip exercises and keeping your outer hip muscles strong will help reduce your chance of getting IT Band injuries.

Also, while you are nursing your IT Band, ibuprofen can help the pain and keep any inflammation down. And, don’t forget to make sure that you aren’t putting too many miles on your shoes.

You have to be patient with IT Band pain. It will probably take longer to heal tha
Runner’s Knee. Just remember to cut back on your mileage and ice, ice, ice.

As with all running – the important thing is to listen to your body. If it’s telling you to cut back for a few days – it’s alright. To me, it’s better to cut a run short than to risk not being able to run.

Exercises to help with Plantar Fasciitis

People suffering from plantar fasciitis know how painful it is. Plantar fascia is a thick connecting tissue which supports the arch of the foot. If it undergoes immense pressure, the tissues tear out resulting in severe pain. It is commonly caused by wearing wrong shoes. Runners are more prone to it as they wear tight shoes and put pressure on the feet most of the time.

There are many ways to cure plantar fasciitis like oral medication, physical therapy or surgery. Plantar fasciitis exercises are a great way to reduce or prevent plantar fasciitis in an effective manner. However, make sure that these stretching exercises give you a pulling feeling and do not cause any pain.

If you experience foot pain while getting out of bed, a heel pain exercise is necessary to start your day out right. Plantar fascia gets tightened while you are asleep and you need to massage it. Stretch your foot and flex it up and down 8-10 times before getting up.

Try to roll a tennis ball with the arch of your foot so that the heel tissues get massaged. You can also perform this exercise while standing. It is recommended not to walk with bare feet as it puts immense pressure on the heel resulting in pain.

Calf stretch exercises can be done while standing. Turn towards the wall and place your hands on the wall. Place the leg you want to stretch, one step ahead. Bend one knee until you feel a stretch on the other leg. Keep it stretched for 15-20 seconds and release your legs. Repeat this exercise 4-5 times.

Another similar exercise is a hamstring exercise. While one foot is flexed, extend the other leg forward. Tilt your pelvis forward while keeping your body upright. Stay in that position for 15-20 seconds and feel the stretch at the back of the extended leg. Interchange the leg positions and repeat.

Using the stairs in your home is another easy exercise you can perform. Balance yourself on the balls of your feet. Slowly allow your body weight to stretch your calf muscle until you feel the stretch, hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat.

When performing any Plantar fasciitis exercises stop if the pain is too much. You might only be able to perform one exercise once or twice. Work up to adding more repetitions daily. Your body has to adapt to any new exercise routine.
As you can see, staying healthy and injury-free takes a little work. But, you'll be so glad that you did.

Resources:

http://www.RunnerForLife.com Sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter

http://www.RunAMileThisMonth.com FREE training schedule for running your first mile

http://www.TheStreakingRunner.com Follow me on my blog

http://www.BeginningRunnerTips.com A wonderful total program for beginning runners

http://www.budurl.com/RunStrong A Pilates program designed for runners