Prevent running injuries to stay on track with your fitness goals. Read on to find out how you can avoid them.
Running is one of the most accessible sports and is great for your physical and mental health. But regardless of its simplicity, you must take every step carefully because although it’s a great way to get in shape, you can sustain several common injuries from running if not done carefully.
Prevent running injuries to stay on track with your fitness goals. Read on to find out how you can avoid them.
Some Effective Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
Regardless of how beneficial running is for your health, there are chances of injuries if you don’t take proper measures. Here are a few ways in which you can save yourself from this preventable damage:
1. Determine Running Goals
What was the reason you started running? There must be something that sparked the fire inside you. Your aim to lose weight, improve your figure, or increase your cardiovascular fitness might’ve made you put on those running shoes.
Whatever your purpose is, identifying your goals before creating a workout program is necessary. This is because you’ll have to design the way you want to exercise based on these goals. For example, you’ll have to run quickly to increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness. While reducing body fat, running slower for a longer time is better.
Setting goals will help determine a safe pace and avoid overexertion, which could lead to injuries.
2. Warm-Up Before and Stretch After Running
Before moving your leg, calf muscles, and hamstrings, stretching them is essential. It prevents common injuries. Warming up before running increases your heart rate and makes it easier to get in the rhythm and feel energized enough to go longer.
Just like warmups, even stretches post-running are essential. After a good running session, your muscles become malleable. When stretched correctly, you improve flexibility, allowing your joints for more range of motion and preventing injuries.
To warm up, gently jog or walk for five minutes. For stretching, do the same.
3. Keep Your Muscles Flexible
Having a flexible body before running is important to prevent injuries. It allows a range of motion and makes your body less prone to injuries. Include yoga in your fitness regime. It’ll make you calmer and mentally focused and enhance your balance.
However, returning to running after an injury and four to eight weeks of no running does require a gradual approach.
Tip To Get Back on Track
Running-related injuries happen for a range of reasons, as well as your footwear, coaching regimen, your type throughout the activity, and weakness in alternative muscle groups.
- Listen to Your Body
Don’t attempt to strengthen via the pain. Instead, talk to a doctor specializing in sports medicine or a primary care doctor treating sports-related injuries. Then do something like swimming or yoga that won’t hurt your muscles while they heal. If your bounce again too soon, you risk recurrent injuries.
● Pick the Correct Footwear
Running shoes are invented for a purpose. They’re weightier with heavy cushioning in the heels and your toes. Mostly made of mesh to allow air, it keeps the shoe light so runners can easily exert more energy. Moreover, get the correct size of running shoes. Your foot should perfectly fit inside the shoe with just enough space to wiggle your toes.
Additionally, buying the right shoes is not enough. You also need to choose proper socks. With compression socks, you can revive tired feet. The benefits of compression socks help optimize the blood flow to your legs, allowing the best performance.
- Work Your Glute Muscles
Glute muscles help you do essential tasks when you run. But embracing the modern lifestyle has made us all shut them off. This happens because the more you sit, the lesser you use them. And if your brain doesn’t use them during running, other muscles must step in. When this happens, you’re in for an injury.
To avoid this, perform glute strengthening and activating exercises like squats, bridges, lunges, or clenching.
- Toughen Up Your Body
Your body needs to be robust enough to run. If you want to run faster, more frequently, and longer on hills or challenging terrains, your body needs to be strong enough to handle it.
Your running ability depends on how well your muscles function and your brain’s capability to activate them. So, spend at least five minutes in muscle activation to prevent injuries.
Consult Your Doctor
Running injuries are inconvenient to deal with. It’s best to take the help of your doctor before you start your training. They can give you prevention tips that are right for you, help with any limitations, or, if you need it, give you physical therapy.
Author Bio: Rory Donnelly
Rory is the R&D Director and passionate entrepreneur, fascinated by the workings of the human body and natural solutions for everyday health problems. He’s single-minded in his aim to make Copper Defence a brand that’s recognized across the globe by partnering with global brands to make these high-tech materials easily accessible for everyone. If you’d like to get in touch, email Rory at [email protected] or visit copperclothing.com for copper-infused clothing, pet accessories, and more.
As a veteran fitness technology innovator and the founder of GearUpToFit.com, Alex Papaioannou stands at the intersection of health science and artificial intelligence. With over a decade of specialized experience in digital wellness solutions, he’s transforming how people approach their fitness journey through data-driven methodologies.