Thursday, January 29, 2015


Reduce your Chance of Running Injuries




Every runner, beginner or advanced, should incorporate these injury-prevention tips into their routines:


Start Right: Utilize a dynamic warm-up before your run to activate your muscles and prepare them for your workout. 

Identify Weakness: All runners have inefficiencies in their form. Uncovering these opens up the opportunities to make the body stronger and more tolerant of rigorous training.  Gait analysis can identify weak points and determine where you need to adjust form, strengthen muscles or improve shoe wear to become a more efficient runner. 

Beginners: Starting a new regimen? Great, but be careful, as you will have to adjust to the impact on joints. Don't start with 5 to 7 runs each week. Instead incorporate biking, swimming or time on the elliptical into your week. These workouts will build cardiovascular endurance and strength without stressing the joints too much too soon.

Strength Training: Strength, flexibility, and coordination in your core, hips, and ankles all factor into your performance. Strength training can improve over-all strength and ultimately improve your running.

Don't Ignore Pain: Muscle soreness that eases as you run can be normal. Pain to be concerned about may have one or more of the following characteristics:
 1. Pain that doesn't subside within several hours after running
 2. The onset of sharp pain.
 3. Pain that wakes you up at night.
 4. Persistent pain that worsens when you run.
 5. Pain that persists in the same area every time you run.