Preventing Running Injuries

Do you run or jog for fitness? Learn how to stay injury-free for long-term benefits...

Running injuries can happen to anyone who participates in running sports, regardless of age or experience. Even an advanced athlete is not guaranteed injury-free workouts. And, once the athlete has sustained a running injury, that athlete will be prone to subsequent injuries. Therefore, it is very important to take steps from the beginning to prevent running injuries.

Personal Experience

As one who engages in running, bicycling, hiking, and other forms of exercise, I've had my own share of exercise-related injuries. Some of those injuries took months to heal! And, in the meantime, I was restricted to the types of exercise I could do...which, in most cases, did not include my favorite exercise: running! I would impatiently wait for my injury to heal, so that I could finally resume my regular workout regimen.

Now, if I had been more careful and taken the proper precautions, there's a good chance I never would have suffered most of those injuries! My exercise program would not have been interrupted. But, just what precautions can be taken?

Common Running Injuries

• Runner's knee: wearing away of the back of the kneecap
• Shin splints: usually on the inside of legs
• Stress fractures
• Plantar fasciitis: pain in the middle arch of the foot
• Achilles tendonitis
• Sprained ankle
• Pulled muscles
• Blisters

Steps to Injury Prevention

Stretch adequately and properly prior to and following your workout. Muscles need a chance to warm up before working them hard. Just as you should warm up your car before taking it out for a spin, so should you warm up your body before taking it out for a spin! Also, don't forget to do some cool-down stretching right after your workout, instead of plopping down in a chair to rest.

Choose a decent pair of running shoes. If you run on pavement, choose shoes that are made especially for running on pavement. If you run on trails, run in trail-running shoes. Pick a pair of running shoes that are suitable for the type of running you engage in. And, be sure that the shoes fit properly, too.

Gradually build up your running distance and intensity level. Over- training and overuse of muscles make your body more prone to injury. Know your limits! Listen to your body! And, get plenty of rest, as well.

Include strengthening exercises in your workout routine to strengthen muscles. A strong muscle is more difficult to injure.

Avoid running in extreme temperatures and extreme weather conditions. If you must run in extreme cold or heat, be sure to dress appropriately for those temperatures. And, remember that rain, snow, and ice create slippery surfaces. And, slippery surfaces increase your chances of sustaining an injury.

Eat a healthy diet! Be sure to get plenty of calcium to keep your bones strong!

Run Wisely, Run Longer

Keep in mind that, if you experience a running injury, you may lose valuable running time and end up having to go back to square one. You may have to start your training all over from the very beginning. The level of fitness that you worked so hard to achieve may be impossible to maintain. Therefore, it's best to avoid getting an injury, in the first place!

Of course, even if you carefully follow rules to avoid injuries, you don't have complete control over everything in your life. Accidental injuries often occur as the result of your own clumsiness or as the result of other unavoidable circumstances. In fact, many running-related injuries are self-inflicted. However, for the most part, if you do follow the above guidelines, you'll avoid injury and be able to continue running for years to come!

Cyndi Schoenhals
SmoothFitness.com