Most Common Running Injuries + How to Prevent Them
In our modern and fast-paced times, it’s not common to find something everybody agrees on. One of those few things, however, is that we all hate being injured. It’s painful, annoying, and causes problems throughout our whole day. They also have the potential to halt our training program, setting us back on the progress that we’ve worked so hard to achieve.
I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Luckily, the more educated we are about potential injuries as a runner, the higher the chance we have of preventing them, as well as minimizing the negative effects if they occur. Here are three of the most common running injuries and proven strategies to avoid them.
Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral System)
Simply put, this is an overuse injury. You’ll know you have it when you experience knee pain while using stairs, or standing up after your leg has been bent for a while. Runner’s Knee occurs when your kneecap is slightly out of alignment, and if you don’t take it easy, it can cause cartilage to wear down.
2. Stress Fracture
A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone, and can become extremely painful if it isn’t identified and treated. It’s most frequent place of occurrence for runners is the shins, but they can show up in other areas. A lot like Runner’s Knee, the chances of this happening increase when you work your legs too hard before your body is ready.
3. Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Shin splints are exactly what they sound like… pain along your shins. They’re distinguishable from stress fractures due to the pain being more spread out along the bone, but if you’re still not sure, getting an x-ray is a foolproof way to find out. The primary cause of shin splints is changing the type of workout you’re doing too quickly, and just like the other injuries mentioned, progressing your training too quickly . Are you starting to pick up on a pattern here?
One important thing to note is that flat-footed people are more likely to develop shin splints, so our non-arched friends should exercise some more caution.
How to Prevent These Injuries
Now that you know what some common culprits are, let’s refocus on discussing the best ways to keep them from rearing their heads.
Consistent Strength Training
Stronger muscles allow us to absorb more shock, and take a higher physical workload. This puts less strain on our joints and keeps them from overworking themselves. Strength training also improves our overall body alignment, ensuring that our tendons, ligaments, and bones are all working together efficiently and giving your legs the support they need while on a run.
Also, be sure to include core exercises in your strength workouts. Having a strong core is essential to maintaining good posture on our runs, and preventing us from developing injuries while fatigued.
2. Regular Stretching
Dynamic stretching prior to a workout facilitates blood flow to our muscles, decreasing our risk of injury.
After we finish, static stretching helps us properly cool down. Releasing tension kickstarts the muscle recovery process, as well as increase flexibility.
Long story short, stretching is absolutely necessary, and one of the most important factors in reducing injury risk.
3. Slowly Ramping Up Your Training
Starting a new program is exciting, and it can be hard to resist the temptation to jump right in and start with as much intensity as we can. However, it’s imperative that we go in slowly.
When we train at a higher intensity than our body is ready for, we’re essentially inviting injuries to appear in our lives.
Consistent, slow acclimatization will always be the best approach to keep yourself safe, as well as get the best results from your training.
