Running into the new year? Here are some top training tips to avoid injury and turning your new hobby into a cherished lifestyle.
Running is a fantastic form of exercise that can be very rewarding. It’s a great way of getting the endorphins flowing and enjoying the fresh air and the outdoors. Running is wonderful for your mental health and a very effective form of cardiovascular exercise. Unfortunately, injuries are very commonly associated with running, such as Runner’s knee, tendon and ligament strains, anterior knee pain and hip pain. But, with the following information we hope you can combat these injuries and learn to love this form of movement!
One of the most important things to remember is to gradually progress your training. This is relevant to both distance and pace. In order to avoid an overuse injury, the general rule of thumb is to increase your distance at most, by 10 percent each week. If you’re a beginner runner, following a program such as the couch to 5k is a really good idea to create structure around your training while following a guideline for progressing distance and pace. You can find a link to a free couch to 5k program here.
Sometimes running training is not always in the form of running. Strength training is an important element in becoming a strong runner and avoiding injury. By strengthening the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your legs, you will help support your hip, knee and ankle joints. Strength training could be weight training, weight-lifting, resistance band exercises or even Pilates. Your physiotherapist can provide you with some exercises or guidance.
Warming up prior to running is so important to prevent injury. For your warm up, some dynamic exercises are a good idea to warm up the muscles and joints before heading out for your run. In particular in the colder weather, warming up can increase your body temperature, stimulate the nervous system and prepare your body for the exercise ahead. Exercises such as walking lunges, heel raises, leg swings and hopping are some ideas of effective exercises to incorporate into a warm up routine.
For cooling down, slowing down your pace prior to completing your running session can make a big difference to your recovery from the session. Finishing with some stretches for your calves, hamstrings and quads can be effective in preventing injury and tightness for your next running session!
Rest days are as important to your progress as a runner as your training days. Overtraining can lead to overuse injuries by overloading your joints, tendons and ligaments with too much force too quickly. By implementing adequate rest periods between runs, this allows your body to recover and adjust to your new training challenges. In addition to this, sleeping is a key element in our body’s recovering successfully and efficiently. By practicing good sleeping habits, you can improve your running progress significantly.
To conclude, well done to you for taking the challenge of a new form of exercise. Hopefully these tips and tricks will help keep your joints happy and ache-free. If you have interest in running and require a little guidance, feel free to book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists and we would be delighted to help you on your health journey!
Lastly, in order to keep your motivation levels high, it’s a great idea to sign up to an event. By having a time-frame and distance goal in sight, this can really push you through the ebbs and flows of training, and even better, get a friend to sign up to the challenge with you. ParkRun is a fantastic event taking place throughout the country, with the most local taking place in Lee’s Road, Ennis at 9.30am every Saturday. Click here to find out more and get involved. Happy running!
