During the Covid-19 shutdown many of us reverted back to our most tried and trusted form of exercise; Running!
Excellent for improving lower body muscle tone, increasing our aerobic capacity, and getting that "Runners High" we experience when going for it full pelt out in the fresh air. Unfortunately, when you increase your running distance too quickly or increase your frequency of training, injuries won't be long catching up with you. Below we listed the 3 most common running injuries we encounter and some handy tips on how to avoid them.
1. Runners Knee
A sore pain around the front or bottom of the kneecap. You will normally feel this during squats or going up stairs, and sometimes you can hear a grinding or clicking noise 😬 (Gross I know!!)
➡️ CAUSES 1. Tight Hamstrings 2. Weak Quads 3. Improper Form 4. Over Training
➡️ REHAB 1. Foam Roll & Stretching routine
2. Front Squats, Leg Extension machine
3. Shorten stride, steady paces and try to “loosen the body”
4. Take a 2 week rest period, walk instead of running, or start running on grass more often
2. SHIN SPLINTS
Pain along the front of the leg around the shin but normally due to muscle damage. People with flat feet can be more prone to this injury. If left untreated can become sore to walk after a while. Will notice a sharp pain of you stand on your tippy toes.
➡️ CAUSES 1. Improper Foot Support 2. Over Training 3. Increasing Kilometers too quickly
➡️ REHAB 1. Improper Foot Support - Check it you have flat feet, raised arches or weak ankles. Different runners and Insoles can stabilize whichever your issue is. If you love running, and are getting constant pains it’s a clear sign that you need to be more specific about what type of runners you wear. 👞
2. Over Training - Stop running IMMEDIATELY! ❌ Develop a stretching routine (calf & Quad) and some strengthening exercises for your Achilles & Ankle, and then introduce a slow gradual build up back to your running. This injury normally happens when someone goes from running once a week to 4 times a week.
3. Increasing Kilometers too quickly - Different to “overtraining” in that the problem here might not be as severe. Scale back your training plan and instead of hitting your target in 6 weeks space it out to 12 weeks. This injury normally happens when people are training for a 10k or 20k half marathon. Patience is key! 😉👌
3. BACK PAIN
We are talking lower back pain or stiffness above the hips in relation to running. This can be caused by one of 2 reason; increasing running distance too quickly and not stretching before going for a run.
For more information on back pain check out our recent post:
I hope some of these pointers help, if you have had any of these injuries in the past feel free to comment below or send us an email letting us know how you got on and what you did to recover! 👍
Gary 😊
EMAIL: scullyfitness@gmail.com