Four tips to reduce running injury risk
Beginning of the new year a lot of people have new years resolutions to become more active. One form of exercise most people uptake is running as it is a free and easy option we can enjoy outdoors. However, with any change in physical activity levels injury risk is impossible especially if it is sudden. Our bodies need time to adapt to the demands of exercise. Below are some top tips on how to reduce your risk of a running injury if you are beginning running or even increasing your running.
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Build your running up slowly & consistently
Running takes time for our bodies to adapt to so if you do too much to soon you can increase risk of injury. If you are completely new to running, a run/walk programme is often the best way to start. One example is to walk for a minute and run for a minute for about 15-20 minutes. You can then gradually increase the overall running time every 3-4 weeks until you can run continuously. It is also important to gradually increase the number of times you run a week. For example, a recommendation is to start with 3 days a week and gradually increase this frequency over time. Remember you have to have a full rest day
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Don’t skip strength training day
Strength training is often neglected by runners. Ideally strength training should be performed 2-3 days/week to reduce injury risk and improve running performance. Strength training doesn’t have to be at the gym but can be performed at home doing body weight exercises such as squats and lunges.
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Mix up your exercise regime
If you want to exercise daily it is a good idea to mix things up. Instead of running every day you could go for a walk, a cycle or even a swim on your non running days. Mixing your regime will help reduce injury risk and it will also help progress your fitness better as you are regularly changing the type of exercise your body performs. If we perform the same time of exercise all the time our body adapts to this and does not progress well.
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Remember to factor in adequate rest, fuel and recovery
Rest and recovery are just as important as running and exercise itself. During rest periods this is when our bodies recover and become stronger. If you have decided to increase your exercise remember to factor in rest too. Rest should include 1-2 full days rest a week. Sleep is very important as well in recovery. You should be aiming for 7-8 hours a night of sleep to allow plenty of rest and recovery. Correct fuel and hydration is also important for recovery.
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Megan Tomkins
