You’re a runner. Motivation courses through your veins as you prep yourself up for your daily run. You don the best sports shoes you have, along with the right fitness apparel, and head towards your trail as you fiddle with your run-tracker app. The dance commences, you run, eyes straight ahead, heart hammering, muscles aching, determined to reach your goal. But you stumble, sprain your ankle, just one of those sudden, unexplained, chance events, that disrupt your plans for a week or two. Injuries fueled by running can be painful – how can they be prevented? Here’s how.
Runners are always on a mission to ramp up their mileage, hence it is especially important for them to take stock of injuries and how to prevent them. It is crucial to train in a way that is efficient and sustainable. You do not want to end up getting injured, especially when you’ve already made significant progress. Here are some essential habits you need to pick up to avoid injury.
Mobilize Via Routines
If you’re a runner, it is important that you perfect an activation routine. It is crucial to incorporate a bunch of neuromuscular routines that last 5-7 minutes in order to help you warm up the right way before a run. This activation method is vouched for by Jess O’Connell, renowned 2016 Olympian, who dutifully carries out 10 reps of each exercise before he heads out the door for a run. She opines that these exercises are not directed towards building strength, but instead, only serve to warm the body up. She advises to take your time and being mindful of what you’re trying to activate, harnessing the intent clearly.
Maintain Moderate Mileage
For new runners, Brittany Moran recommends starting with a walk and run program that is manageable and not too ambitious. You can start with alternate walking and running for a period of 20 minutes so that things are light and breezy. Wearing the right sports running shoes also make a considerable difference, as shoes without the right support or cushioning might lead to slippage or other untoward injuries. In case you wish to prolong your workout, you can add five minutes of walking towards the end, in order to reach the 30-minute benchmark. Remember, do not deplete yourself of energy and push yourself too hard. It is enough to just stay fit.
Focus on Strength Sessions
Strength sessions are great for those who need a break from running for a day for two. No equipment is required for building strength -all you have to do is devote some time to practising some high-intensity moves that focus on strengthening the core and keeping the muscles flexible.
Initiate Treatment at Home
Minor injuries are part and parcel of running – they are bound to occur. In case you sprain your ankle a bit or end up bruising your shins, you can indulge in some sort of self-treatment so that these injuries don’t give way to something major. You need to finish every running session with a stretching session -this will only take a few minutes, and makes all the difference! Use bands to stretch your hamstring and stretch those muscles good.
Get Ample Rest
Sleep is the body’s natural ability to heal itself. You need to sleep well in order to stay fit and focused. Frequent naps are also a great way to keep the body well-rested and charged. If you’ve suffered an injury, it is best to restrict movement and take rest as much as possible.
All in all, nothing can deter you from being a champion. Go get that finish line!
