Avoiding Injuries When Running
I'd like to start running but I'm worried about injuries. What can I do to stay safe?
Though running isn't inherently harmful, it's smart to take precautions before you start something new. Alan Hreljac, Ph.D., of California State University in Sacramento, offers these tips:
* Increase time or distance -- not both -- no more than 10 percent from one week to the next.
* Stay on soft surfaces to lessen impact. Run on dirt paths, not streets.
* Stop before you get tired. When muscles fatigue, they don't absorb as much impact.
* Rest one to two days between runs. Injuries can occur when bone or tissue is continually taxed without time to rejuvenate.
* Strengthen. Stronger leg muscles absorb more impact. Try a lower-body move like squats.
Community Answers (3)
This is very helpfull, do all those things and you'll be fine, i didn't do any of this and now i'm injured, trust me, you'll hate to be injured.
This is very helpfull, do all those things and you'll be fine, i didn't do any of this and now i'm injured, trust me, you'll hate to be injured.
Use a progressive schedule. The tip to not increase by more than 10% a week is key! Most running injuries come from "over-use" which simply means progressing too soon before your musculoskeletal system has had time to adapt to meet the demands of running. Good luck!