HOW TO…Prevent Running Injuries
You are not invincible.
I hate to be so brutally honest…
…but it’s true. You’re human. You don’t have super powers and you can’t cut off and then regenerate parts of your body if they are less than ideal.
And because of this, you need to learn to take care of your physical self.
Running is extremely hard on our bodies. The pounding of pavement is felt in our joints. Our muscles are stiff and sore after a tough race. We battle shin splits and side aches and IT band pain.
Key to loving the run though, is being able to run pain-free.
I want to encourage you to slow down just a bit. If you want to run stronger and faster tomorrow, you must be kind to your body today. And basic activities like stretching and using a foam roller or trigger point ball decrease your risk of activity-based injury. You gotta keep your muscles supple, folks.
As you strive to finish out the year strong, please put away your super hero cape. When you return home from a run, take the necessary time to stretch, ice and roll. You will feel a difference. And your body will thank you.
- As an active member of Touchstone Climbing Women’s Elite Team, Heather Nielson tells us how to use a foam roller.
- Over at Athletes Treating Athletes, you can peruse an entire series on how to stretch properly…but if you only have 5 minutes, check out these 5 favorite stretches for runners.
- And on Runner’s World, Susan Paul offers up 5 simple tips to stay injury-free.
