Running is one of the most popular sports in the Netherlands. For many, the start of spring is also the start of the running season. However, we see many people visiting the physiotherapist due to a running injury. When you have just started running, the following rule applies: build it up slowly!
Did you know that while running, your body processes forces of up to six to eight times your own body weight? Your knees, ankles and feet have a lot to endure! The harder and longer you run, the more likely you are to suffer an injury. In addition, poor shoes, being overweight, skipping a warm-up or cool-down and building up too fast, among other things, increase the risk of injury. How to reduce your risk of injury, you can read about it here!
Get the right shoes
Do you land on your heel while running? Then good heel stability and shock absorption is important. Therefore, always keep track of your kilometres, because when heel landing, it is important to replace your shoes after about 1,500 kilometres.
When you land on your forefoot or midfoot, cushioning is less important. Why? Because then your feet take care of cushioning each step. What is more important in this case is training the joints and muscles in your foot!
Warm-up
There is a debate whether it is better to stretch before or after running. What is your experience? In any case, what is very important is not to start your training with cold muscles! This increases the risk of injuries! For example, start with 5 to 10 minutes of warming up or jumping rope.
Build up running slowly
Keep in mind to build up your training properly. Especially when you have just started running! Start slowly and keep regularity by always taking a day's rest between workouts.
The days when you are not running, you can, for example, cycle, swim or do other exercises to build up your fitness.
Muscle strengthening exercises
To become a good runner, it is also important to strengthen your body with, for example, strength training or muscle-strengthening exercises. This will, in fact, make you less likely to suffer an injury. So which muscles should you train? The muscles in your calves, thighs and the muscles around your ankles and feet. Don't forget the muscles in your upper body! Because these are also very important.
Watch your posture
Poor posture is one of the most common causes of running injury! Too big strides cause you to land too hard on your heel, causing heel damage. Leaning too far forward or too far back, or making wrong movements with your arms, can also cause injuries. Could you use some help with this? Then be sure to contact us!
Take sufficient rest
Last but not least: get plenty of rest! This is because your muscles need time to recover and get stronger. Failure to do so will result in excessive training and make you more susceptible to injury because your muscles will be constantly tired. So give your muscles time to recover by lying on the couch with a good book!
Want more tips on preventing running injuries, adopting the right posture or have you suffered an injury and want to get rid of it quickly? Then schedule an appointment! We will gladly help you!