How to avoid running injuries
Statistics suggest that in any given year, approximately two-thirds of runners will sustain an injury. It sounds shocking, but most of these injuries are a result of simple errors, such as progressing mileage too quickly, ignoring niggles, or wearing worn-out shoes. And that means that with the right knowledge and action, many of these injuries can be avoided. Here are 12 things you need to know:
1. You don’t need to run every day – even if you are marathon training. Nor do you need to completely exhaust yourself every time you go out training. Comfortable, easy running has a place in every runner’s programme.
2. You should only progress your mileage by a maximum of 10% each week. Big leaps in training volume risk exhaustion and injury.
3. You can’t ‘store’ running fitness. If you don’t train consistently, you’ll need to take a few steps back to where you were before you fell off the wagon, rather than attempting to pick up where you left off.
4. Follow the ‘hard, easy rule’. That means following your hardest sessions – including your long run, hills and intervals – with either a complete rest day, a ‘recovery’ run at a really easy pace, or an alternative gentle activity.
5. Schedule in rest days, just as you would schedule in other sessions. Don’t just take rest days when you’re too exhausted to train.
6. Cross-train. Whether it’s strength training, to build more robust, fatigue-resistant muscles and joints; swimming, to maintain aerobic fitness with zero impact; or Pilates, to develop better core strength and flexibility, do something other than running.
7. Be aware of your running form and posture. If you think your technique is poor, consider gait analysis to get some ideas of how you could improve it, and lessen your risk of injury.
8. Always perform a warm-up before you run. There is plenty of evidence that warming up reduces your injury risk, by making muscles less liable to tear or rupture and by lubricating the joints, so they’re less stiff and creaky.
9. Stretch after you run to help return muscles to their ‘resting’ length and maintain flexibility. There is no evidence that stretching before a run reduces injury risk or improves performance.
10. Wear shoes designated for running that suit your foot type and the kind of running you do. Buy shoes from a proper running store, rather than a high street chain. Replace them after 500 miles (it’s not as much as it sounds).
11. Vary your running surfaces. Concrete is the most unforgiving surface you can run on, so avoid it wherever possible (even asphalt is better). Trails, grass, towpath, track and treadmill are all less jarring options. Also be wary of running on the cambered edge of a road.
12. Don’t ignore niggles. A niggle is your body’s way of saying something is wrong. If you ignore it, then what could have been cured by a day or two’s rest, a good sports massage or an icepack could end up being a troublesome injury that sets you back far longer. Take action (see below) and if that doesn’t work, see a sports medicine expert for a diagnosis and treatment plan.
What to do when something hurts
Running injuries come in two varieties. ‘Acute’ injuries happen suddenly, such as tearing your hamstring during a sprint, or spraining your ankle on uneven ground. ‘Chronic’ injuries come on gradually and are a result of misuse or overuse, such as shin splints or an inflamed Achilles tendon. Chronic injuries are by far the most common type in running (particularly marathon running), and often occur because a runner has ignored the early warning signs of a problem (soreness, inflammation, stiffness) and continued to run.
Chronic injuries
• If something hurts, seizes up or tightens during or after a run, ease down and gently stretch it out.
• When you get home, ice the sore area. Repeat this for eight minutes twice a day while the injury persists. Apply crushed ice or frozen peas rather than rigid icepacks or cubes and don’t put it directly on your skin – use clingfilm or a teatowel as a barrier.
• If it’s still sore the next day, don’t run. In fact, don’t run until the pain has gone away. If other activities, such as cycling, swimming or using the elliptical trainer or stepper in the gym don’t hurt, do those instead.
• If there are signs of swelling, redness or heat around the injured area, consider taking (or applying) a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. But don’t use these drugs for more than five-seven days, and NEVER use them to enable you to mask pain so you can run.
• If the problem doesn’t improve after a few days of taking these sensible steps, don’t waste any more time (particularly if you have a race looming). See a physiotherapist or other sports medicine expert for advice.
Acute injuries
• Applying the ‘RICE’ strategy (rest, ice, compression and elevation) immediately will give you the best chance of minimising damage and facilitating a speedy recovery. If you are in a lot of pain, see a doctor, go to A&E or see a sports medicine practitioner to rule out more serious diagnoses, such as broken bones.
• Rest means putting no stress or weight on the injured area for 48 hours. Immobilise if possible.
• Ice the injured area for eight minutes every three hours for the first 48 hours. This helps reduce blood flow to the injured part.
• Compression means strapping up the injured part using a compression or gauze bandage – again, to reduce blood flow.
• Elevation involves raising the injured area, to enable blood to flow away from the site.
• Do not take anti-inflammatory drugs during the first 48 hours, as this prevents the body’s own inflammatory response kicking in to protect your injury.
• After 48 hours, begin to mobilise the injured area through gentle movement and stretching (for example, circling, pointing and flexing an injured ankle). All actions should be pain-free.
• Gradully increase the extent of your movements and introduce weight-bearing activity. Only return to running when you can do so pain-free.
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