Running is such a great sport. What could be more natural than that? But if that’s the case then why do so many get injured? The actual statistic is more than 80% of all runners get injured. That’s a pretty big number. Enough to scare a newbie from attempting to start a running routine. But let’s not call these running related injuries. Running doesn’t cause injuries. Understanding what does will save you a lot of grief and frustration.
The sad thing is, while a lot of people get into running in order to either lose weight or just get into a better physical shape, many give up almost as soon as they begin due to some sort of discomfort. Knee, ankle, shin or hip pain is very common among new runners. The problem is, running is actually a very complex series of single leg jumps that requires all the necessary muscles to be firing in the right proportion to each other. With most people leading sedentary lives, having posture and balance problems, lacking muscle and proper guidance, it is no wonder that most get injured.
If you are new to running I would recommend you hire a trainer or better yet a running coach who can teach you what exercises are necessary to do to support this sport. A good coach can also teach you how to do proper tissue work to prevent injuries from occurring and how to rehab the ones that sometimes will inevitably occur no matter how careful you are. I am here to tell you that you can drastically improve your chances of avoiding any major injuries if you approach this sport with all the necessary precautions. I’ve always maintained that if you have not exercised in years, don’t start with running. You will get hurt. No doubt. You don’t have the right muscle, balance or posture in place yet. Start with general fitness first. Do body weight core and balance exercises first. You have to build up to running.
Now, if you are a veteran runner who gets recurring injuries, find out where the weakness is and concentrate on fixing that first. Otherwise it will just be a vicious circle of false hope, disappointment, the inevitable despair and pain. Don’t do this to yourself. Running can be extremely enjoyable and rewarding but you need to respect the sport and approach it with solid information. Many seasoned runners can tell you their tales of woe, what they’ve learned over the years, what they would do differently. Listen, gather information, learn from as many sources as possible. Just don’t get stuck in the same old injured place that you can’t get out of.
Notice, I never said if you are injured, that you need to rest. Not all injuries require rest. Now, before you start screaming at me for this, let me explain. If you broke a bone, then yes please don’t run! Ok, there! In this situation you can’t run. But in many others resting is not going to fix the problem. Actually it may even make it worse. An inactive muscle tends to tighten up which can result in a pulled muscle when used. So, first and foremost lets understand what hurts and why.
If it’s your shins, then yes you do need to take a day or two off (maybe more) from running depending on severity but you HAVE to get them massaged, heat treated, stretched, foam rolled and then exercised. Don’t just do nothing and hope it goes away. Once you resume running, the pain will also resume. Hip pain, on the other hand, could just be a super tight TFL that needs to be deep tissue massaged, quads and hip flexors foam rolled and stretched. You could possibly be back to normal the next day. Going for an easy few mile run would only do your muscles good to keep them nice and loose and prevent from tightening. So understanding what got hurt, why it got hurt and how to remedy it will not only help you with your fitness goals but it will also make you more educated in all the related muscles and that is what helps preventing future injuries from occurring. As soon as something doesn’t feel right, you’ll know what do to and your training won’t suffer. Nothing sidelines you like an injury and nothing sets your training back like too much time off. So, let’s be smart and proactive. Let’s learn all we can to avoid injuries at all and any costs!