With the local cross-country school events and the community’s HollyFest 5K coming soon, you may find yourself soon pounding the pavement. Truly, running is a relatively inexpensive and time-effective cardiovascular form of exercise. With minimal equipment requirements and the convenience of exercising on your own terms at any time of day, running might make the most sense. The key to longevity in running is injury prevention.

How do you plan to get in gear? Do you have a training plan? Are you wearing the right kind of shoes? Will you actually consider warming-up and stretching this go around? Let’s face it, running has some risks. You exert force up to five times your body weight with each foot strike. Repetitive movements predispose your body to wear and tear and overuse syndromes. Muscle imbalances or worn out shoes alter ideal running mechanics, possibly leading to aches and pains. The old adage “knowledge is power,” or in this case, “knowledge is prevention” comes to mind.

Most common running injuries can be avoided with a few simple steps:

1) Proper Warm-up/Cool Down Your muscles need ample blood supply to provide nutrients and energy for the work required of them during a run. Starting at a slow pace for ten minutes with a gradual increase in rate should be sufficient for the muscles to warm-up. For example, walk or jog ten minutes progressing toward your typical running speed. Cooling down adequately - continuing to move at a decreased pace for five minutes after your run, allows your heart the time to slow down towards its resting heart rate.

2) Run-specific Stretches Stretches are designed to do just that - increase the length of target muscles. Muscles work more efficiently when they are the ideal length. Dynamic stretches, in conjunction with your warm-up, will increase your core temperature and allow your muscles to lengthen without losing power. Static stretches should be performed after your workout, daily for tight muscles, and several times weekly for maintenance. Stretches should focus on your calf (gastroc and soleus muscles), front thigh (quadriceps and hip flexors), back of thigh (hamstrings), and the outside of your thigh (ITB - illiotibial band). You should hold gentle stretch positions at least 30 seconds without bouncing. Check out www.halhigdon.com/15ktraining/Stretch.htm for some simple static stretching ideas.

3) Intensity Intensity can be increased by running faster, longer, or by navigating up hill. Injuries are more likely to occur if you alter more than one component of intensity at a time. Common training injuries occur when you run too hard, too fast, or too long. Beginners, you should keep your pace the same and add a little more distance. Later, try increasing your pace while traveling the same path. Overall, aim for increasing your intensity by 10% a week. Be sure to alternate between hard and easy workouts and to include rest days in your training schedule.

4)Cross-Training Treadmills and tracks offer decreased impact to your joints compared to asphalt or concrete running. Road runners should consider the road angle. You should not always run on the edge of a road because uneven forces will be applied to your joints. Cross-train, cross-train, cross-train, with low or no impact activities! Allow muscles and joints adequate rest by performing cardiovascular training on the bike or elliptical cross trainer. You could swim, run in water, walk, or switch to some training indoors versus outdoors. Consider strengthening your lower body and core through isotonic exercises. You may wish to seek advice from a fitness trainer or physical therapist for specific core and lower body strengthening and stretching exercises that are appropriate for you.

5) Shoe Wear You should replace your shoes approximately every six months or every 300-400 miles. Additionally, you should purchase shoes specific to your foot type. When standing, do you have a flat, “normal,” or a high arched foot? Flat foot/low arch = overpronation = motion control shoe Medium/average arch = “normal” foot= stability shoe High arch = supinated foot = cushion shoe Consider visiting a running specialty shoe store like The Athlete’s Foot of Cameron Village, Raleigh, one of our favorites. You should shoe shop in the afternoon in case your feet swell. There should be one thumb-width’s distance between your great toe and the shoe end. Most people tend to purchase their shoe one size too small. Adequate room in the toe box (the width of the shoe at the level of the toes) decreases the likelihood of ingrown toenails. By the way, “running shoes” are fantastic for walking and daily use.

6) Safety Consider training with a partner, personal trainer, or coach. Attach id tags to your shoes for identification and include relevant medical information. Wear appropriate reflective gear and obey all laws as they apply to the roadway.

Best of luck and happy running!

If you currently have a running injury, consult a physical therapist, primary care physician, orthopedist, or podiatrist for further guidance. If you have arthritis, medical conditions, or are initiating a new exercise program, consult your primary care physician before beginning.

Please contact Sarah Ferguson, MPT or Melanie Humphries, MPT at Village Physical Therapy via phone (919)577-9292 or email contact@villageptnc.com if you have any questions or feedback regarding the information presented in this article.