Running can be amazing exercise and also a really addictive hobby. If you can run, you can experience lots of great routes, wherever you travel, and see more of your local area too thanks to trails and parks.
A lot of people believe they can’t run, or that they hate the feeling of running. However, most people find that when they start a program designed to teach a beginner how to run a certain distance (for example the many ‘couch to 5K’ programs available), they build some stamina and get used to a good running posture. Running can then actually feel quite comfortable and enjoyable. The health benefits are many, but then there are also risks – particularly when it comes to injury.
Running injuries can vary from simple things that can be cured with just a little bit of rest, through to things like IT band issues or sprains in ankles and knees that can actually require some proper rehabilitation with professionals like these Michigan pain specialists. If this is worrying to you, remember that with proper precautions like warming up adequately, pacing yourself carefully, taking rest days, and wearing the right shoes, you can do a lot to prevent injuries. There are also some changes you can make in your lifestyle that can make you more ‘injury proof’ and help support your running efforts:
Do Some Strength Training
Running will strengthen the muscles you need to perform your runs, but only up to that point – it is a steady state cardio form of exercise that burns fat and boosts heart health, but doesn’t really train your muscles. By adding some strength training to your exercise regimen, you can strengthen your body to better support your joints and help prevent injury. You don’t have to take up bodybuilding (unless you want to!) but some good resistance training will really help keep you healthy when you run, and will also provide extra fitness benefits like an increased metabolism.
Improve Your Flexibility
Stretching after a run is very important to help prevent injury, but you can also benefit from adding some flexibility exercises and stretching routines into other parts of your healthy lifestyle. Trying something like yoga even just for ten minutes a day in the morning can help with flexibility, and make your joints and muscles less prone to injuries caused by the stress of running.
Watch Your Hydration
If you are looking into starting running, you probably already know how important it is to keep yourself hydrated. Runs up to an hour can normally be done with water before and after, but longer runs or runs in hot weather require you to take some water to drink along the way. Becoming dehydrated affects your general health as well as your performance and mental focus, and all of these can make you more susceptible to injury. You also need water for adequate joint lubrication.
Don’t just think about hydration for the times when you’ll be running, however – look to boost your hydration levels throughout the day, every day, even on days when you don’t plan to run. Water is the best thing, but all fluids you drink count (with the exception of diuretic drinks like coffee and alcoholic beverages which can actually leave you less hydrated), and foods high in water like fruits and vegetables will also help.
Support Your Running with Your Diet
Running can be demanding on your body and this means you’ll need to make sure you have a diet that provides energy exactly where it is needed. Runners hit what is known as ‘the wall’ where they feel like there is no feed of energy to their muscles. This is because the muscles have run out of glycogen, their most available source of fuel. They can keep going through this, but it is the time when they are most likely to get injured as they do not feel in full control of their muscles.
To replenish glycogen, carbohydrates in the diet are used. Fat from the diet or body fat can be used for energy too if you are in nutritional ketosis, but assuming you are eating a balanced diet rather than a low carb one, you will need to manage this by eating the types of carbs the body can use most rapidly – this is why distance runners use those sweet gels as they run.
Avoiding injury is mostly about doing the right things when you actually train, however these lifestyle changes will help make you stronger and less injury prone in general.
