Safety on the Run: Tips to Prevent Running Injuries

Running is an excellent form of aerobic exercise that can boost your mood, protect your heart and strengthen your muscles and bones. Like many forms of exercise, however, running can lead to injuries without the proper preparation, equipment and attention to your body. Take steps to reduce your risk for running injuries so you can keep chasing your fitness goals.

Read More: A Primer on Preventing Bone and Joint Problems

Why Running Injuries Happen

Most running injuries affect the knees, lower legs, ankles and feet. Understanding why these injuries occur is key to reducing your risk. In many cases, running injuries are the result of too much of a good thing.

“Excessive running can overburden the bones and soft tissues that power your stride,” says Paul Schaefer, a certified physician assistant at Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. “This can lead to overuse injuries because you’re placing too much strain on your lower body without giving it enough time to recover.”

Many running injuries develop gradually, but some can happen in an instant. Many runners are all too familiar with how a trip or a sudden change of direction can cause an ankle sprain or other injury.

While any runner is at risk for injuries, those more likely to end up with an injury include new runners, long-distance runners, and runners who ramp up their speed or distance too quickly.

Read More: How to Find the Best Running Shoes for Knee Pain

Common Running Injuries

“One of the running injuries we see most often is runner’s knee, which is also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome,” Schaefer says. “This is pain that affects the front of the knee and kneecap, often because of overuse. If you have runner’s knee, you may feel an aching pain around your kneecap due to repeated bending of the knee during running.”

Other common running injuries include:

• Achilles tendinopathy. Weak calf muscles can lead to Achilles tendinopathy, inflammation of the Achilles tendon that stretches from your calf to your heel. Symptoms include pain or stiffness in the back of your leg and heel.
• Ankle sprains. When you sprain your ankle, the joint’s ligaments stretch farther than they’re able, causing partial or complete tears. You may experience pain and swelling and have trouble putting weight on the ankle.
• Calf strains. Overstretching any of the calf muscles in the back of your leg can tear them, leading to pain, tightness or weakness.
• Plantar fasciitis. The arch of your foot relies on a band of tissue called the plantar fascia for support. Too much pressure can damage the plantar fascia, leading to inflammation as well as heel pain that worsens after running.
• Shin splints. Another overuse injury, shin splints develop when too much activity causes soft-tissue inflammation in the shin, causing pain in the front of your lower leg.

Read More: Head Off Sports Injuries Before They Happen

Steps to Help You Keep Running

Whether you’ve never dealt with a running injury and would like to keep it that way or want to break a cycle of frequent injuries, these actions can help you reduce your risk:

• Ask an expert. A trainer or physical therapist can provide individualized suggestions to help you avoid injury.
• Build toward your goal. Just getting into running? Slowly increase your speed and duration instead of trying to log a lot of miles right away.
• Choose (and change) your running surface carefully. Relatively soft surfaces, such as a treadmill, are easier on your bones and soft tissues than asphalt or concrete. If you decide to switch to pavement after running on a softer surface, do so gradually to reduce your risk of injury.
• Drink up. You should drink 10 to 15 ounces of fluid just before starting your run and at least every half hour during it, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
• Ensure your shoes are up to the task. Over time, running shoes lose cushioning, which can increase your risk for the injuries mentioned above. If you run up to 10 miles per week, the AAOS recommends replacing your running shoes at least yearly to ensure you have enough support.
• Mind the heat. It’s no secret that the Lowcountry can be sweltering at certain times of year. When it’s hot and humid out, run in the morning or evening.
• Take a weekly break from running. Your lower body needs time to recover, but that doesn’t mean you have to be idle. Take at least one day off from running each week and try a different activity, such as lifting weights or working with resistance bands.
• Warm up and cool down. A short, brisk walk before and after running can help your body prepare for and recover from your workout.

Has a running injury thrown your exercise routine off course? Find a sports medicine provider who can help you get back on track.