Tips for Running INJURY FREE

As a runner, or just an active person in general, there isn't really anything worse than getting injured. Not only are you in pain, but you can't workout in the capacity you want, or not at all! This can be especially frustrating if you are training for a competition, or have goals with a strict deadline in place. That's why I want to share with you my top tips for staying injury free while running!

No More Shin Splints

Even if you are a relatively new runner, chances are you have experienced the pain of shin splits. While the jury is still out on what exactly shin splints are, there is no debate that they can easily halt your training. Basically, shin splits occur by doing "too much, too soon." If you are increasing your mileage too quickly, you are right on track to be plagued by this injury! While this can definitely happen to novel runners, it can just as easily affect accomplished runners as well. So when changing your training routine or starting a new one, make sure you take it slow (but not too slow) at first; this will also help your motivation to last longer, and not fade after the first few runs!

Ice, Ice, Ice

Putting ice on any type of injury is something we have all learned at a young age, but for good reason! This simple activity will reduce the swelling and inflammation going on in your muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. For runners, I recommend icing sore areas after every run, especially after long runs! If you know of problem areas that aren't acting up at the moment, go ahead and ice those as well to prevent injury. Common places of injury and swelling are the knees, ankles, arches, and IT Band. Another thing I do after runs is to hop in a cold shower. What?! Yes it is freezinggggg cold, but it's worth it! It is more easily accessible than a tub full of ice cubes, and you reap similar benefits by getting the blood flowing in your legs to improve recovery! Both of these are great tools of recovery, but combined they are even better! So don't forget to ice!

...But Don't Forget The Heat Either

What? Didn't we just talk about how ice is so necessary in recovery? Well guess what, heat is imperative too! While ice helps to bring the swelling down, heat relaxes the muscles and also increases blood flow. So how do you use two opposites- heat and ice- together? The best and most efficient way is to ice 15 minutes, heat 15 minutes, ice 15 minutes, and so on. But always always end on heat! You don't want to get up and walk around on cold muscles!! So use the ice, heat, ice method, but make sure to end with heat!

Put Your Feet Up

Like literally. Put your feet up on a wall so that they are elevated above your heart. If you aren't able to find a wall for whatever reason, just try to find a position that allows your feet to be above your heart. This isn't just a great excuse to relax, it also helps to get rid of inflammation and drain the toxins out of your feet. Legs up the wall is an increasingly popular pose for other benefits such as relaxation and relieving stress! Also after a long and/or intense run, it is great to stay off your feet for most of the day so your whole body can recover. Make sure the next day you do get an adequate amount of walking around in, as after the day of rest it's good to get your blood flowing again. Try this relaxing yoga pose after your next run!

Don't Make It Worse

"Well duh!" is probably what you're thinking, but hang on! If you have an injury, don't run on it. It is so tempting but you have to rest your body so that it can recover. Running will only make it worse, and increase the time you are in pain and can't run. You don't need a doctor's note to skip your next run; realize that this is what is better for your body, and don't feel guilty about it. "Skipping" workouts due to injury and sickness always made me feel guilty and lazy until I realized that the truly healthy thing to do was rest. So if you do get an injury that prevents you from running, spend the time (when you would have been running) doing something that helps you recover, such as applying ice and heat. If you are able to, you can also do another workout instead of running. Just make sure you don't make your injury worse!

And those are my top 5 tips for running injury free! These work for preventing injury, as well as treating it. I personally will stretch, take a cold shower, and put my feet on ice after a long run, even if nothing hurts. This is my way of preventing getting injured, because the marathon has a definite deadline that is coming up soon, and I want to stay healthy for it! I hope these tips were helpful, and that they save you from injury!

Hannah