{"id":37486,"date":"2015-02-26T07:15:13","date_gmt":"2015-02-26T12:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=37486"},"modified":"2021-05-14T06:17:42","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T10:17:42","slug":"how-to-prevent-running-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/how-to-prevent-running-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Easy Tips to Prevent Running Injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_37490\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37490\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37490 size-full\" title=\"3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043319\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-2.jpg\" alt=\"3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries\" width=\"620\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043319\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-2.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043319\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-2-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37490\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pond5.com\/photo\/28269251\/urban-runner.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Jason Fitzgerald is a 2:39 marathoner, USA Track &amp; Field certified coach, and the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/strengthrunning.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strength Running<\/a> where runners go to get faster and prevent injuries.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>We get it. You want to get better at your sport while keeping running injuries at bay \u2014 but you\u2019re <em>busy.<\/em> You don\u2019t have time for an extra 30-minute <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/runners-strength-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strength session<\/a> on top of your current training plan. And forget about that 20-minute head-to-toe flexibility \u201cwarm-up.\u201d You\u2019re just struggling just to get your runs in, period.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s true that a comprehensive <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/muscle-imbalances-functional-movement-screen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">injury prevention<\/a> routine can be time consuming. In fact, many professional athletes devote hours every day to <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/core-exercises-for-runners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">core exercises<\/a>, cross-training and <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/massage-therapy-reflexology-swedish-massage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">massage<\/a> (among many other things), on top of their sport-specific training.<\/p>\n<p>But keeping your body healthy doesn\u2019t always need to be a time suck. In fact, some of the best techniques take little or no extra time at all. One of the secrets of the best runners is that they include injury prevention methods <em>within<\/em> their training routines. And usually, they focus on preventing problems from occurring in the first place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/best-marathons-in-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The 30 Best Marathons in the Entire World<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Each of these three methods for <a href=\"https:\/\/strengthrunning.com\/2013\/08\/running-blunders-that-keep-you-in-the-injury-cycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preventing running injuries<\/a> can be built into your current workout schedule \u2014&nbsp;and won\u2019t take much, if any, time at all.<\/p>\n<h3>The Busy Person\u2019s Guide to Avoiding Running Injuries<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37492\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37492\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37492 size-full\" title=\"3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043318\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-3.jpg\" alt=\"3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries\" width=\"620\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043318\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-3.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn-life.dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10043318\/Prevent-Running-Injuries-3-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37492\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pond5.com\/photo\/37582054\/young-female-jogger-having-break-meadow.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">1.&nbsp;Improve your running form.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Fixing <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/tips-running-form\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">your form<\/a> is one of the simplest and most beneficial changes you can make to avoid injury. Bad form typically includes issues such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Over-striding (your foot lands far in front of your body)<\/li>\n<li>Slouching or leaning from the waist<\/li>\n<li>Aggressive heel-striking (often a result of over-striding)<\/li>\n<li>Running at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25369525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">slow cadence<\/a> (fewer than 170 steps per minute)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Running with poor form will often contribute to overuse <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/muscle-imbalances-functional-movement-screen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">injuries<\/a> because inefficiencies in your technique can result in excessive wear and tear on your body. Over many weeks and months, and hundreds of thousands of foot strikes, those little problems add up and increase your <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/graston-technique-dry-needling-pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">injury risk<\/a>. Thankfully, improving your form requires no extra time investment!<\/p>\n<p>The next time you\u2019re running, make these four quick fixes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintain good posture by imagining there is a string attached to your head and someone is pulling it straight up toward the sky. This will prevent you from leaning forward and keep your <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/no-equipment-back-exercises\/\"   title=\"back\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"482\">back<\/a> straight.<\/li>\n<li>Run gently to minimize impact forces. Listen to your footsteps: Do you hear a loud, slapping sound with every strike? If so, you need to run softer, which is only done through practice and repetition. If you can sneak up on a dog, you\u2019re doing it right!<\/li>\n<li>Ensure that your feet are landing directly beneath your center of gravity (i.e., not in <em>front <\/em>of your body, which increases over-striding). Focus on putting your foot down underneath your body. You can find a local running store that offers gait analysis, but you can also improve your stride just by working on it on your own.<\/li>\n<li>Increase your cadence to about <a href=\"https:\/\/running.competitor.com\/2014\/07\/training\/make-a-high-stride-rate-work-for-you_54957\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">170 to 180 steps<\/a> per minute to reduce your injury risk. Run with a metronome app, like <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/run-tempo-runners-metronome\/id646414918?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Run Tempo<\/a>, to set a beat that you can match to your stride.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The surface you\u2019re running on matters, too. For example, if you always run on the left side of a road that has been graded (slightly slanted) for water runoff, your body will eventually become imbalanced. Be mindful of this and try to run on even grades when possible (or varied grades, such as when <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/beginners-guide-trail-running\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trail running<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/tips-running-form\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5 Expert Tips for Proper Running Form<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">2. Don\u2019t get too crazy with your training.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When it comes to injury prevention, Steve Magness, author of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scienceofrunning.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science of Running<\/a> blog and coach to both professional runners and the cross-country team at the University of Houston, says athletes should avoid the \u201c3 Too\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201c<\/em>The biggest thing that runners can do prevent injuries is eliminate training mistakes,\u201d Magness says. \u201cOften, runners try to do too much, too soon, or change things too soon. They\u2019re looking for ways to bump up their performance so they add mileage, intervals and <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-training-maf-method\/\">speed<\/a> before they\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, follow a smart running program that will have you build mileage and increase speed gradually. Try to adhere to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-mileage-10-percent-rule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10 Percent Rule<\/a> (or even something less aggressive than that) if you\u2019ve been struggling. The 10 Percent Rule simply states that you shouldn\u2019t increase your mileage by more than 10 percent per week. However, there are exceptions to even this rule.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-mileage-10-percent-rule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why the 10 Percent Rules Doesn\u2019t Always Work<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If something you\u2019re doing is causing pain, stop or find a way to work around the issue. Magness adds, \u201cKeep workouts and long runs proportional to what your body is ready for and what the rest of your training week looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Constantly dealing with chronic, recurring injuries? You may need to lower your expectations. If training for a marathon has become too painful, consider signing up for a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/best-half-marathons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">half-marathon<\/a> instead. You may even need to cut back on races, speed work and other <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/high-intensity-hiit-workout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">high-intensity training<\/a>. This will give you more time to focus on getting healthy so that you\u2019re back to training at your peak soon.<\/p>\n<h3><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">3. Don&#8217;t&nbsp;wreck your recovery (or waste time).<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>By making some easy lifestyle changes, you can avoid undermining your recovery process. Be sure you\u2019re on top of these three tactics to stay healthy while training.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-guide-to-hydration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dehydration<\/a>, which can delay recovery and increase your injury risk. When you\u2019re dehydrated, your performance suffers and your form is often compromised. This extra strain can create inefficient movement patterns that are more likely to result in injuries.<\/li>\n<li>Eat <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/recipes\/quick-easy-protein-shake-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">enough protein<\/a> to ensure your muscles can rebuild after a challenging workout or long run (and make sure you consume <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/carb-loading-running-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the right amount of carbohydrates<\/a> for fuel beforehand, too).<\/li>\n<li>Take at least one day off per week and enjoy a vacation from running for at least a week, two to four times per year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also beneficial to avoid time-wasters that aren\u2019t helping you stay healthy. \u201cStatic stretching is the number one time waster for most runners,\u201d Magness says. \u201cStretching doesn\u2019t do a whole heck of a lot.\u201d Instead, of stretching, Magness advises completing the first mile of your run at a super easy, slower pace.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/race-training-anxiety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is Your Race Training Giving You Anxiety?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you like to rev up your body before you hit the roads, try <a href=\"https:\/\/strengthrunning.com\/2011\/07\/the-standard-warm-up-video-demonstration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this warm-up routine<\/a>, which integrates dynamic (<em>not <\/em>static) stretching and light strength work to prepare your body to run.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v73-flygfyI\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Implementing these simple changes can make a big difference to your running over time. But they aren\u2019t a cure-all. If these three strategies don\u2019t cut it, consider swapping out one weekly run for a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/best-strength-training-exercises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strength workout<\/a> or aerobic cross-training activity, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/reasons-to-love-spin-class\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like cycling<\/a>. And if you continue to get hurt, you may want to talk to a coach who can evaluate your training and help you escape your chronic cycle of injuries, once and for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It can be hard to fit a strength or stretching routine into your busy schedule. Here\u2019s how to prevent running injuries, even if you&#8217;re short on time. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":37489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[288,289,144,206,108,341,357],"class_list":["post-37486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-cardio","tag-exercise","tag-injury","tag-mobility","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37486"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37486\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}