Can you offer some basic guidelines for avoiding overuse injuries associated with running?
Generally speaking, the vast majority of
overuse injuries associated with running
can be avoided by utilizing commonsense
and not exposing your body to sudden, high
levels of orthopedic stress. Here are some
basic guidelines for sidestepping runningrelated
overuse injuries:
- Stretch before and after exercising.
Proper stretching can mean the difference
between pain and enjoyment, and can
provide several potential benefits, including
improving joint flexibility, enhancing
performance and reducing injury potential.
As a general rule, always precede
stretching exercises with at least five minutes
of low-intensity physical activity.
- Increase your mileage sensibly. Avoid
doing too much exercise too soon. A general
guideline is to limit any increase in
weekly distance to 10 percent or less of
the previous week’s total mileage.
Contrary to what some people believe,
more is not always better. Instead, limit
your total weekly mileage to a reasonable
level according to your fitness level, body
size and training experience. Exercising
too much substantially increases your
chances of sustaining an overuse injury.
Remember: Exercise quality is usually
more important than quantity.
- Don’t subject your body to consecutive
days of very intense exercise.
Always follow a relatively “hard” day of
exercising with an easier day. If you run
considerably faster and farther than usual
on a particular day, take the next day off
or decrease the duration and/or intensity
of your next workout.
- Incorporate an occasional “easy”
week into your exercise regimen.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to
increase your mileage every week to continue
to benefit from your training efforts.
Some level of physical and/or psychological
fatigue is natural following a steady
diet of hard workouts. Fatigue may
increase the likelihood of injury because it
can diminish the precision of motor control
and inhibit voluntary muscle-stabilizing
activity.
- Don’t ignore sudden pain or discomfort.
Pain is the body’s way of telling you
that if you persist in what you’re doing,
you will either injure yourself or exacerbate
a relatively minor injury that has
already occurred. You must learn to listen
to your body and respond appropriately.
The acronym “RICE” (rest, ice, compression
and elevation) should serve as the
basis of treatment for most minor injuries
such as pulled or strained muscles and
shin splits). If your acute pain does not
respond to self-treatment within a reasonable
period of time, see a physician,
preferably a sports medicine specialist.
- Don’t try to “run through” pain. If you
alter your normal running mechanics in
an effort to accommodate pain or discomfort,
you may place excessive stress on
your joints, muscles and connective tissues
(ligaments and tendons). Refrain
from exercising until the pain subsides
and no longer interferes with your natural
running pattern.
- Periodically replace your running
shoes. Proper footwear can have a significant
impact on minimizing your chances
of being injured. Record your mileage
daily and replace your running shoes once
the cumulative total exceeds 500 miles.
- Vary your workout options. Give your
joints and muscles an occasional break
from the “same old grind.” Engage in
other forms of low-impact, joint-friendly
exercises such as elliptical cross-training,
cycling or swimming, in addition to running.
Exercise variety can be both physically
and mentally refreshing.
Source: Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, ACE's Chief Science Officer; ACE FitnessMatters, Jan/Feb 2007.
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