Tips for Preventing Injury in Runners brought to you by ParkwayHealth
The repetitive nature of running can result in overuse injuries. While each runner
is unique, with different injury risk factors. the following 5 points would go a
long way towards reducing chance of injury in most runners:
- Get the correct pair of shoes to suit your foot type, and not based on looks
or price. Running shoes are typically classified as "motion control", "stability"
or "cushioned" for people with flat feet, mild flat/normal feet, and high arched
feet respectively. Get a proper assessment if you are not sure which category
your feet belong to.
- Strengthen your buttock muscles. Often neglected by runners, poor hip control
is actually a common cause of painful knees in runners, especially females. A
simple screening test is to stand in front of a mirror while doing a single-legged
half squat. If you find that your knee has a natural tendency to swing inwards on
the way down, you are probably doing this while running as well. You would need
to strengthen your hip abductors.
- Don't overdo hills. Some runners diligently run up stairs or tackle hills in
a deliberate attempt to develop power. While hill running is useful, it is not
something which should be done with every run. Doing hills puts more stress on
your knees and buttock muscles which often leads to muscle tightness and injury.
Downhill running is probably even more damaging than the uphill running, therefore
if it is mainly uphill running you want to incorporate, consider using a treadmill,
where you can run uphill without having to run downhill later. In general, keep
hillwork to no more than 1 - 2 times a week to keep injuries at bay.
- Step up training by increasing one thing at a time. Don't increase both speed
and distance at the same time. Pick only one to increase with each run you do.
- Cross-train. This gives your body a break. Pool based exercise
(eg. Pool running or aerobics) or other non-impact activity once a week
can make a big difference.
By Dr. Patrick Goh
SportsMed Central
Gleneagles Hospital
The following article is proudly sponsored by Dr Joint Pain
Injury Prevention Tips For Running
(by Harmonic Health Singapore Pte Ltd & adapted from the newly published book, Scientifically Slim)
- Warm up stretches: Doing some stretching exercises of all major muscles (e.g., arms, legs, back, neck) help to warm up the muscles and reduce risk of injuries.
- Exercise when not tired: Avoid exercising if you are too tired. Being tired can cause one to lose focus while exercising. The risk of missing your footing, for example, could potentially lead to injuries.
- Increase pace gradually: At the beginning of any exercise activity, start slowly at an easy and leisurely pace for the first few minutes. Gradually increase your intensity up a moderate level that feels comfortable to you for the remaining time duration. For example, you could walk leisurely for the first five minutes, and then increase your pace to brisk walking for the rest of the activity. Doing this helps your body adjust to the physical demands that will be placed on it when in full motion.
- Stop exercising when in pain: Pain is often an indicator of problems, it may be an old injury acting up, or your muscles may be overworked. Stop to rest. If the pain persists, seek treatment as soon as possible.
- Cool down & stretching: When nearing the end of the activity, gradually slow down the pace of exercise to a leisurely level before stopping. This helps your body adjust back to “normal” pre-exercise levels. Also, this is a good time to do the same stretches done at the start of the activity to reduce any potential muscle soreness after exercising.
- Medical conditions: As a precaution, do you have any existing medical or health concerns? Please visit your health care professional or medical doctor for clearance or advice before you embark on any formal exercise program.
Injury Prevention Checklist:
Before undertaking any form of exercise or physical activity, be sure to go through this checklist.
- I have enough rest and feel alert enough for exercise.
- I will do my stretching/warm up exercises on all my major muscle groups (e.g., neck, arms, back, legs).
- I am not experiencing any pain or discomfort at this moment and feel physically able to exercise.
- I plan to start slowly at an easy and leisurely pace for the first few minutes of the exercise activity and gradually increase the intensity up to a comfortable, moderate level for the remaining time duration.
- I understand that I should stop exercising if I feel any pain or discomfort and seek medical help if necessary.
- I will do my cool down and stretching exercises at the end of my exercise activity.
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