How to Avoid Running Injuries

It’s a scenario most runners have experienced before at some time in their career: After training long and hard for a particular race or goal, you suffer a twinge that turns into a full-blown injury and all your hard work is undone. Injuries are part and parcel of running, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you’re training for a marathon or your first 5K, there are a number of simple steps you can take to avoid running injuries while you prepare for your big race.

1. Take steps to improve your flexibility

   The most effective running injury prevention exercises you can do focus on increasing and maintaining your flexibility. Daily stretching is essential if you want to increase your flexibility and maintain the gains you make. In turn, that additional flexibility reduces your likelihood of injuries and improves your performance.

   The mistake some runners make is to perform their stretches as part of a rushed warm-up routine. Stretching should never be rushed, and should focus on all the joints and extremities. Stretches should be held for a full 30 seconds and include dynamic exercises such as skipping, arm circles, high knee drills and cross-body arm swings. Rather than being incorporated within your warm-up, stretches should be performed after your muscles are already warm, to reduce the risk of injury.

2. Increase your mileage slowly

   Running too far, too soon, is one of the greatest causes of running injuries. The more slowly you build your mileage, the less likely you are to get injured. While that might frustrate some runners, in the long run it will keep you training safely and help you get to the start line on race day without any niggles.

   Some experts say you should not increase your mileage by more than 10% a week. So, if you run 15 miles over three days of a week, you should not run more than 16.5 miles the next week in order to limit the additional stresses and strains. However, if you’re an experienced runner, you may be able to get away with adding more miles more quickly because of your sound running base.

3. Develop your core strength

   Effective running injury prevention exercises should focus on improving your core strength. The body’s core muscles help to keep the body balanced and upright and make it easier to maintain a correct running form, which can reduce the risk of runner’s knee and other common injuries.

   Exercises that improve core strength focus on the various muscle groups in the trunk and upper and lower body. Weightlifting and hill running can all help to increase core strength, as can exercises you can easily perform at home. That includes plyometrics, such as standing jumps and lateral jumps, as well as forward planks, side planks and leg extensions.

4. Learn to run lightly

   Impact injuries are an ever-present threat for runners, and when you’re pounding those pavements mile after mile, they can be difficult to avoid. Common impact injuries for runners include stress fractures, shin splints and Achilles tendinitis. Landing midfoot – that is, on the center of your foot rather than on the heel or the toes – helps to minimise the forces, as will keeping your stride nice and short to avoid over-striding, which puts additional strain on the knees.

   To avoid running injuries associated with impact forces, consciously try to ‘land lightly’. That means landing as softly as you can. When you try to land gently, you make natural adjustments, such as shortening your stride and landing on the midfoot, which reduces those impact forces and lowers your risk of injury.

5. Listen to your body

   Usually, your body will do everything it can to warn you of an impending injury. Many runners consider muscle tightness or aches and pains to be inevitable when running, but you have to be very careful. The initial signs of overuse injuries start as whispers, rather than screams. If ignored, they will build up slowly over time and become a chronic injury that requires formal treatment.

   The key to avoiding running injuries is to act before they occur. The minute you feel a slight niggle, speak to someone. Many runners make the mistake of trying to run through the pain, but that type of strategy is not smart. If something doesn’t feel right with your body, listen to it – get it checked out and take time to rest and recover. Too many runners think of rest days as lost days, but in reality, they are a vital part of a healthy and effective training regime.

Avoid running injuries with quality running equipment

At ASICS, we offer a premium range of men’s and women’s running shoes, running clothing, running accessories to provide the stability and support you need. Shop our collection and order online.