subject: Running Injuries: Prevention [print this page] Most ordinary running injuries may happen at the time of running. They occur due to overuse, overtraining, improper shoes, or a biomechanical flaw in body structure and motion. The good news is that many running injuries can be prevented. Follow these steps to keep yourself on the road.
Overtraining is the cause of many running injuries. The causes are too much intensity, too many miles, too soon. You have to go easily while adding mileage or intensity to your training. You shouldn't increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% each week. Still you can push your limits, but you'll have to take a slow and patient approach. By your gradual approach, you can save yourself from pain and frustration, and still reach your goals. Let common sense and a smart training schedule determine how much you should be running.
Run on the right surface. After getting a proper model of shoe use them on a right surface. Preferably, you want the ground to absorb shock, before passing it along to the legs. Try to avoid concrete as much as possible. It's a horrible surface for running and about 10 times as hard as asphalt. Especially for higher mileage runs choose grass or dirt trails to run on. Sudden change to a new running surface can cause injuries. So consistency is important. You'll also want to avoid tight turns, so look for slow curves and straight paths.
You have to treat your feet properly. Be sure that your shoes aren't worn out and that you have the perfect model for your feet and running style. The wrong models of shoe aggravate existing problems, causing pain in your feet, legs, knees or hips. Wearing shoes that have missing their cushioning may also lead to injury. Bye a properly fitted running shoe from a specialty running shop and replace them every 350-500 miles. If your feet have any biomechanical problem, you can also look into getting fitted for heel lifts or orthotics.
At the time of running keep your balance. Injuries sometimes happens when you concerning too much about your running muscles and forgetting about the others. For example, knee injuries sometimes occur because running strengthens the back of your legs more than the front of your legs. Your relatively weak quads aren't too strong to keep your kneecap moving in its appropriate groove, which causes pain. On the other hand, once you strengthen your quads, the pain will often go away.
