Maintaining a healthy body and reducing Injury Risk

Injury -  the word we all dread to hear. Being involved in running for most of my life and as my work as a Neuromuscular physical therapist, injuries are a common problem I encounter in the running community.  I’ve learnt the hard way that our body requires a lot of care. Running, although it is non-contact, is a high impact sport, with over three times your own bodyweight transferred through every step you take. Naturally, as the point of contact with the ground, your feet take the full force of this impact, which travels up through your joints ligaments, tendons, bones and musculature. Running is a repetitive sport, and logging hard sessions, high miles and adding in life commitments on top of this can result in increased susceptibility to injuries. Without adequate recovery, nutrition, sleep and rest, your body will struggle to adapt to this loading.

 So I ask, Why would you not make your body as strong and as resilient as possible in order to maximise your running and reduce your risk of injury. What do you need to practice as part of a good training regime? As many of you may be new to the running world, now is the perfect time to begin a good routine and maintain a healthy body throughout your running. The change for me was when I encountered my own injury which in hindsight was a learning curve and made me into a better athlete. Today, I practice certain routines and recovery strategies to ensure I maintain a healthy body at all times to aid me in preventing injury and performing at my maximum capacity.

So what do I do on a daily basis to and what tips can I provide you to implement in your own training program to reduce your risk of injury?

Fit4Life expert coaching

Firstly, by joining your local firt4life group, you have already taken the first step on the right path towards injury free running.  By training with a group under the guidance of an expert coach, you can be endured your coach will guide you and provide you with the knowledge you require, no matter if you are a beginner or a regular competitor. By following your coaches’ advice, your progression and loading will be monitored, and progressed at an adequate level. Too often, many runners can load up too quickly and increase their mileage too fast, especially when they start to see results and get fitter. The key is to have patience. Follow your plan, don’t do any extra training which is not prescribed, and take a slow steady approach to training.   One aspect which running will ask of you is to have patience. Slow steady, consistent running is much more beneficial in the long-term instead of fast tracking your training, resulting in injury and ultimately time out.

Rest and Recovery

Rest is one of the most neglected aspects of training and is extremely important when it comes to running. Long runs, new loads, speed sessions, tempo work- these all place stresses through our body and neuromuscular system. Yes, these stresses are required in order to increase your fitness levels, but they must be matched with an appropriate recovery and rest level. Our bodies need rest and adequate recovery in order to adapt to the training stimulus we apply every day. Through rest, the repairing of the damaged tissues takes place, which ultimately make us stronger in the long term. Additionally, it’s important to let the neuromuscular system rest. If we are constantly under stress, our sympathetic nervous system will be consistently turned on, resulting in increased anxiety and stress levels. Rest enables our parasympathetic system (or rest and digest as it is commonly known) to be activated, allowing us to recover. Always take your rest days and allow yourself some relaxation post session. I like to use my rest day to prepare myself for the rest of my week, to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible and that I am ready to train smart and get the most out of my body. Remember, in order to progress, you need time to adapt and become stronger in the pursuit of your goals.

Sleep and Nutrition

We can’t deny the importance of a healthy balance diet and adequate sleep when it comes to everyday life. So when you add in a runners lifestyle (fitting in your runs around work, and family life) these two elements are essential in maintaining your health, preventing injury and maintaining a positive mind set towards your training. If you are new to running and feel as though you need some direction in relation to nutrition, your Fit4Life coach can point you in the right direction. Always seek professional advice when it comes to nutrition. When it comes to sleep, as runners, our bodies require more time asleep for the recovery process to take place post training. It may take a while to adjust to a longer sleep pattern if you are new to running, but this will benefit you in the long run. A good recommendation to follow would be 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night. Try to minimize phone time prior to bed and aim to have a similar sleep and wake time. This will allow your body to adjust and follow a routine. If you wake feeling energized, that is usually a good indicator that you have recovered and slept well. A good habit to practice is journaling your  training and resting heart rate upon wake time. Journaling can pinpoint triggers that may have pushed your body just that little bit too much. A change in resting heart rate may indicate underlying sickness, so could be a que to take a rest day and look after your health. Remember, running is about consistent training over time, so there’s no point in risking injury for one training session.

Strength and Conditioning

As we know already, running is a high impact sport. Therefore it is extremely important to have strong ligaments, tendons and muscles, so our bodies are capable of training at this intensity. So often, many runners disregard some strength work in favour for an extra run. I am a strong believer in having a strong, resilient body which is capable of coping with the loads placed on us during training. A simple routine of core work and specific exercises can have profound effects not only on your running performance, but also in improving mechanics, improving speed and reducing injury occurrence. And fear not, you don’t have to be a member of a gym; all you need is a mat, a few Tera bands and an optional kettlebell. Having a stronger core will benefit all your movements. Basic plank exercises are a great place to start for core conditioning.  Adding in some glute strength work with Tera bands aids in strengthening the core glute muscles required for running. Don’t forget, as important as it is to strengthen our bodies, mobility is a crucial factor in maintaining healthy joints. Hip and ankle rotations will maintain your range of motion and reduce repetitive strain from running. These are just starting points and a good strength and conditioning coach with a background in running can guide a program for you.

So, now it’s time to action the above! Get yourself into a routine which suits your lifestyle. Good sleep and nutrition, following your own recovery protocols and including some strength work gives you an excellent opportunity to create a positive environment around your running. Remember, with running, consistency and enjoyment are key in making your journey a positive one. If you need that rest day, take it! Be kind to your body and most of all, enjoy every step as you progress with your running. Healthy body, healthy mind, happy running!