How to get back to running this summer without getting a new injury.
By: Dr. Emily Younes, DC. HBSc.
- Don’t progress too fast
- Get your body used to running smaller distances without soreness before tacking on the mileage. This goes for individual runs as well as your total weekly mileage. A jump from 0 to 100 in intensity / distance almost always results in injury early on in the season!
- The 10% Rule
- Once you have your baseline, increase your weekly mileage by a MAX of 10% per week. In other words, if you ran 15km total last week, don’t run more than 16.5k this week.
- Warm Ups
- Whether it’s a variation of dynamic movements, mobility work, running drills, a walk, or a slow jog à give your body some transition time to ease into things.
- PACE
- If you’re running for distance, run at a pace that allows you to have a conversation with someone. If you’re finding you’re out of breath, it means you’re going too fast.
- If you’re running for speed / interval training, then being out breath is to be expected.
- Accessory work
- Runners who ONLY run are more prone to injuries. There is a lot of impact with running, and that impact hits your body one leg at a time. Strength training is the key to having enough support in each leg so that impact doesn’t translate into your joints and ligaments, instead it is absorbed by your muscles.
- Use cross-training to avoid developing overuse injuries in this sport.
- Recovery
- As a beginner, avoid running in consecutive days. This will give your body enough recovery time to bounce back.
- If you’re an experienced runner, alternate your harder runs (whether that means a faster tempo or longer distance) with easy runs (slower speed, shorter distance).
Looking to optimize your running technique? Get some treatment to help with recovery and/or an injury? Or just want to move and live better? We and Dr. Em are here to support you!
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