1. You aren’t tracking your running time
Do you keep a log of your running schedule? If not you probably should. If you are someone that fluctuates your running time largely week to week, you should probably think again about that..
If you are like most people, you don’t like change and neither do our muscles and joints. Our bodies over time get used to a certain amount of activity you are doing. If you increase your activity too fast your body may react poorly.
Common symptoms of increasing your training load too quickly include:
– Prolonged soreness after running
– Prolonged fatigue after running
– Specific tenderness that lasts more than 2 days after training
The important thing to remember is to gradually increase your running over time. There are apps available that can help guide you with your running so that you can increase your exercise safely. Couch to 5km is a great app which you can downloaded here https://apps.apple.com/cy/app/couch-to-5k-runner/id448357306
2. You don’t perform strength training
Do you mix up your running with strength training sessions? If not, then now is the time to start.
So you may or may not know, but when you are jogging, you take around 3-4 times your bodyweight through your joints. You may want to read that again to let that information soak in..
When you perform consistent strength training you are building up your muscles so that they can take the pressure off your joints. Think as your muscles as suspension for a car, the stronger your suspension is, the better it is for your car’s frame. Similarly, the stronger your muscles are, the better it is for your joints.
One very well ran study suggested that strength training can decrease overtraining injuries by up to 33%. So to prevent getting injured, make sure you start adding some leg strength training into your routine.
Great exercises you can try include:
– Body weight lunges
– Body weight squats
– Single leg heel raises
– Single leg bridges
– Nordic curls
3. You haven’t been fitted for the right shoes
If you are serious about your running, you should get your shoes fitted professionally. Imagine going to a wedding without trying on your outfit, this notion is the same with your training shoes.
At our clinic, it is often that our running clients have poorly fitted shoes which can affect your running long term. Apart of our running assessment here at Forge, we assess your feet in standing, your strike position when you run and your foot strength. This is all required information to give you the best shoe advice.
So you are probably thinking, “where should I go for shoe advice?” Seeing your Physiotherapist is probably a good start. Your therapist can educate you on whether you need a highly supportive shoe or a minimalist shoe. From here your Physio can give you some guidelines to purchase the shoe you need. Also if you are in the Toowong area, we recommend visiting https://intraining.com.au/ who have a great range of shoes.
Do you currently have an injury? Do you want your running assessed? Do you want to improve your running performance?
If this is you, book online with Jess now. Jess is an experienced Physiotherapist that has worked closely with many runners. As a junior athlete, Jess competed at a National level so you are guaranteed to get the best possible advice to take your running to another level. If you are ready to improve your running book here now https://forgewestend.com.au/book-online/
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