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Running can be very physically demanding on our body, and we need to take care to train the machine properly. However, there are some risks you should be aware of.
Did you know…
- With every mile you run, your feet absorb 110 tonnes of energy!
- Annual injury rates for runners can be as high as 35 to 50 percent.
- Lower back, pelvis, hip and thigh injuries account for one quarter to one third of all running injuries.
- 60 percent of all running injuries are as the result of "too much, too soon."
Please don't let these stats discourage you from running… there are preventive measures you can take to help you stay in shape! You can avoid injury by giving yourself a proper warm up, a cool down, and using proper stretching techniques.
Warm ups
Warm up exercises prepare the body and mind for exercise. Warming up entails light activity, similar to what your exercise will be. For runners, a warm up exercise is a brisk walk or slow run for 5 to 10 minutes, until you start to sweat. This increases blood flow to muscles you'll be using, and gets them ready to work. It helps to reduce stiffness, and make the muscles more supple. A warm up will also lubricate your joints, which is crucial in decreasing friction and stress in them, and increase the co-operation of muscles around your joints.
Stretching is beneficial
Flexibility and coordination of the muscles are critical to preventing injuries, whether we are running or sitting in front of a computer. Overuse injuries, also known as repetitive stress injuries, occur in part because of lack of flexibility caused by tight muscles. So experts recommend that we all practice a daily stretching routine, especially when combined with exercise.
For runners, it is better to stretch when your muscles are warm, after warm ups or your cool down.
Stretch your muscles before your warm ups to get them ready to perform at their optimum length. This optimum length allows the muscles to develop the most power in the largest range of motion, as they work.
Stretch after your cool down to bring your muscles back to their optimal resting length as you go about the rest of your daily activities. As muscles work they repeatedly contact and shorten, thus they tend to stay short when the workout is over unless you stretch them again. This increases the flexibility of your muscles, which is thought to prevent injury, in particular muscle strains.
Pictured below are some good stretches for runners. Get into each stretch position carefully and gently, and take up muscle slack slowly. Hold the stretch in a comfortable stretch range – you should not be in pain. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. No bouncing!
As you hold each position and the feeling of the stretch diminishes, move gently into a deeper stretch, and hold this new position for 15 to 30 seconds. Concentrate on the area being stretched and stay relaxed, taking easy and equal breaths in and out. Don’t try to match your overly flexible friend.
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