Foot Injuries While RunningRunners can become injured while running. They will recover, but they’re usually advised to avoid doing strenuous activities to allow their body to heal. Injury prevents them from participating in running and other activities. These injuries, however, can be prevented. Here are some tips for preventing foot injuries while running.
Don’t forget to warm up
Doing a slow jog for 2 to 3 minutes or lightly stretching your body will help warm up the muscles.
Condition your muscles
Slowly increase the amount of time you spend on the activity over a period of weeks to build your mobility and muscle strength. You can participate in various activities to build your muscles.
Avoid overdoing things
It is fine to be fired up about running, but just don’t overdo things. A lot of runners immediately want to run an extra mile and train hard as they want to be at par with more advanced runners. Subjecting the body to physical action without the right pacing is not exactly the best idea. You should increase your running mileage by around ten percent every week and nothing more. While it is fine to get out of your comfort zone, running should be approached with a disciplined mindset. The fastest way to achieve your goals is to train smartly. Overdoing things will only lead to injuries.
Wear the right pair of shoes
Running doesn’t require a lot of equipment, but you need to wear the right pair of shoes to avoid injuries. Runners often sustain an injury due to using the wrong running shoes. Buying a brand new pair is not the only thing that matters. Wearing something that’s new and will last for a long time is important, but what’s more important is to get a pair of running shoes that fits your exact needs.
If your foot has a collapsed medial longitudinal arch, you should wear a pair of shoes with enough arch support. It should also provide extra stability to your feet. In case you are prone to sustaining ankle sprains, you’d need a pair of shoes that offers more support and stability. Your shoes should provide the right level of cushioning to avoid experiencing pain because of repeated impact on the pavement or other hard surfaces. A pair of high performance running shoes is usually designed for the terrain that the footwear is made to be used on. This only means that you should determine where you are planning to train and run as the choice of running shoes depends a lot on your running environment.
Another important thing to keep in mind is to train in a holistic manner. Most runners focus on developing the muscles of their thighs and legs in order for their muscles to become used to the requirements of running, but they forget about balance training. The training programs of a marathoner and a sprinter are different, but both of them need to train for balance. Good balance can help you avoid foot injuries while running.
