The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the magpies have settled, it’s time to dust off the runners and get ready for another stellar running season!
Running season for most, typically starts around October and will go through until March. It is during this time, as Podiatrists we see a spike in soft tissue related injuries – WHICH ARE PREVENTABLE!
Soft tissue injuries are typically multifactorial, meaning multiple reasons contribute to why the injury has occurred. As health professionals with extensive training we understand and address the causative factors that relate to your injury, thus helping you in both the short term while also reducing your risk of the same injury recurring in the future.
Here are our top tips for being proactive in reducing your risk of injury this running season.
How old are your runners? Manufacturers will say that the lifespan of a pair of runners is 600-800 km. If you’re unsure – best to update.
Do your runners suit your biomechanics? Every pair of runners on the market will influence your biomechanics in either a positive or negative way. Barefoot, minimalist, pronation controlling, zero drop, maximalist… are these terms new to you? If so your runners should be fitted by a specialist who understands lower limb biomechanics and how a shoe can influence it.
What shoes do you wear on a daily basis? Typically we spend 40+ hours in our day-day shoes and comparatively only 3-5 hours in our runners. Poor footwear day-day can lead to excessive fatigue in your lower limb soft tissues, so that when you do go for a run, your muscles are already fatigued to begin with and cannot give 100%. This increases the chance of injuries developing.
Do you have any niggling injuries carrying over from past running seasons? A lot of runners often begin the running season without addressing any niggles from the season before. A rest over winter often doesn’t cure these symptoms and sore muscles are often the sign of weak muscles. See a Health Professional and spring in to your running season niggle free!
Have you got your training program sorted? Are you incorporating progressive overload and allowing for adaptation time? A proper training program is one of the simplest ways to reduce your risk of injury this season. Many runners believe that they could run 10km ‘easily’ and with 4 months off do the same. Don’t make that mistake. Start off small and build slowly and progressively, seek a Health Professional or running coach’s advice for tips and tricks if uncertain.
Our Podiatrist at Rural Health is qualified in running training and lower limb strength and conditioning!
For more information or to ensure your injury free running season book online or phone 02 5926 3806.
