Running Injury Prevention
Running is one of the most popular and common forms of aerobic exercise. There are running events across the nation available to any and every level of runner. It can be a great way to get in shape and an exceptional form of exercise to boost your cardiovascular health. Proper form is essential to reaping the health benefits associated with running. Ensuring correct running mechanics can prevent the risk of injury and prevent any training setbacks from occurring. Common mechanical running errors include foot placement, postural deficits specifically in relation to the thoracic spine, hip flexor strength and range issues, and ankle mobility problems.
There is a lot of differing information online regarding foot placement in running. Overpronation of the feet is a common problem in regards to running mechanics (1) . Generally, the feet should strike the ground in a relatively straight neutral position. Overpronation and over supination should be avoided. This means avoiding placing the majority of your weight on the outer part or inner part of your feet. Duck and pigeon splayed feet should be corrected to a more parallel motion of both feet. Doing so may decrease the risk of common injuries such as ankle sprains and other injuries resulting in strained or torn leg muscles or tendons due to improper foot placement (2).
Running requires ample amounts of energy. A sufficient amount of oxygen via the lungs needs to be supplied to the body in order to properly convert nutrients consumed to ATP, an energy form our bodies can utilize. In relation to this, posture is an important mechanical running aspect to address. Many of us spend a lot of time every day hunched over in front of a computer. Whether it be for your job or leisure purposes, these postural variances can greatly impact your running form. Your thoracic spine, or mid back, should be supple and flexible during running. Your chest should be open and shoulders back to optimize lung capacity. This allows you to inhale the most oxygen possible to get the most out of your workout. Many exercises can aid in supporting and maintaining proper posture, such as gently pinching the shoulder blades down and in.
“Never skip leg day!” An unfortunate clichéd and overused phrase, but with some fact based truth to it. Squats should not be underestimated. Running mechanically involves repetitious hip flexion and extension. Squats should be done in order to strengthen hip flexors and improve range of the hip flexors. Lacmonarch strength or range can often result in common running hip flexor injuries, such as muscle strains from possible overuse. Including squats into a well-balanced strengthening routine can counteract this.
Ankle mobility is another aspect that should be regarded in running technique. The stability and strength of the ankle joint play a vital role in keeping the aforementioned neutrally aligned foot placement. Lack of ankle range of motion can hinder squatting technique and increase the risk of injury. Ankle mobility is further needed in order to take off from walmonarch or standing into a running stride. Practicing passively guiding your ankle through the movements of dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, and eversion via the use of a towel or belt can ensure proper ankle mobility.
As with any form of exercise, a proper warm-up and cool down is vitally important to avoid injury and post-workout soreness. Stretching before and after running is highly recommended. Prior to a run stretching can prep your muscles by facilitating blood flow to those specific areas.
