Consistency is key.
But it's impossible to stay consistent and reach your fitness goals when you're constantly dealing with injuries.
Endurance athletes are susceptible to overuse injuries that arise from repetitively using the same body parts. Examples include runner’s knee and tendonitis.
People just getting back into fitness after an extended break are especially at risk. Years of relative inactivity can weaken your muscles and stiffen your joints, making it difficult to safely do the things that used to be easy.
I understand this one from firsthand experience. Years of sitting at a desk practicing law wreaked havoc on my body. I thought I would be able to just jump back into it, but was met with one little injury after another, making it harder and take longer to reach my goals.
Tips to Reduce Injury Risk in Runners
It's impossible to prevent all injuries. But you can do your best to stack the decks in your favor. Here are 3 things that have helped me do just that:
1. Don't wing it.
Avoid overtraining by using a plan that balances training and recovery.
2. Follow the right plan.
Make sure your plan includes dynamic warmups as well as strength and mobility movements that help identify and correct imbalances that could eventually result in an injury.
In my opinion, incorporating mobility training is key. While the research is currently scarce, there are at least some studies suggesting that traditional strength training alone might not be enough to guard against running injuries.
3. Practice self-care to promote recovery.
These are the extra things you can do in between workouts. Things like foam rolling, stretching, massage gun, and red light therapy have been very helpful for me personally. You don't have to go crazy with this stuff either. I've found that doing just a little bit on most days can make a huge difference.
I CAN HELP!