Running Injury Prevention

Protecting Yourself from Injury

While there’s no way to guarantee an injury-free run, you can establish healthy habits that significantly reduce your risk.

• Wear the right shoes. Get yourself a good pair of running shoes from a quality specialty store, and replace them before they wear down—typically within a few hundred miles.
• Warm up, stretch, and cool down. Going from 0 to 60 without preparing your body first is a recipe for injury. You should also be stretching daily, even if you won’t be running that day.
• Add mileage slowly and deliberately. If you’re brand new, start slow with a mix of walking and running. As you progress, increase the intensity or mileage by no more than 10% per week.
• Choose routes wisely. If you’re struggling with pain, try running on softer surfaces (like grass or dirt) or with fewer elevation changes.
• Cross train in high and low impact exercise. Running every day is a great way to wear down your feet, so take rest days and cross-train with some less foot-intense workouts. The most important of these is strength training, which helps reduce muscle fatigue and prevents injury. However, we also recommend low-impact cardio, such as swimming or cycling.
• Stay hydrated. Water is important! At minimum, you should be thinking of 8 oz per 20 minutes of exercise.
• Listen to your body. Exercise shouldn’t be “easy,” but it should never be out-and-out painful. Pushing yourself past the breaking point is how most serious injuries happen.

Treating Running Injuries Quickly and Effectively

Of course, we hope you don’t hurt yourself in the first place! But, if you do get injured as a result of running, the best choice is to seek help right away from our team. We understand how important running is to you, and will pursue treatment options that will help you get better and back on your feet as quickly as possible. In the long run, this will save you a lot of time and pain and will help you run harder, stronger, and longer.

We pride ourselves on individualized care for each patient, with a focus on keeping you active! Depending on your personal goals and the specifics of your injury, we’ll help you put together a treatment plan that we think will work best for you. This might include measures such as physical therapy and custom orthotics, or even more advanced measures, such as shock wave therapy.

To make an appointment with the foot care specialists (and running enthusiasts!) at Premier Podiatry Group in Ebensburg, PA, please call (814) 472-2660 today. You may also request an appointment online using our contact form.