Frustrated by injuries that seem to linger or take forever to go away? If so, you’re not alone.
As a Physical Therapist, I find most runners struggle knowing how to work back from injury.
Early on, it’s quite simple. If your injury hurts at rest or when doing daily tasks like walking or stairs, it’s pretty clear that running isn’t a great idea.
But what about when you can do everything but run?
If you’ve been injured before, chances are that you’ve been stuck in that in-between-phase where you’re on the mend but not 100% yet.
Getting Over the Hump
Where do most runners go wrong?
They exercise just at or above their injury threshold. Runners think they can recover faster by pushing a little more each day. However, it’s counter-productive, prolongs injuries, and can even cause long-term damage.
Know Your Tolerance Level & Avoid Injury
Every running injury has a tolerance level. Working above your tolerance prolongs and worsens injuries, while working too far below doesn’t promote healing.
Watch this video to learn more:
Don’t Push Your Comfort Zone
Isn’t that how to build running strength and stamina? No!
Pushing too soon often causes reinjury and prolongs your recovery.
The key is to stop exercising BEFORE you feel discomfort. A tough feat when you’re trying to get back to running quickly.
So what should you do?
Practice active recovery and fix what caused your injuries.
Where to Start?
Begin incorporating exercises that build strength & balance in key areas. With my patients, I typically start with the glutes and core.
Runners generally lack strength in both areas, which is the root cause for most running injuries.
What exercises are best?
That’s exactly what you can find inside the RunSmart App!
See how RunSmart is helping 3,000+ runners train smarter & save money!
