Running already has one of the largest participation rates of any recreation activity or sport in Australia but with recent restrictions on group training and organised sport, participation has recently spiked.
The idea of heading out for a run is one that will scare some people & inspire others. In this current age of uncertainty, the following tips will hopefully decrease your risk of injury when you’re out clearing your head of the difficulties of early 2020.
- Always warm up and down before heading out for a run, even if that means starting and finishing at a slower pace than the body of your run. The FIFA11+ is a fantastic structured warm up regime if you’d like something more specific.
- Hydration is very important pre and post run for the safety of your body.
- Avoid exploding into your running program with excessive kilometres. If it has been a while since you ran last, gradually build your distance over the coming weeks to minimise your risk of injury (approx 10-15% increase in distance per week is a safe amount to decrease risk).
- Decrease your load if you are experiencing pain. Pain is a sign that your body is adapting to the running load.
- Include some lower body strengthening and flexibility exercises to complement your running program.
- Gradually introduce surface changes.
Most of all, enjoy it!
If you’re suffering from pain that is limiting your function, make sure you visit your physiotherapist to get you back on the right track.