As the weather starts to warm up, runners everywhere are starting to lace up their running shoes for training. Running, however, can easily bring overuse injuries. Over 42% of overuse injuries affect the knee joint, causing common injuries such as runner’s knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome. Other common injuries include plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, and ITB friction syndrome. Protect yourself from dealing with these by taking some preventative measures. The following are a few simple preventative tips to help ensure your running season goes smoothly!

  • Check your shoes. If your shoes are worn down or simply not right for your feet, they can cause a lot of lower extremity problems. When you invest in quality shoes that are tailored to your foot type and gait/running pattern, you can cut down significantly on your chance of overuse injuries. If you are running every day, getting two pairs of shoes to switch each day you run also decreases risk of injury.
  • Keep any running dosage increases to 10%. Don’t increase amount of mileage or time you’re running each week drastically. When you slowly increase mileage, your body has more time to adjust and adapt to the higher dosage. Follow the same advice for incorporating uphills into your routine, slowly introduce these into your running routine.
  • Properly stretch before and after your run. Stretching the muscles in your lower extremities will help strengthen them and lower your chances of experiencing injuries.

Good luck this running season! If you’re following all of this advice and you still find yourself in pain, lower your mileage and workload on your knees. More importantly, don’t hesitate to visit us at RPT if you’re experiencing pain. We’ve helped numerous athletes get back on their feet after an injury and would love to help you!