How to avoid injury, the do’s and don’ts for the newbie joggers

How to avoid injury, the do’s and don’ts for the newbie joggers

Running is a fantastic exercise to incorporate into your training routine. The health benefits that arise from jogging help reduce the risk of some of the biggest health burdens in Australia, including heart disease, stroke and cancer. To ensure you avoid injuries when beginning running, follow these do’s and don’ts!

DO’s

Warm up and Cool down.

• Appropriate warm up and cool down is essential for avoiding injury. Spend 10 minutes before your run stretching out important muscle groups, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes. Pivotal Motion have listed the best warm up stretches to do while running, have a look online.
• After your run, don’t stop moving. Walk around for 5-10 minutes and allow your body to relax after running. If you neglect to warm down, your muscles can tighten up and predispose you to injury!

Wear appropriate footwear

• Footwear is essential in running. Wearing good quality joggers with heel and arch support during your run ensures your feet remain healthy and injury free.

Stay hydrated

• Drink plenty of water! Research has shown that you can lose up to half a kilogram in body weight purely from water loss during a 30-minute run. Sip water throughout your run, and ensure you refill your body following.

Start slow and easy

• Elite runners did not become elite runners overnight. It takes time to build up your endurance and your ability, so remember to start nice and simple. 20 minutes on flat ground can be a suitable starting point, but make sure you listen to your body and what it can do!

DON’TS

Be obsessed with the odometer

• How far you run often doesn’t tell you if you are making any progress. Instead, focus on a set distance to achieve, and base your progress on the time it takes to complete, or use a heart rate monitor to see how hard you are working.

Don’t go as hard as you can, as quick as you can

• Just like any exercise, running requires time and effort to improve. Excellence will not happen overnight, so ensure you are training smart and working to your current ability! Pushing yourself too hard can predispose you to injuries.

Run through soreness or injury

• If you feel any kind of pain or injury, don’t try and run it off. The old saying of “working through the pain” is not appropriate, and if you feel an injury, seeing a physiotherapist and discussing your exercises with them is the best option.

Here at Pivotal Motion Physiotherapy, our friendly staff can help you get back to running as quick as possible! Call us on 07 3352 5116 or book an appointment online!