Rules of the Road: Tips For Staying Fit And Keeping Joints Healthy Through Running
September 19, 2013
Running is one of the most common forms of exercise, among elite athletes and regular, fitness conscious people alike. Whether you jog three-to-five times a week to keep active – like myself – or you regularly train for ultra-marathons, there is always that underlying risk of injury. Runner’s knee, Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, hamstring issues – all common injuries we don’t like to say out loud, but unfortunately are often associated with running.
However, no need to hang up your running shoes yet. Following are key tips for safe and healthy running:
- Support means everything. This comes from both the shoes you wear and the terrain on which you run. Having the right support in your running shoes is key. Be sure to take note if you are arched or flat footed, then do some research on the best running shoe for you. A lot of specialty running stores, like Fleet Feet Sports here in Raleigh (where I go), can help determine the right shoe for you. You should also consider where you will do the majority of your running. If you run on hard ground such as concrete, you will probably need more cushion than you would should you choose to mostly run in grassy and soft-grounded trail-like areas. The “give” of the terrain plays a major role on how your joints react to the impact of your strides.
- Listen to your body. Even the most experienced runners can still experience sharp pains brought on by joint fluctuation and agitation. This is especially common in knees. Although hips have a smooth ‘ball and socket’ joint and ankles are designed to accommodate impact and rotation, knees tend to fall short in the functionality department. Cartilage and tissues can rapidly wear down from over-exertion and lack of support and stability. Make sure you rest between runs and stretch liberally during your warm-up and cool-down.
- Cross-train. From preventing and rehabilitating injuries, to improving overall fitness, cross-training is key. Supplement your running with strength training, swimming, biking, yoga – whatever tickles your fancy.
- Jump on the yoga bandwagon. Yoga helps strengthen your core and makes you more flexible – two elements that can keep you running injury-free.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you lace up and hit the streets or trails. Happy running!
Wow! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
Howdy! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
Hi there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Heya! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no back up. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?
With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement? My site has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my permission. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being ripped off? I’d genuinely appreciate it.
Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this blog. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appearance. I must say you have done a superb job with this. In addition, the blog loads very quick for me on Safari. Exceptional Blog!
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I’m trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!
Great blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any tips? Cheers!
Hi, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, amazing blog!
Appreciating the commitment you put into your website and detailed information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Great read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Many thanks!
Hello, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Chrome, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, excellent blog!
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Hi there would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m having a hard time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!
I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about getting free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i find some?
I simply could not leave your website prior to suggesting that I actually loved the standard information a person supply for your guests? Is gonna be again incessantly in order to check out new posts
Do you have a spam problem on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; we have developed some nice practices and we are looking to swap methods with other folks, be sure to shoot me an email if interested.
Wonderful work! That is the kind of information that are meant to be shared across the web. Shame on the seek engines for not positioning this publish higher! Come on over and visit my site . Thank you =)
I love what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and exposure! Keep up the very good works guys I’ve added you guys to my blogroll.