Tips for Runners

As spring is approaching and running season is here, runners from all walks of life have started training for events over the next 6 months. Whether you are training for a 5k run/walk or the big marathon, there are a few simple things you can do to help prevent injury this running season. You can protect you knees, ankles and feet by keeping the muscles around the joints in shape and flexible. Here are some tips to help:

1. Warm-up: Always warm up prior to running, especially before explosive training like hills or speed work. Cold muscles are more prone to strains. A proper warm up will increase blood flow to the major muscle groups and improve muscle recruitment and performance. Start your work out with a light jog for 5 minutes before increasing your running intensity.

2. Get your muscles in balance: Many people have muscle imbalances that predispose them, especially runners, to lower extremity injuries. Traditional exercise programs do not address these imbalances and can in fact contribute to chronic injury patterns. The goal is to find an exercise program that addresses the instability and weakness of the hip and core stabilizers. Not only will you prevent injury with these types of exercises, but you will also improve your performance by running more efficiently. A qualified physical or exercise therapist can give you an effective exercise program.

3. Stretch: Make sure you stretch after every run. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about stretching, but the truth is that flexible muscles are stronger and more efficient. Remember to always stretch after muscles are warm (so after your warm up and after you are finished with your run). Hold each stretch 30 seconds and don’t bounce. You can actually increase your flexibility by being consistent with your stretching routine and stretching every day.

4. Hydrate: Your body is composed of about 60% water. When those levels are compromised your muscles do not perform or recover properly and are prone to injury. Athletes should consume ½ of their body weight in ounces every day. When you run, hydrate extra both before and after your run.

5. Get in alignment: Along with balancing your muscles, spinal alignment is very important in preventing sports injuries. Each and every muscle is controlled by nerves that pass through the spine. If one of those nerves is constricted one bit, the muscle it controls will not work correctly. Also, if your spinal posture is off, your running will do more harm than good and ultimately lead to a breakdown and problem with the spine, hip, knee or ankles. Being in alignment with good chiropractic care not only gets athletes out of pain but it prevents the body from breaking down. That is why Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and more than 80% of the distance runners in the last Olympics see chiropractors.

So, to stay on course and stay off the sidelines by following these 5 guidelines. If you are interested in getting your muscle balance tested and seeing if you are in alignment please feel free to contact us at Laurel Regional Chiropractic.

Dr. David Chen
Chiropractor in Laurel, MD
Laurel Regional Chiropractic

Too much exercise can lead to overuse injuries

People tend to do the same exercise routine over and over again, without varying it, without taking adequate rest, and they end up with an overuse injury.

Most overuse injuries can be blamed on four factors: 1. Inadequate recovery (when your body doesn’t fully recover from one run to the next). 2. Biomechanical irregularities (such as overpronation and leg-length discrepancy). 3. Muscular imbalances caused by running itself (tight hamstrings and weak quadriceps, for example). 4. Improper or worn-out footwear. Cross-training can’t help you with your footwear choices, but it can address the other three factors. If you’re a beginning runner who hasn’t yet developed strength and flexibility imbalances, you can get big benefits from endurance cross-training. Your ankles, knees, and lower back aren’t used to the repetitive impact of running, so you can use walking, elliptical machines, and other low-impact conditioning tools to improve endurance without beating up your most vulnerable joints, muscles, and connective tissues. You can gradually mix in some running once you’ve established a base of fitness.

So the bottom line is that, if you’re feeling pain while doing an exercise, the form might be wrong or you might be injured. Some runners just run, without doing any cross-training, and they may do the same thing every week. Strength training or weight lifting routine will help those runners to focus on their weaknesses. Also, by varying routines and taking time to recover can help with injury prevention.

Dr. David Chen
Chiropractor in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel Regional Chiropractic