Top Ways To Prevent Leg Injuries While Running
Most people who engage in jogging or running a few times a day want to avoid injuries that can accompany this activity.
If you run each day around the city or your local park, you will know how much of an impact hitting the pavement hard can have on your legs and feet. Should you get injured with runner’s knee or shin splints, you will then have to duck out of any upcoming competitions, making all of that effort and training a waste of time.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce the odds of developing a leg injury when you are out jogging or running, even if you are a semi-professional or brand new to jogging. In this article, some of the best ways to keep yourself on the move will be discussed, so you can help to prevent incidents and injuries before they happen.
Table of Contents
Ways To Prevent Leg Injuries While Running
Wear Support Sleeves
So, when it comes to exercising muscles, they will need support to move correctly. While it may sound odd, someone can walk, jog or run incorrectly, heightening the chance of them developing an injury.
Luckily, there are many options available that can support your legs as you train, such as a thigh muscle support sleeve or even compression socks. These will help to keep your muscles in place as you move and will help to reduce any inflammation that can occur with heavy exercise. Plus, they are easy to find online and can fit most people’s legs.
Get The Right Kind Of Shoes
If you have ever done speed walking on the pavement in heels or slightly raised shoes, you may have woken up the next day with shin splints or a sore hip, and it’s not surprising!
When it comes to supportive footwear for jogging or running, you will need to ensure that the shoe is tight fitting but not uncomfortable to move around in. This will mean the shoe should fit snugly to your heel but allow a little wiggle room around your toes. Too tight, and you may find that running or jogging starts to hurt and can lead to blisters. Too loose, and you will likely get injured.
Be sure to maintain your running shoes too. If you run or jog every day, you will need to replace them every 400 to 600 miles of movement. This will help to keep your feet safe and will reduce the chance of you developing an injury to your legs, hips, or back.
Read: Ways to Make Your Feet Stop Hurting
Stretch and Flex
It is important that before you start any jogging or running session you loosen up your muscles with some gentle stretches. This will help to loosen out the muscles and keep them limber.
Interestingly, many runners and joggers are discovering the benefits of yoga as a form of side exercise, which can help to keep your legs, hips, and back supple. Just be sure that if you suffer from tight muscles, you gently stretch and stop if you feel any discomfort.
It is also worth warming down at the end of a jog or run, to prevent the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles that can cause cramping and soreness.
Go To The Gym
It is an interesting side note that if your muscles are strong, they are less likely to become damaged or break down. It’s also worth noting that muscle damage caused by an intense jog does not only stop at a sore muscle and can actually lead to the muscle leaking myoglobin into the blood, which can cause the kidneys to shut down and even muscle death.
So, it is well worth investing some time at the gym, or even at home, to build up your muscles. Many runners and joggers have pieces of equipment in their homes such as exercise bikes, which are great for building muscle, without causing injury to the legs via impact.
Build Up Gradually
As mentioned before, if you have muscles that are new to jogging or running and aren’t very developed, then you run the risk of injuring them more seriously.
So, if you are new to running and jogging, you shouldn’t be aiming to hit a 5K run within the first week. Aim to start with shorter runs and jogs, and then gradually increase your level of activity over the coming weeks.
Some joggers and runners state that to prevent injury, you should not increase your intensity and distance during the same week, as it puts too much pressure on the body. So, keep it gradual and always stop if you are in discomfort.
Seek Medical Advice
Before you begin training for a 5K run, or even the hobby of jogging, you should check with your doctor to assess if you are in good health. If you have a heart condition or another underlying health concern, cardiovascular exercise can put additional pressure on your body and can worsen any underlying illnesses.
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