Running in Western Colorado is one of the most satisfying exercise (and hobby) there is. The cold wind breezes your skin as you run faster, the Western Colorado scenery you take in and numerous cardio benefits running provides. But sometimes, just like any other physical activities, runners have a risk of injury. Research shows newbie runners are in very high risk of getting an injury.
Whether you run for exercise or you run because you want to compete in marathons, knowing how to run safely and how to reduce your chances of getting injuries should always be on your top priority.
Most common runner’s injuries
Runner’s knee, hamstring pull, shin splints are some of the common injuries that have been reported for runners according to GQ. The excessive muscle tears, overload on your hips and feet due to improper running posture, increasing running distance volume quickly and also running too fast are all part of the reason why such injuries happen. Although some people are more prone to injuries because of clumsiness, lack of knowledge on proper running execution and also your personal health status. According to a research published by Plos One Journal, risk of running injuries can be clustered into three groups; personal factor, running/training factors, and health/lifestyle related factors:
- Personal factors – every runner should assess their selves first before doing a long-distance run. According to the latter research, runner’s age, gender, height and also their genes plays a role in determining injury risk.
- Running and training factors – the amount of time you put on running, the distance you run and also how comfortable your running shoes are, should also be a considerable factor to avoid injuries.
- Health and Lifestyle factors – Your overall health also have something to say whether you’re vulnerable to running injuries. Smoking and previous injuries of an individual also plays a part when one would likely get injured.
Minimize Injuries
Learning about soft-tissue injuries will lead to prevention. Watch YouTube videos of professional runners, learn the proper warm up and buying a comfortable and reliable running shoes are some of the best tips for newbie runners. Long time runners can benefit on individualized chiropractic treatment to loosen stiff joints and tight muscles. Improving stability and strength of the tissues in your hips, legs and feet helps too. You can also opt for massage therapy to relax and soothe fatigued legs and feet. Regularly training and slowly increasing the distance of running can be both beneficial to newbie and long-time runner. This prepares the soft tissue for the beneficial stress on your tissues. In essence, it’s making you more resilient and strong.
Listen to Your Own Body
Sometimes, even if you want to push yourself harder because you want to prove something to yourself only results in an injury. This also more common for a long-time and long-distance runner trying to push oneself to their own breaking point. But pain and injuries should also not be one’s ticket to stop permanently. Pain means you need an evaluation or a reduction or break may be helpful too.
If you’re a runner, than you know how great massage therapy is. Massage relaxes tense muscles after a long run and aides the body for healing minor “tissue issues”. Find an expert in preventive care specifically for running injuries in your nearby area. Preventive care is always more affordable than recovery care.
How does COOR Wellness help runners?
If you’re an injured runner near Grand Junction, Colorado you can schedule a 10-minute of free consultation to tell us what’s going on. Besides massage therapy and chiropractic, COOR Wellness also has health and wellness coaching . Our coaching program has helped runners develop programs that help them run 6 days a week without having any pain.
If you’re interested in checking out their free 10-minute free consultation, you can just click here.