If You Run, Here Are 5 Steps to Take to Come Back from an Injury

July 11, 2021

by Cathe Friedrich

It’s no secret that running is good for you in moderation. Whether it’s healthy to run marathons is more debatable! Running helps with weight control, boosts immune health, lowers blood pressure, and even gives your mental health and mood a boost. However, injuries happen, and they can take you out of commission for a while.

When you’re on the mend and your doctor says it’s safe to run again, what precautions should you take when you’re getting back into it? No matter how long you’ve been running, it’s important to remember that running is high-impact exercise. Therefore, there are certain precautions you should take when running after an injury. The same applies to any type of high-impact exercise.

Here are some tips to help you ease back into running and stay injury-free.

Get a Running Shoe Consult

Some running injuries are caused by wearing the wrong running shoes. Here are some signs that you may need to see a reputable running shoe store to get fitted for the right pair of running shoes:

Your feet, ankles, knees, or hips hurt after running, even if they were fine before.
You have a history of injuries related to your lower back and legs.
You’re over 40 and suspect that aging has taken its toll on your muscles and joints.
Your running style doesn’t seem to match the way your shoes look and feel.
You’re running on a new surface.
You have foot problems that aren’t related to running, such as bunions or hammertoes.
You see a little wear or tear in your shoes.

It’s important to get an accurate fit for shoes because that will help prevent future injuries. Running shoes are not like other types of footwear, and therefore you should see someone who specializes in fitting these for you to get the right fit.

If you’ve had repeated running injuries, a visit to a sports medicine doctor or a podiatrist will help you determine whether you turn your ankles in or out too much when you run. If so, they can give you special shoes with orthotics to correct the problem.

Keep in mind that research on footwear and running shoes is conflicting. Some studies don’t support the idea that running shoes play a big role in running injuries. However, it makes sense that you should choose a pair that fits properly, supports your feet, and keeps them stable.

Run on Soft Surfaces

If you run on a hard surface like pavement, it’s more likely to cause a running injury because of the impact. Hard surfaces increase the amount of impact on your muscles and joints. Skip the pavement and find a softer running track or consider running on a treadmill instead. The soft running surface will reduce the impact on your body so that you can get back to running more quickly.

Start with Only Five Minutes of Running

After an injury, ease back into running. Start by running for only 5 minutes at a slow pace. If you experience pain, stop running and go back to resting until you can run without pain. Once you’re able to run for 5 minutes without discomfort, add a few more minutes to your running workout every other day.

Keep the pace slow during this transition period; don’t run for speed. Once you can run for 20 minutes without discomfort, start slowly increasing your running pace while monitoring how you feel. Pain or discomfort is a sign you need to cut back and add more rest.

Increase Your Distance Slowly Over Time

Once you can run for 20 minutes at your pre-injury running pace, start increasing your distance gradually to build up your endurance, but don’t rush back into long-distance running. Many runners push too hard and injure themselves again because they try running too much too quickly. Be patient and don’t try to return to your normal mileage right away. Keep a logbook of how far you’re running and any symptoms you have so you can adjust your running distance.

You Need Strength Training Too

Although it’s important to start slow and easy when you’re recovering from an injury, don’t forget to work on strengthening your muscles during this period. It’s easier to avoid injuries if your muscles are strong enough to handle the impact of running. A good balance between strength training and running will help you get back into shape sooner. Building up lower body strength may also help you avoid a future running injury.

However, one downside to running is it does little to strengthen your upper body and core. A strong core is vital if you run. Without a strong core, the necessary energy transfer from center to limbs during running won’t be fully applied. With this, there might be a greater risk of injury when running. A strong core will help you run more efficiently as your posture improves. Core strength will also help your legs retain a more natural footstrike and allow your hips to rotate properly. Devote time to strength training even if your passion is running.

The Bottom Line

As a runner, you know that running is a healthy activity, but bad running habits can lead to injuries. To prevent this, focus on your running form and don’t overtrain. Give yourself enough rest and recovery time between running sessions and balance out running with strength training to further lower your risk of future running injuries. Make sure you’re running safe and balance it out with strength training.

References:

“A Randomized Study of a Strength Training Program to ….” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31642726/.
“Strength Training for Endurance Athletes Part I: Injury ….” 21 May. 2019, barbellmedicine.com/blog/strength-training-for-endurance-athletes-part-i-resistance-training-and-injury-risk/.
“Do Running Shoes Cause or Prevent Injury? – What the ….” 03 Dec. 2020, runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a34863323/do-running-shoes-cause-or-prevent-injury/.
“Injury prevention: shoe facts, shoe fiction.” sportsinjurybulletin.com/injury-prevention-shoe-facts-shoe-fiction/.
“Returning to running after injury.” 10 Jul. 2012, https://www.running-physio.com/returnafterinjury/.
“How to Start Running Again | Return to Running After a Break.” 24 Nov. 2020, https://www.runnersworld.com/beginner/a20844220/7-secrets-for-making-a-comeback/.