To contact us Click HERE
By David Horne
Running is one of the mostheavily participated sports and recreational activities in the world.However, from a young age, we are told to go out on the streets and rununtil we are tired. This may be alright for a while but further on downthe road you will be likely to sustain an overuse injury that takes awayyour passion for running.
In order to make running alifetime activity you need to be aware of some of the contributingfactors that lead to common running injuries. Once you acknowledge theseinjury-causing factors, then you can develop the right plan for you.This applies to both the recreational runner as well as the competitiverunner.
To ensure that you gain the mostout of your training sessions, while also reducing the risk ofsustaining an injury, be sure to take note of the following mistakesmade by many athletes and coaches.
Excessive hill running can often lead to excessive demands placed on the calf muscles (possible shin splints). Shin splints are an absolute nightmare for a runner. This type of injury can put you out of running for months.
Excessive downhill running can lead to increased stress on the quadriceps muscle. Most athletes say that running downhill is easier, however, it is just as tough on your body as running uphill.
Running in one direction allthe time (track work or running around the tennis court, footballfield, etc.) can cause excessive pronation on the inside leg. Once again, this can be easily fixed by alternating directions in which you run.
Running on unforgiving surfaces/street running (high impact).Asphalt is not an appropriate running surface. This is one of the majorcauses of knee and hip injuries for runners. Roads are made for carsand not runners! If you must run on asphalt, add in some runs on a grasssurface.
Lack of variety in your training sessions can lead to overuse injuries, as well as mental boredom.Select different workouts each week. Do you always run the same route,in the same direction, each time? If so, vary where you run, thedistance you run, as well as the intensity of the run.
Running on an uneven surface, such as a grass field.Often athletes try to avoid the hard surface of the streets so theydecide to run on uneven fields, which can lead to injuries of the feet. Ilove running on ovals as they are more friendly on my body. But Ichoose not to run on a football ground, as I know that the surface islikely to be uneven and full of holes. Most recreational parks arebetter.
Increasing training volume too quickly (allow for individual progression).This is a tough one for highly driven individuals who thrive on pushingthemselves. Have a plan and follow it. Even if you feel that you canpush yourself and run that extra mile, hold back!
Increasing the pace or speed at which you run too quickly (can be achieved slowly through Fartlek training).Try and stick with your plan and run at a similar speed before you getinto your next phase. As we improve we often want to run faster.Increasing both the speed and distance of your run at the same time canlead to injury.
It is important to wear the proper footwear when you run.Encourage your athletes to change from their normal sports shoes (eg.tennis shoes, basketball shoes) to running shoes prior to starting theirrun. Wearing tennis or basketball shoes while running long distanceswill lead to injuries. They don't provide the required support for thefeet.
Recognize that each individual will have their own pace and level of endurance, so set individual goals for each athlete.When running in a group at a set pace, that pace may be comfortable forsome runners, but too fast for others. Divide your athletes into twoeven groups. This is often a big flaw for many coaches of sports teams.We have all been guilty of doing this in the past, but you must allowfor the individual abilities of athletes.
Running long distances inextreme weather conditions, such as freezing temperatures, hot and humidconditions or even when there has been a high pollution alert levelgiven by the weather bureau. My tennis coach in college would oftenmake our team run at 7:00a.m. in the morning, in the middle of winter,in North Carolina. As you could imagine we would often suffer frombronchitis and other common respiratory ailments. Unfortunately, minedeveloped into pneumonia … so, make sure the environmental conditionsare appropriate for running.
Be smart when you run and your body will thank you for it!
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder