For people around the globe, running is a popular exercise that enriches the body and mind. According to Statista, nearly 50 million Americans engaged in some sort of running or jogging activity in 2021. As an exercise, it likely remains popular because you can do it in many places, and beyond a good pair of shoes, running doesn’t require any special equipment for you to do it properly.
Running has many great long-term benefits to physical fitness, such as improving cardiovascular health. It also has a number of mental health benefits, including improved memory and focus, elevated mood, and slowed cognitive decline.
Though running has many benefits, there is still a certain degree of risk involved. Any time you engage in physical activity, there is a chance of injury, and running is no different. Around 50% of regular runners get injured each year, so it is important to take efforts to minimize the chances of injury.
It’s also important for runners to be proactive about taking care of injuries while training. Failure to address injuries as soon as they occur could lead to more long-term issues.
Injury prevention
Preventing injuries while running takes a mix of proactive and reactive measures. Understanding your limits, making proper preparations and taking time to cool down and recover from a run are all important parts of avoiding injury during the exercise.
The most important thing is to understand and take steps that can help you avoid an injury that could set back your training regimen while you take time off to recover.
Before a run
When preparing for a run, try to set a realistic goal for how far and fast you want to go. Choose a distance and pace that doesn’t go too far out of your comfort zone, or you could risk overexerting yourself and getting injured.
Before a run — or any type of exercise — it’s important to stretch the relevant muscle groups and perform some warm-up exercises. This helps ease your muscles into activity, and allows you to avoid putting too much stress on them during the actual run.
You should also prepare by wearing the right clothing for a run. Choosing the right footwear can be one of the best ways to help protect yourself from running injuries since good shoes can reduce the stress and impact of running. Clothing is also important. Make sure you wear something flexible that allows a full range of movement. If you are running while it is getting dark, make sure to wear something bright or reflective to improve your visibility as well.
During a run
Running is a strenuous activity that takes a lot of energy, focus and strength.
While running, it can become easy to feel the need to push yourself. You may feel pressured to run just a little harder or faster, especially if you can see the end in sight. However, if you have started to experience any pain or unexplainable discomfort, it’s best to stop running in order to prevent further injury.
Depending on your surroundings, running can begin to feel repetitive and gives your mind the opportunity to wander. However, it’s important to stay focused on your running form, which can help avoid injury. It can even make your movements more efficient, which can help make the most of your stamina and endurance.
Staying hydrated while you’re running is also key to avoiding injury. Water helps to lubricate joints, regulate blood flow and control body temperature. Because intense exercise can cause the body to lose water through sweat, it’s important to replenish this fluid in order to avoid dehydration.
After a run
Following a run, you may feel too exhausted to want to do anything. Especially if you’ve run a long distance, it may seem like the most natural response is to sit or lie down, and immediately rest. However, cool-down exercises are important for transitioning from high to normal activity.
It’s also important to take time to rest between sessions. Running too much without proper rest between sessions can also lead to muscle fatigue, which can cause muscles to become overworked. Even if you haven’t experienced an injury, it’s worthwhile to take a day or two to rest between intense running sessions.
Common injuries for runners
Running is a vigorous activity that puts strain on particular body parts, joints and muscle groups. As such, injuries to the feet, legs and associated joints and tendons are common among runners.
A commonality among all of these injuries is that you can often prevent them or reduce the risks through proper running etiquette before, during and after a run. Poor running form, hard or uneven running surfaces, and worn-out or improperly fitting shoes can all increase the chances of injury.
Ankle sprain
A sprained ankle is an injury that occurs when the ligaments supporting the ankle stretch or tear. These ligaments help to stabilize the joint during motion, so a sprain can result in pain, and difficulty bearing weight. The ankle may also become swollen.
Running on uneven terrain, such as trails, can make it easier to accidentally roll your ankle, which can stretch or tear the ligaments. If not treated properly, an ankle sprain can cause you to lose range of motion and stability, which can increase the likelihood of a repeated injury.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is when the thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes becomes inflamed. Symptoms include pain near the heel that can increase gradually or can occur suddenly. This tissue supports the arch of the foot, so it is important for running and walking.
This injury is typically the result of a sudden increase in activity level, wearing improperly fitting shoes, or running on an uneven surface. High arches or flat feet can also affect weight distribution in such a way that it puts added stress on the tissue, leading to inflammation.
Treatment may involve over-the-counter pain medication, rest and ice. It may also call for physical therapy to help lessen the workload on your foot tissue. In some rare cases, surgery may be recommended. Plantar fasciitis may also be a sign of other underlying medical conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, so consulting with a medical professional is recommended.
Achilles tendinitis
A common sports injury, Achilles tendinitis is an irritation or inflammation of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon connects your heel bone to your calf muscle. If the condition is left untreated, the tendon could begin to deteriorate or rupture, resulting in chronic pain or difficulty walking.
Symptoms of Achilles tendinitis include pain and stiffness along the tendon in the morning, pain along the tendon and in the back of the heel that increases with activity, and severe pain the day after exercise.
Treatment often involves a mix of rest, anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy that focuses on stretching and strengthening the calf muscles. If the condition persists, your doctor may prescribe surgery to repair the damage, strengthen the calf or replace the tendon.
Stress fractures
A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone that occurs due to repeated stress and impact from an activity like running. Because of their role in standing, walking and running, the lower body’s weight-bearing bones — like the foot, heel and lower leg — are more prone to stress fractures.
Because a fracture isn’t as severe as a break, treatment can be less demanding, however, it is still important to consult a physician in order to recover properly. If the wound fails to heal properly on its own, or if it is in a location that could cause further complications, it may be necessary to receive surgery.
Because stress fractures tend to develop over time, these injuries can be more common in those who neglect to rest between training sessions. Running on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt can also increase the risk of these injuries, especially if you’re running with inadequate footwear.
Runner’s knee
Patellofemoral pain syndrome, or runner’s knee, is a common ailment among runners that results in pain in front of the knee and around the kneecap. Runner’s knee can have numerous causes, such as poor foot support, overuse, weak thigh muscles or structural defect.
Runners who experience knee pain, or a grinding or clicking sound when bending and straightening the knee should consult a medical professional to see if they are suffering from runner’s knee.
Diagnosis may require X-ray imagery. Treatment often involves rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Pulled muscles
When a muscle becomes overstretched or torn, it is referred to as a pulled muscle. Most people with this injury recover within a few weeks with rest and over-the-counter medicine. However, if a pulled muscle results in the inability to move a body part, then it should be examined by a doctor who specializes in muscle pain.
Runners can pull muscles in a number of ways. It could be caused by improperly warming up before or cooling down after a run. Poor running form can also put increased stress on certain muscles, increasing the chances of a pulled muscle.
If you believe you’ve experienced a pulled muscle during a run, consult with a medical professional to assess the severity and any necessary treatment options.
When to visit urgent care for injuries
If you experience an injury while running, you should stop running immediately. Even if the injury seemed mild, it could be worse than it initially appears. Furthermore, continuing to put stress and exertion on the injury could cause you more harm and exacerbate the damage.
You should have a doctor look at soft tissue injuries to muscles or tendons as soon as possible. However, if you suspect there is damage to the bone, such as a fracture, it’s best to go to urgent care and seek immediate help. These types of injuries will likely require a cast and walking support like crutches in order to heal properly.
Recovery options post-injury
A good place to start is by visiting your regular physician. Whatever medical help you seek, it’s important that you make sure care providers are all on the same page. Help coordinate your care among multiple doctors by making sure you follow their recommendations, and asking for copies of your medical records. This can help make it easier to keep track of sometimes-complicated medical language and clearly explain medical history to other physicians.
After an incident, you may want to consult with a doctor knowledgeable about running injuries, such as a podiatrist. These doctors will likely have experience with these types of injuries and will be able to prescribe remedies such as physical therapy sessions. They may also have good advice for lower-impact forms of exercise that may be appropriate while avoiding worsening any injuries.
Additional resources for runners
The following resources offer advice, tips and help for runners to avoid and respond to injury.
- Running Injury Clinic: This page offers videos, tools and other resources dedicated to helping runners prevent, recognize and recover from different types of injury.
- Runner’s World: This page provides advice for training, choosing running equipment and staying safe while running. Some resources on the site are free, while others require a paid membership to access.
- The Science of Running: This resource offers information and courses for runners and coaches. This includes blog articles, podcasts and a digital mentorship program.
- Runner Safety Tips: This page offers advice for runners, focusing on ways to stay safe while running, such as running with a group and maintaining awareness.
- Running Safety Tips and Personal Safety Products: On this page, readers can find a list of safety tips as well as products to help them be safer while running.
- Running Apps: This guide describes different apps that help with various aspects of running. Some apps simply track runs, while more sophisticated options can track vital statistics like heart rate.