For those of you that enjoy running, it’s more than likely become part of your weekly routine and it can be frustrating when you suffer an injury. Here are some things that you can do that will help you to get back into running after sustaining an injury.
Rule Number 1
10% rule- try and keep your weekly volume within 10% of the previous week (don’t increase or decrease by more than 10%). Consistency is key, slow increases week by week are the safest way to get back to your desired level of running.
Don’t try and pick up where you left off
It’s natural to expect to go back to full training, however during the time off from your fitness the capacity of your tissues can decondition. This may mean that you aren’t able to tolerate the same level of training as before, and you risk re-aggravating the injury or picking up a new injury.
Keep running
Complete rest is sometimes necessary however, with some injuries it may actually be safe to continue with a reduced level of running. This will help to maintain fitness and avoid deconditioning. This will depend on the type of injury and needs to be monitored carefully.
Keep training
Swimming or cycling can help to maintain your fitness levels, whilst specific strengthening exercises can help to build up the injured area.
Technique and footwear assessment
Certain running styles and footwear can increase the load placed on certain tissues. Therefore it is worth having these assessed to see if they are a contributing factor. Especially if your problems have been persisting for a while. If you need any more information about how you can get back into running after sustaining an injury, press this link to find a practice near you.
This blog was written by Adrian Potter.