What You Need to Know to Avoid or Treat
Running Injuries And
Muscle Soreness

Tips for Avoiding Injury

Don't run every day. One of the most important things to know in order to avoid running injuries is when to take a break. Not only is alternating between running and other exercise better for you, but it's more fun to break up the training too.

When you run or do any other exercise, you are damaging muscle. Then it rebuilds itself better than ever. But you must give it a chance to rebuild itself. So make sure you take one day a week off and don't do any exercise at all. How's that for fun!?

Run three or four days out of the week and the other one or two days, try something else. Swimming or pilates are great for an entire body workout and for strengthening your core. But anything will work. Give your joints a break and go for weight training, yoga, stretching, cross-country training, jumping jacks, a thorough cleaning of house, carrying groceries, chasing your baby, biking, anything!

For some ideas of non-running exercise for the runner, click here.

Be sure to stretch. In order to avoid injury, it is very important to stretch after your workout. In addition, I recommend taking one day a week and doing some extra stretching.

Stretching is important for any workout, but it is especially important for runners and even more important for runners who are pregnant or nursing. Here are some stretching ideas.

Fuel your run with Nutritious meals and snacks. One thing that can cause running injuries and muscle soreness is not getting enough hydration.

My coach always said, "If you wait before you are thirsty to have a drink, you have waited too long." You want to continue drinking throughout your run, but in small amounts so as to avoid stomach cramps.

It is important to stay fueled, and to eat a nutritious diet. This can even help you avoid pain and injury. For recommendations for the running diet, click here.

Slow down. If you're out of breath, you are probably running too fast and increasing your risk of running injuries. You should be able to hold a conversation while you are running.

Other causes of breathlessness can be running-induced asthma and being overweight. If you are overweight to the point that no matter how slow you run, you can't catch your breath, try walking or another form of exercise until you loose enough weight to be able to run, even if you do so very slowly, without becoming breathless.

If you think you might have asthma, talk to your doctor about getting an asthma pump. I trained with a running mom last year that had asthma, and she carried a pump which she used before and during her run, whenever she was feeling breathless. She could run way faster than me.

Treating Running Inuries

If you are suffering a running injury, check out this interview with my friend Natalie which will give you some support and advice on how to treat and avoid running injuries.

Treating Specific Injuries

How to manage running back pain.

How to Manage Running Knee Pain

Foot Pain While Running

Treating Injuries and Muscle Soreness

Chafing Relief and Prevention

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