4 Simple Things To Think About
How to Improve Your Running, Prevent Injury & Stay Pain-Free
Let's have Happy Feet
Make it a daily practice, whether standing, walking or running, to be in a position whereby your feet are not flared out like a duck or turned inward (pigeon-toed). Thinking of your foot positioning as an indicator of potential injury may seem unrelated. Still, if your feet are splayed outward, it puts the joints above the feet into the wrong positions. It can slowly damage the soft tissues supporting and surrounding them, eventually leading to pain and swelling (think MCL/Meniscus injuries at the knees).
Let's have Awesome Ankles
Range of motion at the ankles is fundamental to happy running. Limited range of motion is a significant indicator of poor running form. Limited movement at the ankle is a big causative agent in 3 of the most well-known running complaints:
Plantar fasciitis
Achilles problems
Shin splints
A biggie is keeping the tissue above the ankle supple; creating slack in the tissue provides additional slack around which the joint can move.
How do I maintain suppleness?
Use a self-massage tool, such as a trigger ball/ foam roller, as a tracking mechanism and floss the underlying tissue between the respective ball and the weight of the leg. Achieve the flossing mechanism by finding a sore/tight spot, placing the foam roller/trigger ball on it and moving the whole foot such that the toes point up and down. In turn, it mobilises the soft tissue around the ankle and buys some mobility in the ankle, at the shins, calves and front.
Use an old hockey/cricket ball and gently roll the arches of the feet; this builds some flexibility back into the arches.
Use a skipping rope to warm up, as the skipping action closely mimics a running action. Warming up is essential because it prepares the nervous system for action, warms the muscle and connective tissue, and lubricates the joints. It allows the lymphatic and circulatory systems to serve their function. Runners who train and don't cool down are essentially shutting down their lymphatic system, which removes all the nasty by-products of running and sets the stage for poor recovery and increased risk of future injury.
Hydrate! Everybody harps about the importance of hydration, but no one takes it seriously. Considering that our bodies are 80% water and most of our most important body functions depend on water, it makes sense that adequate hydration is essential. Structurally, water is a massive component of the fluids that bathe our joint surfaces, which provide shock absorption and allow for the smooth sliding of different muscular layers against one another. Thus, if inadequately supplied, it will cause a lack of shock absorption capability (think about sore knees post-run), and the lack of sliding between muscular layers can set adhesive bands (think hot spots in the muscles) and that achy and stiff feeling the morning after a long run. Aim for roughly 500ml an hour during the run, and consider supplementing with an electrolyte drink.
Remember to take care of your feet and ankles, warm up, and hydrate for pain-free running.
