We've all been there. After you've finished a long run, you notice your ankle is swelling. Your foot begins to throb and you start limping. What happened?
After a nice long run on uneven terrain, knee and ankle injuries are likely to occur. Below are some of the most common injuries and few tips on how to avoid them.
Stress fractures happen when you repeatedly stomping your foot. Athletes are especially prone to stress fractures if they're not wearing the proper running shoes.
When the foot isn't cushioned, there isn't much protecting the ankle or sole from striking the hard terrain.
If you run for a short distance, this may not be an issue, but if you run for miles, you are at risk.
The best way to prevent stress fractures is to have an x-ray done before you start running to make sure your bones are okay. Then choose a pair of shoes with shock absorbers. These shoes will be a little heavier than traditional running shoes, but the extra padding may just keep you from coming back from a run with an injured foot.
Another common running injury is runner's knee. Due to years of walking and bending, your knee begins to lose cartilage and elasticity as you age.
Unfortunately, this means that when you run regularly, your knees age faster, especially if you aren't running with proper form. When this occurs, you will feel pain and stiffness — both signs that the cartilage around the knee is beginning to break down.
If you are a frequent runner, there isn't much you can do about wearing down the cartilage in your knees — but you can slow the process.
Taking calcium with vitamin D, wearing knee bands, running on a flat surface and using proper running form can all help you reduce the damage that regular running can cause.
both runners and athletes suffer from injuries to their Achilles tendon, which happen when this tendon becomes inflamed.
This inflammation could arise from a tear or repeated stress on the tendon.
Most runners who suffer from this injury are simply add too much distance to their runs. So, to prevent this from occurring, break your long runs into shorter runs throughout the day.
And take in enough protein between runs to help your Achilles recover. Doing so will help because protein builds and repairs muscles. Animal-based foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, eggs and fish are all excellent sources of protein.
Stretching before and after you run also helps alleviate this condition.
Whether you're just starting running or are a seasoned pro, remember these common injuries and how you can avoid them. Doing so could save you a lot of trouble — and, most important of all, if you can avoid these injuries you can keep on running.
