How To Prevent Running Injuries

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Reebok. I received a Famous Footwear gift card to purchase a pair of Reebok shoes to facilitate my review, teach others how to prevent running injuries and to thank me for participating.

Running gets a bad wrap. So many times I’ve heard from my friends that their physician or chiropractor or dentist (OK, kidding with the dentist) has told them to pick any sport BUT running. I get it, pounding the pavement can cause injuries but so can any other sport. I’m a runner . I’ve completed six marathons and a few half marathons so that means I’ve had to deal with IT band tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, which  trust me,was no fun. But when I look back on it, there were simple things I could have done to avoid the physical therapy visits and weird exercises involving tennis balls. So learn from my mistakes  (kinda like do as I say, not as I do) and learn how to prevent running injuries.

How to Prevent Running Injuries

Strength Training. “Whaaat? You want me to lift weights? I HATE weights and yes I realize hate is a pretty strong word. But I hate bugs and feel the same way about weights so lets just move on.” That’s what I told my physical therapist when he brought up strength training. After giving me a look that I now give my daughter when she’s arguing with me, he explained that strength training doesn’t have to be about lifting dumb bells or using machines. There are many strength exercises you can do with no equipment that will help build your muscle groups which may be underdeveloped. That whole core thing? Yeah, I really don’t have one and one of the reasons other parts of my body were overcompensating.

Proper Form. Who remembers the Friends episode of Phoebe running with Rachel in the park? I remember laughing with tears streaming down my face because a friend of mine had a similar stride and I always laughed when running with him. While everyone has their natural gait, sometimes there are small things you can adjust in your form that will help prevent running injuries. Do you swing your arms when you run? Some people don’t! It’s not just your feet and legs that are doing the work. The rest of your body needs to help out. And who is guilty of carrying their iPhone and gripping it for dear life? Um, that would be me…

Buy The Right Shoes & Replace Them Every 500 Miles. No, I’m not saying buy the pink and grey ones because they are cute (OK, I did that but they also fit correctly and helped with my pronation) instead buy the right shoes for your foot and your running gait. This is one of the easiest ways to prevent running injuries. I’ll give you a little hint on what I do. I go to one of those fancy running stores and try on a ton of shoes, having their experts give me advice on what types of shoes I should be looking for and then I head somewhere like Famous Footwear where the selection is great and the prices are very affordable. When it’s time to replace your shoes, you can do so without breaking the bank.

It’s been quite some time since I put on a pair of Reeboks. I’ve gone though many pairs of running shoes in the last 15 years and it’s been a while for Reebok. I took my new shoes for their maiden voyage – a 3.5 mile run around my neighborhood and I can honestly say the shoes did great. No slipping off my heel, enough room in the toe box and best of all NO BLISTERS! How many people can say that about their brand new running shoes?!

So do what I now do. I’ve worked yoga into my exercise routine to work on building strength, I make sure I’m not awkwardly holding my left arm to my body in an attempt to hang on to my phone and most importantly, buy new running shoes every 500 miles, making sure to get shoes that fit properly.