There are many ways to exercise and get into shape to improve your overall health both physical and cardio vascular. One great way to stay in shape is through running because it has been known to burn a lot of calories, unfortunately if you are not careful it can lead to some runners injuries.
Depending on your current weight, a 30 minute cardio session, like running, can burn up to 800 calories. The overall calorie burn will obviously depend on what intensity you performed your workout at. Next, you need to make sure you have the right equipment for your cardio workout, for example when running you’ll need to ensure you have the right pair of running shoes. The better the shoes, the longer and more intense your overall workout which means you burn more calories and feel more energized.
Let’s look at some common runners injuries and how you can take a proactive role in reducing these injuries.
3 Common Injuries From Running.
First, let’s look at some runners foot injuries that you can suffer from, for example, plantar fasciitis which is pain from the heel to the arch of the foot. This is due to having a high arch that can come from genetics and then putting pressure on that spot over several years. Sometimes running shoes have been known to come with a padding inside that has a very high arch which will transform the bottom of your foot overtime when running.
Next, Achilles tendonitis which is pain from the heel and only happens when you land on a curve, climb up the stairs or sudden change of direction. Many times this happens because of running shoes, overtime your muscles fall asleep due to bad form and incorrect shoe type.
Runner’s knee which occurs when you have excessive pain under you knee joint and happens because you have weak thigh muscles, flat feet, overused running shoes and poor running form.
The Foot Type.
Sometimes the pain and injuries you are getting while running can be due to different feet types which will require different running shoes and from when running. For example, some people have flat feet which will require shoes with a built in arch while other have an arch which is too high. Feet that have a high arch may require shoes that support the arch when landing because if not, you’ll have problems running now and in the long run.
The Gender Difference.
You also need to know how female and male feet differ because this will give you a better idea of why there are different shoes for both. For example, women tend to have wider hips and a smaller foot which mean’s their support structure is lacking strength. With hips that are wide come more weight and the need for better support. However, with smaller feet you don’t have that support and you’ll feel that on your knees, hips and especially feet. Males are the other way around, smaller hips means less weight but they also have bigger feet so they can carry any excess weight, if there was any.
How can you prevent these common runners injuries from occurring?
First, to correct bone geometry and hip mechanics there are exercises you can do to tone up the hip muscles. Women who are suffering from wider than normal hips are better off having more toned hips compared to fat on the hips. Fat tends to not act as support when toned muscle can assist in greater motion. For those of you who are suffering from foot problems you can do the following. Those with flat feet can add padding inside that has a slight arch. This will help mold your foot overtime. There are different levels of arch so using each level gradually will give you the good comfortable arch you are looking for. For those will a high arch can get the same padding the fits into the foot arch which will level it when you are running.
It will also be a good idea to make sure that you wear comfortable shoes that are in good condition because shoes that are worn out no longer provide the support they were meant to. Over the years, there has been a lot of research done on how you can prevent injuries while running and how selecting the right pair in running shoes can decrease injuries. Keep a close eye on the condition of your shoes so when they wear out then purchase a brand new comfortable pair.
Hope this article will help you prevent some of the common injuries for runners.
