This is a busy time of the year for runners, as there are lots of races taking place all around the world, including the Ing Route du Vin in Luxembourg, the Berlin Marathon, the Mykonos Running Festival, and the Tui Palma Marathon Mallorca.
Therefore, anyone who likes to run will either be training for a race or taking part in one, which means they are more likely to suffer from an injury.
Common running injuries include patellofemoral pain syndrome, otherwise known as runner’s knee. This is when there is a dull, aching pain in the front of the knee or behind the kneecap.
Other ailments runners suffer from are ankle sprain, achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, chronic hamstring tendinopathy, shin splints, calf strains, and iliotibial band syndrome.
These may be caused by overtraining, muscle weakness, poor technique, large strides, old shoes, not having enough recovery time, or previous trauma to the site.
The best ways to avoid becoming injured range from warming up and cooling down properly to simply buying some good-quality trainers that can cope with the impact of your runs.
It is also important to know when you need to stop and make sure you have enough recovery days so your body can rest. Having a good diet to fuel your body will also help muscle recovery, as well as doing strength training alongside running.
Those who are suffering from injuries need to make sure they get these looked at sooner rather than later, otherwise they will flare up when they hit the pavement again.
It is best to visit a physical therapy clinic that can look at the injury and advise the best course of treatment.
This may be ice therapy to reduce swelling and inflammation, massages to the area, stretching, or alternative forms of exercise while the ache heals. Pain relief, compression and elevation will also help fresh injuries.
