by Yana Dellavedova, Physiotherapist
Running properly during lockdown - How to not get bored, and not get injured.
During the first lockdown, you were likely motivated to jump into an online running program, or maybe you just started running without much of a plan.
Maybe you’ve been running 5 times per week for your sanity, or you just want to be able to run 3km, or you might even be training for a marathon.
Regardless of your running ability, we have seen many, many running injuries in the clinic during this time. Most of these have been as a result of simple mistakes that can be hard to identify when you’re planning your own running.
Read on for the 5 biggest running mistakes we’ve seen, and how to avoid them.
If you’re lacking motivation during this time around in lockdown 2.0, I understand.
We’re seeing many people put a lot of pressure on themselves to run their best pace, or run double the distance they previously did - the pressure is unnecessarily high.
Let’s remember, we’re in a pandemic. If the best that you do during this time is exercise enough for your mental health, and not get injured, then you’re doing great.
If you need some help to get some structure around this, we can help.
There are some basic rules of thumb that will help keep you on the running track, in 2 ways:
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These rules will prevent you from getting bored of the same running loop.
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These rules will prevent you from getting injured to keep you on a running loop full stop.
We’re seeing many runners at the moment that just need some tweaks to their program, that leads to them enjoying their running more, with less niggles, and even IMPROVING their performance with their pace and distance.
SO! Here’s our rules of thumb you can apply to your own running program immediately:
- Have 3 types of runs. A run to aim for pace, a run to aim for distance, and a run where you just run to feel/ clear your head. This 3rd run will not only keep you enjoying running, it will make you actually want to run the following week, instead of crushing yourself in every session.
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Have some days off running! At least 2. On these days, go for a walk, or do a strength training session.
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Do some strength training - even bodyweight! This will not only reduce your risk of injury, but will make your running feel easier.
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Don’t increase everything, every week. This means, you shouldn’t try to increase both your PACE and your DISTANCE at the same time. You’ll likely end up disappointed,either because you’re incredibly tired, or because of injury. Early on, focus on building up some distance. Then, once you’re consistently running at least 3-5km (depending on your goals), add in some pace in a shorter run (for example, a 3km run but faster than normal.)
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Have a de-load week. This means, instead of increasing the difficulty of your sessions every week for ever, try 3 weeks of building up your run, then 1 week of cutting your running distance in half, but keeping the pace (intensity) the same. This allows you to recover mentally and physically, and you’ll experience what is called ‘super compensation’ - the following week when you start to build your runs again will feel amazing!
If you’re unsure how to implement these tips, or you’d like a running program written just for you, I’d encourage you to reach out to an expert in the area - it’ll save you a lot of time and a lot of heart ache down the track.
Stay tuned next week for some common running injuries we’re seeing at the moment - you may even see yourself in the list!
How can we help you?
At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy our goal is to get you moving pain free as soon as possible.
But, we also want you to actually move better and live a healthier, more active and fulfilling life!
If your sports, fitness training or work has been wearing your body down, book in with one of our expert massage therapists so we can help you reduce your pain or stiffness.
If you are showing some signs of this condition or simply want help prevent this from happening in the future then book in with one of our highly experienced Remedial Massage Therapists today!
You can make an appointment by calling 03 9498 0205 or booking online.
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