I have a guest post for you today written by Dr. Antti Rintanen. I’m sure that you will find it interesting.

Running is more than just putting one foot in front of the other – it’s a full-body activity that demands balance, coordination, and rhythm. While it’s often celebrated for its cardiovascular benefits, running also places unique stresses on the musculoskeletal system. As a doctor with a passion for biomechanics and injury prevention, I’d like to share how thoughtful attention to posture and technique can dramatically improve your running performance – and reduce the risk of injury.

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Why Posture Matters in Running

Postural health refers to the alignment and function of the body during movement and at rest. For runners, poor posture can lead to inefficient mechanics, excessive strain on joints and muscles, and ultimately injury.

Injury-prone runners often present with a combination of overuse syndromes – think IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee – and posture-related dysfunctions like forward head posture, rounded shoulders, or anterior pelvic tilt. These issues don’t always start with running, but they are often exacerbated by poor running form [1].

A runner with good posture maintains an upright yet relaxed stance, with the head stacked over the shoulders, the shoulders aligned with the hips, and the hips aligned with the feet. This alignment allows for efficient forward momentum, reduced impact forces, and optimized muscle recruitment.

Common Postural Faults in Runners

Let’s take a closer look at three of the most common postural issues I see in runners and how they affect performance:

1. Forward Head and Rounded Shoulders

Hours spent at desks or staring at screens encourage a hunched upper body. When you run in this position, your breathing becomes shallow, your arm swing is restricted, and your upper body can’t assist in propulsion. Over time, this posture can also strain your neck and upper back. In fact, poor posture has been shown to limit respiratory efficiency and reduce vital capacity [2].

2. Overstriding with Heel Striking

Overstriding – landing with your foot well ahead of your body’s center of mass – is a form and posture issue. It increases braking forces, wastes energy, and amplifies the load on the knees and hips. Research confirms that a higher step rate reduces joint loading and improves efficiency [3].

3. Pelvic Drop or Tilt

Weak glutes and core muscles can cause the pelvis to dip side-to-side (Trendelenburg gait) or tilt forward excessively. This poor alignment disrupts gait mechanics and overloads the lower back and hamstrings [1].

Key Principles for Postural Running

Improving your posture doesn’t mean becoming rigid. Instead, it’s about developing awareness and making small, consistent adjustments. Here are four doctor-approved principles to help injury-prone runners like you improve postural health through technique:

1. Run Tall

Think of a string gently pulling you upward from the crown of your head. This simple cue encourages an upright, aligned posture that allows for better breathing, efficient core engagement, and optimal force transfer through the legs.

Keep your gaze forward (about 10-15 meters ahead), your shoulders relaxed, and your arms swinging naturally at your sides. Avoid looking down at your feet – this shortens your neck muscles and shifts your weight backward.

2. Engage the Core

Your core muscles – abdominals, obliques, back extensors, and pelvic floor – play a central role in stabilizing the spine and pelvis during running. A strong, engaged core keeps your torso stable, reduces energy leaks, and helps prevent compensatory overuse of the lower back and hips [4].

Before you run, activate your core with exercises like dead bugs, bird dogs, or planks. During your run, think of gently bracing your midsection as though someone were about to tap your stomach – not tensing, just stabilizing.

3. Shorten Your Stride, Increase Cadence

Many posture-related running injuries stem from overstriding. Shortening your stride and increasing your cadence (step rate) helps you land more under your body, reduces ground contact time, and promotes a more efficient midfoot strike [3].

Aim for a cadence of 170-180 steps per minute as a general guide. You don’t need to hit this perfectly, but moving in that direction can help you find your body’s natural rhythm. A good cue is to imagine “running quietly” – minimizing the noise and impact of each step.

4. Use Arm Swing for Balance and Postural Stability

Your arms don’t just hang – they help maintain balance and rhythm. While research on arm swing’s direct effect on running economy is mixed, studies suggest that restricted or asymmetrical arm movement can compromise running stability and coordination [5].

Keep your elbows at about 90 degrees and swing them back and forth in rhythm with your stride. The motion should come from the shoulders, not the hands. A smooth arm swing helps keep your trunk stable and aligned.

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Strength Training and Postural Support

Running alone doesn’t build the postural strength needed to maintain proper form over time. That’s where targeted strength training comes in. Focus on:

• Glutes: Exercises like hip thrusts, bridges, and lateral band walks
• Core: Dead bugs, planks, Pallof presses
• Upper Back: Rows, reverse flys, and scapular retractions

These muscles support upright posture, hip stability, and spinal alignment. Incorporate two strength sessions per week to build the endurance needed to maintain form deep into your runs [4].

Breathing and Posture: The Missing Link

Another underappreciated connection: how we breathe influences how we hold ourselves. Poor posture restricts the diaphragm’s ability to expand, which limits oxygen intake. Conversely, efficient breathing reinforces better posture [2].

Try this: mid-run, check if your breathing feels shallow or strained. If so, scan your posture – are you slouching, leaning forward, or holding tension in your shoulders? Reset by taking a deep belly breath, lifting your chest slightly, and re-centering your stride.

Listen to Your Body

Postural awareness is a skill you can cultivate. Don’t obsess over perfect form, but pay attention to discomfort, fatigue, or repetitive aches – they’re often signs that posture and technique need adjusting.

Running form is dynamic, and your body changes with fatigue, terrain, and pace. Use the early miles of your run to dial in form, and the latter miles to maintain it.

Final Thoughts

Enhancing your postural health through mindful running technique doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Small, consistent improvements in alignment, cadence, and muscle engagement can lead to noticeable gains in performance – and a welcome reduction in injury risk.

For injury-prone runners like Emma and many of The PhD Runner’s readers, a posture-focused approach can be the key to not just running farther or faster, but running longer into life.

If you’re interested in more evidence-based tips on running and postural health, feel free to visit my site, The Internet Doctor, where I translate complex doctor knowledge into actionable advice for everyday athletes.

Happy running – and stay upright out there!

About the Author

Dr. Antti Rintanen is a Finnish medical doctor with a background in engineering and a special interest in biomechanics, injury prevention, and performance optimization. He is the founder of The Internet Doctor, where he translates complex doctor knowledge into practical advice for everyday athletes. When he’s not writing or consulting, you’ll find him running trails or analyzing the science of movement.

References

[1] L. M. Powers, “The influence of abnormal hip mechanics on knee injury: a biomechanical perspective,” J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 42–51, 2010. https://www.jospt.org/

[2] J. Han, S. Park, Y. Kim, Y. Choi, and H. Lyu, “Effects of forward head posture on forced vital capacity and respiratory muscles activity,” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 128–131, Jan. 2016. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/

[3] A. R. Heiderscheit, T. S. Chumanov, B. J. Michalski, T. W. Wille, and D. G. Ryan, “Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running,” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 296–302, 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

[4] D. M. Willson, J. D. Dougherty, M. J. Ireland, and I. K. Davis, “Core stability and its relationship to lower extremity function and injury,” J. Am. Acad. Orthop. Surg., vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 316–325, 2005. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

[5] J. R. Fletcher, S. P. Esau, and B. R. MacIntosh, “Changes in tendon stiffness and running economy in highly trained distance runners,” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 110, no. 5, pp. 1037–1046, Nov. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

**Full disclosure: I didn’t receive any payment for sharing this guest post. The first two photographs were obtained from Pexels**

]]> https://thephdrunner.com/2025/05/28/enhancing-postural-health-a-doctors-take-on-running-techniques/feed/ 0 35193 https://thephdrunner.com/2020/09/17/resistance-band-warm-up-for-runners/ https://thephdrunner.com/2020/09/17/resistance-band-warm-up-for-runners/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2020 11:30:58 +0000 https://thephdrunner.com/?p=10600 I have another guest post for you this morning provided by Sarah who represents Victorem, a brand that specialises in resistance bands. Thanks Sarah. Although I use resistance bands on an almost daily basis, I haven’t personally used Victorem resistance bands. I wasn’t provided any Victorem resistance bands to review, so I don’t feel I’m in a position to recommend them or to provide any feedback on them.

Resistance bands are fabulous tools to have in your runner’s kit. Warming up with resistance bands will help you improve your performance. How? By not only building your strength but your flexibility and sense of balance too.

It’s essential to warm up before every run to avoid injury and help you run with better form. You want to warm up with exercises that mimic the movements you do when you run.

And when we say warm-up, we don’t mean static stretching! Static stretching is what you want to do after a run, as it relaxes the muscles. Doing static stretching before a run can actually slow you down.

The best kind of warm-up before running is a dynamic one. You want to increase your joints’ range of movement, which is where resistance bands come into their own. Doing a dynamic warm-up also increases your heart rate and literally gets you ready to run!

Here are the exercises to ensure you are properly warmed up before running.

1.Leg swings

For this exercise, you can use a long resistance band. Leg swings stretch your hamstrings and open up your hip flexors.

• Stand on one leg with the resistance band underneath the middle of your foot. Both hands should be holding the ends of the band.
• Raise your hands as high as you wish to get the optimum level of resistance.
• Balance on the other foot while swinging the banded leg from side to side in front of you.
• Keep your back straight. Tuck in your pelvis.
• Do 15 reps on each leg.

Note: If balancing is difficult for you, hold one hand on a fence or swing.

2.Lateral band walks

To do this exercise, you’ll need a hip circle resistance band.

• Put the hip circle band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Keep your back straight at all times. You can rest your hands on your hips.
• Now walk crab-style to the right, bringing your far foot to meet the other foot each time.
• When you’ve taken enough steps, repeat on the other side.

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3.Squats

• Put the hip circle band around your thighs and sink into a low squat while you exhale. Ensure your back is straight and that you are leaning slightly forward with your pelvis tucked in.

Variation: You can do lateral squats if you wish, moving to the right for ten steps and then back across to the left.

4.Forward lunges

• Use a longer resistance band, wrapping it around your thighs.
• Put one foot far forward and sink into a low lunge so that the back knee is almost touching the ground.
• Come up and put the other foot forward.
• Work your way across for at least 20 reps total.

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5.Hip flexor marches

• For this exercise, wrap the resistance band around the middle of both feet and stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• March in place while working against the resistance of the band.
• Your knees need to be bent at a 90-degree angle and your back should stay straight.
• Start with ten reps for each leg and work your way up to 15-20 reps per leg.

Variation: You can play with the speed of this exercise. Try marching very slowly and pausing at the top each time.

6.Sumo squat walks

This exercise will work your adductors.

• Put the resistance band around your thighs and stand in a sumo stance.
• The sumo stance is a squat but with your feet turned slightly outward.
• Sink into a low squat and take ten steps forward while in the squat position.
• Take ten steps back to start. You should feel the burn!

7.Banded dead bug

This exercise doesn’t sound very nice, but it’s excellent for your legs and back. The banded dead bug exercise also really works your abs.

• Lying on your back, raise your legs. Both knees need to be bent at a 90-degree angle and lifted in the air.
• Lift your arms straight up in the air (this is being a dead bug). You want both arms to be perpendicular to your body on the ground.
• Now kick your right leg out and down so that your foot is one inch off the ground.
• Reach out your left arm behind you at the same time. Hold for a few seconds, then return to start. That’s one rep.
• Repeat on the left side, and do as many reps as needed.

I hope you enjoy this resistance band warm-up for runners!

**Full disclosure: I didn’t receive form of payment or compensation for sharing this guest post. All photographs were purchased by the PR company and downloaded from Shutterstock using a standard licence that allows unlimited web distribution **

I had always found running long distances hard, even as a young person playing lots of different sports. I just never had that extra bit in my lungs and felt that my energy levels just dropped away, although my body itself felt like it could go on.

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As a result of this, I concentrated on staying fit in more a sport-specific way. For squash, I would do court sprints and play as many matches as I could, the same for tennis and I learned how to stay fit for cricket by doing short sharp bits of work rather than long runs.

So over the years, long distance running or even jogging never featured in my fitness routine. As I got older I started lifting weights and trying to pack on a bit more size, and to me, when every calorie was precious, long bouts of cardio were off-limits.

Why I needed to run

It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I decided to try and play tennis competitively again. Not professionally of course, but county standard and generally trying to play at the highest level I could. My technique was there, and I added strength in the right places in order to prevent niggling injuries I had picked up in the past. But the issue became my stamina.

The old issue came up again, 25 years after the last time it had become a problem.

Cycling didn’t tax my lungs enough but it did burn out my legs and back. Skipping was great but again, my lower back didn’t appreciate loads of it, and just playing over and over again was not practical in terms of getting into a place where my lungs were working overtime.

So, I decided to try running again… and here is what I found problematic, and how I remedied it where possible.

Shin Splints

It wasn’t long after I started to try and run a bit more that the shin splints started kicking in. It normally started within about 2-3 minutes of running but was very much worse when waking up in the mornings.

If you have ever had this annoying condition, you will know there is no fast cure. It is normally rest to get rid of them, and then finding out what causes them and attempting to address that. Mentally I don’t deal well with being injured, but being injured as a runner is even more mentally challenging.

In my case, I dealt with it in part by going to a running shop, had my gait analysed, and tried the running shoes recommended for my foot size, shape etc. Even on the machine in the shop, I felt about 15 stone lighter and had a real spring through my toes.

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Since wearing them I have not had shin splints at all. All down to the way my instep landed with different shoes I believe.

Energy

As you may know Dear Reader, movement gets harder and less inviting as the years advance. In my case I really noticed a change in my energy levels, often affected by stress, worry, and all the other things that come with greater responsibility, I battled non-stop (and still do) with finding the energy to run.

Somehow sport is different, I can get up for playing a game and find energy in competition or trying a new technique. With running I just couldn’t visualise having enough energy to get enough miles in.

So, I decided the only way was to artificially produce the vision, by spiking my nutrition and convincing my mind I was building up to a run, and fuelling my body to achieve it. A bit of a ritual if you will.

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The ritual involved planning roughly when I would run, and deciding to eat something carb-heavy about 2-3 hours beforehand. I would then try and squeeze in some nap time directly after eating, before rising and drinking something with glucose and a dash of salt in it. Not pleasant but the simple sugars felt like they were starting to kick in.

I then pounded something high in sugars about 10 minutes before running, normally my favourite pre-workout of a can of Coke (I know, I know) but I prefer that to pre-workouts and it is all I need.

This little routine had me amped and certainly tweaking a little from the sugar, but it blasted me into the run, and the slower acting carbs I had eaten earlier felt like they were fuelling me for the long haul.

The road was not my friend

I quickly discovered that my back and hips did not love pounding the pavements. They would both start screaming at me after a certain amount of time on the roads, especially where I live, which is uneven and slightly up and down in places.

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I tried running trails but the wonder shoes I referenced above were not designed to go anywhere wet, muddy, or even slightly uneven.

So, I admit I had to start using the treadmill. This may not sound that exciting, but it was a way of getting in the miles without hurting myself, plus I was in the dry and could watch something on my phone at the same time.

This for me was a game-changer as watching something really helped me pass the time and I made sure I watched things that motivated me to help me go that little bit further. I always need a push, and these videos became a shove, so I solved two problems at once.

Starting to run in middle age was not easy, and it is not perfect or indeed anything like what I thought it would be. It is not the scenic, beautiful open-air experience I imagined but as they say, it is what it is, and at the moment, it works for me.

So, thanks for sharing your running experiences Oli, I could personally relate to a lot of your experiences. If you want to check out Oli’s blog, please head to The Sporting Blog, if fitness and training is your thing, the blog has a whole section dedicated to fitness and training.

**Full disclosure: I didn’t receive any payment for sharing this guest post. All photographs were obtained from Pexels**

If you, like most of us, have been unable to miss the resurrection of cycling over recent months, you may be wishing to join the new ranks of cyclists flooding our roads, parks, and cycle routes.

If you don’t know where to start, here are five top tips I believe you need to know to get yourself saddle ready and back on your bike:

Tip 1: Get the right bike

You don’t have to buy a brand new bike from the kickoff. If you have an old bike, dust it off, check the brakes and the gears are working properly, and enjoy it. Getting on the bike is the only way to know what kind of cycling you enjoy. If you do decide to buy, consider second hand for both the financial and environmental benefits.

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If you are buying a bike, first consider the kind of riding you want to do and the typical route. If it is hilly – make sure you get a bike with enough gears to handle it, if you are commuting then 3-6 gears should be enough to get you up and down most town and city hills. If you are looking to road or mountain bike you will want to consider more than 10 gears to manage the rougher terrain.

Secondly, take into consideration the weight of the bike. Modern road bikes are all designed to be very light so even the heaviest will do you well – but aim to go as light as possible. For commuter bikes, the weight can be an issue. The heavier Dutch-style bikes often look very beautiful but they are hard work if you are peddling uphill, lifting it up canal path stairs, or storing it in your flat.  As a guide 10-12 kgs is pretty heavy, still easy to cycle especially if the route is quite flat but you will notice it on an incline. So factor in the weight of the bike if you have a lot of hills to conquer or you need to store it inside.

There are some great commuting bikes available, which are beautifully made, pretty light, and have real style. For a British made bike with some serious looks check out Temple Cycles and there is also the ever chic Tokyo Bike and Crème Cycles.

If you don’t have much space, the Brompton bike is always a great solution.

Tip 2: Get in position

Too often, I see cyclists with a bad seat position set up – usually, it’s far too low so they’re overworking and are putting unnecessary strain on their knees.  To set up your bike properly, this is the simplest way: The Heel to Pedal method. It might not be what cyclists in the Tour de France use but it will get you close to the perfect position. Here’s how:

1. Sit on the bike whilst holding onto a wall or chair for stability.
2. Place your heel on the pedal and pedal back to 6 o’clock position. Your knee should be completely straight.
3. Increase the height of your saddle until it is straight; that is your perfect position.
4. If you are just cycling around town the first time and aren’t 100% confident on the bike, it’s a good idea to lower it from this position ever so slightly. This will make it is easier to put your foot on the ground when you want to stop. This will give you confidence on the bike from the get go. Once you are happy in the saddle you can lift the saddle back up to the correct height.

Tip 3: Ease your back

Taking the bag from your back and onto the bike is a real joy. It takes the strain off your spine and also reduces back sweat – something a backpack seems to create in very un-natural quantities.

The solution is a pannier rack. They attach over the back wheel of your bike and you can attach pannier bags and baskets on them to carry whatever you need. As the rack is on the back of your bike, not the front, and is low on the bike, it doesn’t affect your steering or stability, so they will help you feel more secure on your bike.

Hill & Ellis has a range of stylish bike bags that all attach securely to your pannier bike rack. They are also designed to look smart so are the perfect accessory for the work commute.

Tip 4: Plan ahead

Your route is crucial to an enjoyable ride on your bike. The main roads might be the most direct path but they won’t be the most pleasant. Always take the backstreets; they are quieter, safer, and much more interesting as you get to discover parts of your town/city you would never have seen before.

Fortunately, picking your route has never been easier. There are lots of cycle routes now across the country and they are definitely worth taking advantage of. Most city and the country routes are in cycle maps that are easy to follow. For your local paths have a look on your council’s website – most of the maps are available there.

Here are some examples:

• For Birmingham
• For London – check out TFL for their map of the cross London cycle lanes.
• For Manchester

And if you are getting out of the city,  the best resource is Sustrans which has cycle-friendly, and cycle-only routes across the UK.

Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to cycle, take the slightly longer, quieter route, get yourself lost, and, most importantly of all, enjoy it.

Tip 5: Build confidence

If you’ve followed the tips above but still feel a bit wobbly about cycling on your own, then you need your own personal peloton (cycling group). Cycling is really friendly, with lots of groups keen to help other cyclists get started with advice, buddies, and supported rides. There are groups all over the country, so you’ll definitely find one in your local area.

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The Breeze network offers women’s only rides and commuting training rides to help build confidence for cycling to work, they will even arrange a group to cycle with you to your office for the first couple of rides.

British Cycling also has a beginners’ guide on their website for the A-Z of what you need to know before taking to the saddle.

Most importantly, don’t rush your cycling journey. Enjoy it. Life from the saddle will always make you smile.

About the author

Catherine Ellis is the founder of Hill & Ellis, which produces a range of high quality, stylish cycle bags. Each bag, designed in the UK, is created to transition perfectly from home to bike to boardroom to bar. They are functional, fashionable and hard wearing.  There’s plenty of space inside for a laptop and other essentials, and each bag comes with patented pannier clips that fit almost any bike, allowing you to clip the bag on and off quickly and easily.

If you’d like more information about Hill & Ellis please check out the following social media links.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

**Full disclosure: I didn’t receive monetary payment for sharing this guest post. I’m looking to buy myself a bike with the aim of commuting to work by bike so I found the top tips really useful. All photographs were provided by Hill & Ellis and obtained from Pexels**

The mental side of injury is often overlooked – here are five tips to deal with it.

It happens to the best of us, we’re training at our best, logging personal bests week after week, boasting impressively fast long runs on Strava then it hits – you’re injured and out for a minimum of six weeks or more.

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While the physical side of injury is much more obvious, whether on crutches, in a cast, hobbling to and from work, or living with a stress fracture, the mental side, else known as the psychological impact of injury is not as well documented.

We all deal with our own psychological battles, with mental health being the most global and aware it’s ever been now is a time like no other to seek support and to really understand and deal with our emotions, including the ones which come with sporting injury.

However, without further ado here are five tips to deal with the mental side of injury as a runner.

1. The sooner you can accept it the better

Once injury hits it’s easier to fall into the trap of denial. Don’t be the runner that picks up eating ice cream and watching Netflix as their new ‘sport’ – the sooner you can accept the injury the better.

However long your injury, whether it’s three weeks or three months the quicker you can come to terms with not being able to run the quicker you can begin effective rehab and cross-training if the injury permits.

This way, you’re able to keep up your fitness best as possible while focusing full energy on rehab exercises, effectively returning you back to running as quickly as possible.

Likewise, coming to terms with this early on is likely to have less of a detrimental impact on your mental health, especially if you use running as a tool to de-stress, to relax, and as a catalyst for positive mental health.

Why not talk the injury through with a close friend or family member? Talking this through will allow you to accept the reality that is your injury.

2. Psychological skills training

Sports psychology is a rapidly growing industry, with many professional football teams, athletic teams, and other sports making use of one if not a team of sport psychologists.

One of the jobs of these sports psychologists is to provide effective skill training to reduce the overall impact of the injury process, alongside various other psychological training, of course.

One of these you may want to try is mental imagery. This is concerned with imagining positive experiences such as your return to the sport, receiving positive news regarding your injury such as the removal of a cast, or perhaps winning a race once returning to the sport.

However, it’s important to keep these as realistic as possible. If not, you run the risk of damaging your emotional well-being and confidence if these do not come true within a reasonable time period.

Another form of psychological skills training you may wish to make use of is relaxation training. Much like mental imagery, relaxing training encourages positive thinking, and quite obviously relaxation. Relaxation training is especially useful if feeling stress, anxiety, or any negative emotion in relation to running, training, or life in general – it’s quite a powerful and versatile little tool to have in your arsenal.

To perform relaxation training you want to enter a comfortable position while simultaneously tensing individual muscles for a few seconds a time, increasing tension and decreasing tension allowing the muscle(s) to relax.

Work your way through the main muscle groups to further enhance relaxation. This will also increase blood flow to individual muscles, effectively enhancing your recovery. Cool, right?

3. Focus your energy on ‘something else’

While running is great, why not make use of being injured and focus your energy on something you don’t usually do? Perhaps spend more time with family, pick up a new sport (if the injury permits), watch your favourite movies, or even go for long hikes – whatever works for you!

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Taking time to enjoy other things in life is a great way to put your injury into perspective, remember as much as it may seem at the time, life isn’t just about running. Nonetheless, investing time in other areas of your life is a great way to distract yourself from the injury, make progress in other interests, or even to make new friends in the process.

Just remember to keep up with the rehab exercises and avoid hitting the pub too often – you’ll thank us later!

4. Set realistic goals 

Much like your training, you’re going to want to set goals once injury strikes. However, it’s especially important to make sure these goals are realistic. Failure to set realistic goals will only knock your confidence and motivation towards returning to running.

In fact, we recommend following the SMARTER principle when it comes to setting goals – even when injured. Following this principle increases the likelihood of you actually sticking to the goals, effectively increasing adherence towards rehabilitation, maintain fitness, or making a comeback once the injury subsides.

To find out more about SMARTER goals check out another blog post here.

5. Don’t deal with it alone 

Dealing with any emotional distress alone can be a painful experience, so why do it? If your injury is playing on your mind be sure to talk about it! It doesn’t even have to be with a friend or family member who runs, just someone willing to listen.

Talking through your injury, even if it is primarily your own ideas is a great way to clear the air and to put your injury into perspective – more often than not it really isn’t the end of the world and not as bad as you may think, especially in the grand scheme of things!

Be sure to contact your running friends and see if they’re willing to hang out without running for a change. This is a great way to stay involved, to feel a part of the running community while injured, and most importantly offers a great space to share how you’re actually feeling with those who will definitely listen and offer great advice.

The bottom line 

Injury is not just physical, it’s also mental. It’s important to acknowledge that we’re not invincible and sometimes do need the help and support from others – it’s not a sign of weakness if anything it’s a strength.

If you’re interested in finding out more about injury, please check out the 10-step approach to recovering from injury article over at Running101.

I have a guest post for you today written by Kevin Jones. I hope you find it interesting.

Relished by many as an enjoyable exercise, running has become a popular hobby over the years and continues to increase in participation as time goes on. Not only has running been shown to be helpful in improving different realms of physical fitness, but it also is a sport that people anywhere can do.

Running and Injuries

Unfortunately, running also comes with its fair share of injuries. From blisters and sprains to overuse injuries like stress fractures and plantar fasciitis, hitting the pavement can certainly come with some aches and pains – and the majority of those are to the legs or lower back.

There are several risk factors that come into play when there is a chance of injury from running – things such as age, training conditions, smoking status, and if there are any prior injuries, just to name a few.

With all of the injuries and accidents that can occur during a running career, it’s imperative to know how to come back to the trail slowly, to avoid reinjuring yourself again. This can be a difficult pill to swallow, especially if your brain is reminiscent of your long runs, and your legs are not ready for it yet. According to NordicTrack Promo Codes, “if you jump in too quickly to the routine you had pre-injury, there’s a good chance you’re going to end up back where you started – resting and recuperating from an injury yet again, and maybe even with a longer recovery time!”

Physical and Mental Factors of Running Injuries

What’s interesting with many running injuries is that although they look from the outside like an exterior physical ailment, there is also a psychological component to it as well. Even after just four weeks of being sidelined by an injury, anxiety and depression can be present and can continue until the person reaches their full recovery and normal quality of life.

Aside from the mental aspect of recovery after an injury, there is the physical side. Typically, while one is going through treatment, improvements are hoping to be seen in a range of motion, strength, endurance, functional movements, and decreased levels of pain. Between physical therapists, orthopedic doctors, and even the trainers and coaches in your local gym, there are many different factors that go into play regarding recovery…and the communication between all of these people is certainly key in hitting the pavement without getting reinjured again.

Tips for Recovering From Injuries

One might think that with all the time spent rehabbing and retraining some functional movements that they’re able to go out and run full speed with their miles again – but this just isn’t the case. Here are some things to keep in mind, to prevent another injury that might set you back even further!

For starters, you want to start back slowly. This can be misinterpreted by many runners, and there is no set point to begin with each and every person – this can be varied based on injury, level of recovery, how many miles you ran pre-injury, etc. However, it can be safe to say that starting back around 30% of the mileage that you were at prior to injury is a good preliminary point to come back to if you’ve been out of the game for 2-4 weeks, slowly adding no more than 10% each week as you progress. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start with some brisk walks before you actually move further into your running program, and even then, you want to ensure that you’re taking adequate rest days and walking on different types of terrain.

If you’ve been injured for longer than a month, then there can be a significant change in strength noted – which can line you up for yet another injury, if you aren’t careful. Start slow, and work back into your routine with running and walking combined for a couple of weeks to build back strength and stamina – and this could take upwards of 2-3 weeks, so don’t get discouraged!

Another variable that comes into play with returning to running is to ensure that you’re doing your physical therapy. Just because you’re able to get back to the trails doesn’t necessarily mean that your rehab exercises can be put on the back burner…. if anything, this is the time that you want (and need) to utilize them the most! Stay ahead of the game, and try to prevent any other injuries from happening. This is also a good time to work on other parts of your body that may be weak and can make for a well-rounded routine and foundation when you’re back on track. Use this time to work on flexibility, mobility, and core strength, and it’ll prep your body to come back stronger when it’s time to hit the road.

Above all, remember to keep a positive mindset throughout your recovery and your return back to the trails. Yes, there will be some days harder than others, and you might want to throw in the towel or push harder than you should. Let yourself feel, and then do what you need to do to come back stronger and healthier…even if that particular day you’re on an elliptical and would crave to be on the road. Slowly your hard work and dedication will pay off, and those first fresh miles will be worth all of the training and recovery!

Kevin Jones has mastered a busy lifestyle with work and fitness combined with family life. He writes offering solutions for cardio fitness, keeping families fit together by utilizing activities and diet, and recommending products that individuals can use in their homes.

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