9 Tips to Prevent Running Injuries
Enhance your running performance and prevent injuries with these essential tips!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Peaceful Runner VIP Club!
Injury prevention is critical for enhancing your running performance. Constantly getting sidelined by injuries will hinder your progress as a runner. Use these 9 tips to maintain injury-free running, and make it to the finish line every time!
1. Listen to your body and get to know your limits. Plan your training schedule and increase your mileage gradually. Most experts suggest a maximum increase of 10 percent each week with an occasional easy week, usually once a month. This increase may be too much for you. Track your mileage, so you will know how much is too much. Pay attention to how your body feels after each increase. Sometimes only a 3-5 percent weekly increase is more sustainable for some runners in preventing injuries.
2. Improve your running form. Most experts now agree that having a short stride, a forefoot strike and a lean from the ankles are conducive to injury free running. Also, swinging your arms close to the body at a 90 degree angle is important for a relaxed, efficient running form.
3. Cross-train - for running injury prevention and to improve muscle balance. Try swimming, deep-water running, cycling, rowing and other low-impact workouts. If you have an existing injury, ensure you choose a workout that doesn't aggravate your condition.
Got Black Toenails from Running?
Learn how to treat them and prevent them.
Getting black toenails from running is a common issue for many runners. The problem occurs when the toes repeatedly hit the front of the shoe while running. The constant trauma against the toe causes a blister to form under the nail which causes the nail to pull away from the nail bed. Blood gathering in the blister causes the nail to appear black.
There are a number of conditions that contribute to this problem. Keep reading to find out what the most common causes are, how to prevent these inflictions, and what to do when they are really painful.