Avoid Running Injuries This Spring

girl runningAs the weather turns warmer and you start to move your workouts to the trails instead of the gym, you will need to be mindful of injuries. Your body has adjusted to the smooth tread and now leaping over rocks and pounding the asphalt can take a while for your legs to adjust. Here are a few common injuries and how best to avoid them:

Lower Back Pain:
Especially if you wear a water belt, you may feel inflammation in your lower back after a long run. It also depends on your posture. If you hunch, you are also susceptible to pain.

How to fix:
First and foremost, inflammation relievers, such as over-the-counter medication, can help, as can padding the area with ice. Physical therapists at The Joint, in Rancho Bernardo, Calif., part of a nationwide franchise of chiropractors, suggest icing the back 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off for a couple of days.

Pulling your hamstrings:
Once you start to add hill training, which often happens with you hit the trails in the spring, it is common to pull a few muscles along the way.

How to fix:
Lay off running until you feel better, otherwise you risk further injury. You should strengthen these muscles with high repetitions of weights to build endurance once the pain subsides. You can also add the dead lift into your weight lifting repertoire. Focus on a neutral spine and not how heavy the weight. Remember, you are just trying to build strength for running, not to show off to your gym buddies.

Fatigue:
When the weather begins to finally get better, it’s hard to harness your desire to keep running. When you run six or seven days a week, however, it can cause fatigue.

How to fix:
Switch to light lifting or go for a bike ride. Cross training will actually help the running.