Posted on June 06, 2016 by Jenny Cromack

For the average individual that dabbles in a touch of running from time to time, completes the odd race here and there, it’s generally only a matter of time until injury strikes. As a recreational runner, most of the blogs, articles and stories about training you aren’t really that applicable, you don’t need extensive power training, nor do you need fancy core stability programs that you’ve read about. I promise you that Paula Radcliffe’s routine will do little to assist you in staying injury free. (If you’re not interested in the rationale… jump straight to the bottom for the program). So, here we look at how recreational runners can keep ahead of the game with running injuries and stay injury free!

A recent systematic review published by Dias-Lopez et al., (2012) suggested that the 3 main running injuries incurred in recreational runners over a year were:

• Medial tibial stress syndrome (incident range: 13.6-20.0%) prevalence of 9.5%
• Achilles tendinopathy (incident range: 9.1-10.9%) prevalence of 9.5%
• Plantar Fasciitis (incidence range 4.5-10.1%) prevalence of 17.5%

So what steps need to be taken to prevent these three main running injuries from occurring?

The first involves no running at all and involves resistance training. As a runner you need limbs that have full ranges of motion, good joint alignment under stress, and finally good balances of strength between the functioning muscles. Single leg squats on a bosu are out for sure!

Whilst it is likely that poor running gait is effecting the high occurrence of medial tibial stress syndrome, it is also likely attributed to a weakness in the plantar flexors and extensors. Simply performing calf raises and resisted extension of the ankle complex will stand you in good stead. Initially start by completing 2x sessions per week (3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions). This isn’t going to make your shins bullet proof, but its going to start to help.

It has been suggested that poor loading mechanics have a part to play in overloading the ankle complex. This could once again be attributed to a multitude of factors, however developing good range of motion at the hip, glute strength and hamstring strength are critical in facilitating this. Squats, contrary to popular belief don’t engage the glutes as much as social media would have you believe, especially if your not capable of achieving a full range of motion. Similarly it often constitutes a quad dominant movement for the majority of individuals compounding a further imbalance between the quads and hamstrings.  So as a recreational runner, this means you need to complete hinge based movements, Romanian Deadlift’s, Deadlifts, Glute Raises etc. You also need to include glute specific movements to ensure that you don’t become hamstring dominant.

Regarding plantar fasciitis numerous remedies have been suggested, some of the best and simplest I have seen involve simply completing activities such as towel toe scrunches, ball of foot walking, eventually small bounces on the toes, all without footwear. Not that I’m advocating non-shod running, rather creating a temporary environment where the foot can be exposed to a stimulus designed to strengthen the plantar structures.

One final note not mentioned previously is developing the bodies ability to resist rotation, sounds complex… but simply I’m referring to your ability to keep straight whilst applying force during a step in running. Let’s think of it as our ability to brace the body, as a runner there is no vast requirement to complete crunching exercises, or these 6-pack routines that are often tossed about. You simply need the ability to maintain a straight torso in all 3 planes, can you perform a full plank, side planks, a static back extension? If not these are essential. Eventually you can apply load through exercises such as a pallof press or back extension movements.

So what would a workout look like to keep you injury free as a recreation runner:

• A. Lunge Variation 3-5 sets 8-15 reps
• B. Upper Body Pull (Lat pull down/ bent over row/ one arm DB row etc) 3-5 sets 8-15 reps
• C.Hinge Variation (Romanian deadlift/ deadlift/ glute raise etc) 3-5 sets 8-15 reps
• D. Calf/ foot conditioning (toe scrunches/ calf raises/ tib anterior plate lifts etc)
• E. Trunk stability (planks/ pallof variations/ back extensions)

Keep your training simple, do the basic movements well and keep yourself injury free.