Running is a healthy and fun way for many to get in shape. So why are so many people scared of it? It is good for the heart, great for the core, and cleansing to the mind. Oh and did I mention you don’t need any special equipment? A pair of sneakers and comfortable shorts is all you need.
Regardless, with the basics and simple methods there are a number of people who will stay at home, on the sofa wearing their reading eyeglasses and pajamas talking bad about the incredible benefits of running. Two of the primary complaints are injury and boredom. While boredom can easily be combated by a change of scenery, such as a mountain trail rather the treadmillnot validated.
Injury from running usually comes from one of two areas. The first is poor form and the second is overuse. These injuries can happen in any sport. There is so much research and science behind great running form now, that if someone feels they are suffering from a form related injury, help should be easy to find.
There are great programs, books, and clinics available nationwide to help understand and improve ones form. For example, keep you stride length short and increase your rate of turnover. Over striding is a major cause of knee pain because it results in a heel strike landing. Which, in turn, sends a shock up the runner’s leg, which is absorbed by the knee. A few months of this at a number of miles a week and it is no wonder a knee hurts so much.
you could be big or small, this has nothing do to with your size, the key is to focus on landing mid-foot by using shorter strides and with a higher foot turnover that will keep the pressure off the knees and redistribute it to the structurally sound skeletal body. That is only one example of how good form can help to decrease a very common sports related injury.
Another major cause of injury is over-use. An over-use injury occurs when someone goes out too strong and too long. Most runners suffer an over-use injury from being hot headed. I will never forget the doctor checking my outer hip. After a quick look, he peered at me through a pair of magnetic reading glasses and said I should take a a couple weeks off from running, stretch a lot, swim, and then get back out there. In the end he was right. I simply pushed my body too hard and too fast.
A lot of people want to be their own hero and will jump right in to a fast or long training schedule. The fact of the matter is that anybody can run a marathon if they put in the proper training and consistency. However it takes time. If you have never run before or have not run recently start with a shorter training schedule. There is a lot to be said for the ever popular couch to 5k program. Start slow, there is no rush. And if you start to fast, you might find yourself back on the couch before you know it.