What Are the Possible Injuries During Running?

When Running Injuries Slow You Down

Have you ever had to deal with a running injury? It can be frustrating and challenging to navigate. While there are many things you can do to prevent injuries and to treat injuries (read on to learn how!), here are some of the possible injuries that you might be facing.

• Muscle knots
• Knee pain
• Ankle pain
• IT band discomfort
• Plantar Fasciitis

What causes these injuries? Some running and walking injuries originate with problems at the hips. Did you know that ankle pain or knee pain can be caused by tight hip muscles? If you’ve been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, you might be surprised to learn that tight calf muscles are often the culprit. Bad running habits (such as improper running form) and the wrong type of running or walking shoes for you (especially shoes that fit poorly) can also lead to potential injuries.

What Can You Do About Running Injuries?

Let’s talk about running injury prevention.

So, how can you prevent running injuries? One of the most common issues runners and walkers face involves tightness in the muscles, and even knotted muscles. That’s where foam rolling and stretching become a key part of every runner’s toolbox. At St. Pete Running Company, we carry TriggerPoint foam rollers and we’re happy to show you how to properly foam roll when you come into the store. We also carry Theragun products that can serve as self-massage tools for stubborn muscle tightness and knots.

Get a Proper Shoe Fitting.

If you’ve been reading our blog for any length of time, you’ll notice that we repeat this advice again and again. Every foot and stride is unique, and a proper shoe fitting will help set you up for success and help prevent injuries. At St. Pete Running Company, our one-of-a-kind StrideSmart Shoe Fitting is for walkers and runners alike. We take a full body approach which involves evaluating your gait, your posture, your stride, and more. Not only do we take a look at how you walk and run, but we’ll also let you know about any areas of improvement that our shoe experts would recommend. Our shoe fitting is free! No appointment needed, so come by today.

Learn how to properly run to prevent future injuries.

At St. Pete Running Company, we regularly hold running classes for you to learn proper running form. A running class will not only provide information about how to properly run, but our expert staff will physically take you through the motions to help correct any bad habits and form new, good habits. Here are some of the basics you’ll learn, plus much more, at an expert running class:

• Where you place your foot on the ground is less important than how far you extend your stride. Shorter stride means less injury, more efficient run.
• As a general rule, you want your alignment to include slightly leaning forward at the ankles (not the hips). Your arms should swing at your sides without crossing your body.
• Before a run, the best type of stretching is dynamic stretching (versus static stretching). It’s very important to get your muscles loosened up and blood flowing to the limbs. Even if you only have five minutes to spare, it’s also a great idea to do some foam rolling as a way to begin and end a run. The recovery benefits are incredible, and you will find yourself less prone to injury and able to run again sooner.

Runner’s Clinic with Dr. Brian Fullem

Saturday, March 23rd at 8:45 AM

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Join us for an informative and hands-on clinic with podiatrist Brian Fullem of Elite Sports Podiatry and physical therapist Annemarie Fullem of Elite Body Therapy. During this runner’s clinic, Brian and Annemarie will be offering their expertise on issues runners face like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and other common injuries. They’ll be taking participants through some key exercises for runners, including how to keep your pelvis strong and how to prevent injuries.
Bring a yoga mat or a towel and wear comfortable clothes suitable for some light exercises.