READY TO RUN?

By: Dr. Meredith Butulis, DPT, MSPT, OCS, CIMT, ACSM CEP, NSCA CSCS, NASM CPT, CES, PES, BCS, BB Pilates, Yoga, PBT level 3

The Florida fall season brings lower humidity, and more opportunities to enjoy high-intensity outdoor fitness – like running! While you may have maintained stamina by cycling or cross training during the summer, your shins and feet have likely taken a break from repetitive high-impact activity. While a break from the repetitive stress promotes recovery, a fast return to the outdoor running leads to many preventable stress fractures and tendon injuries. Take a moment to use this five-tip checklist in minimizing your return to running injury risk.

TIP 1
CHECK YOUR FOOTWEAR
Different shoes serve different purposes. Attempting to run in shoes designed for weight lifting, cycling, or court sports will lead to sub-optimal cushioning and foot control for running.

You need running shoes. If you already have running shoes, ask yourself a few questions:
1. Have you used them for more than 300-500 miles?
2. Have you often left them in your car or out in the hot sun?
3. Have you used them for daily walking and other activities for more than 6 months?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, buy a new pair before you ramp up your running mileage.

TIP 2
CONSIDER THE RUNNING SURFACE
While there is no “right” running surface for all runners, some present more impact force than others. Cement, for example, is 5x harder on the joints than asphalt. Harder surfaces are associated with higher stress fracture risks. Running on grass can take up impact force, but the uneven surface presents its own share of risks. Pathways and general neighborhood surfaces are often slightly sloped, which
can place more stress on one side of the body. Sand requires high levels of muscle activation, which can quickly lead to tendon overuse injuries.

We can see that there is no “right” surface answer, but selecting a few different pathways and environments each week can help minimize overall stress to your bones, joints, and muscles.

TIP 3
WARM UP
A warm-up is not static stretching. Instead, over a period of five to 10 minutes, warm-ups should:
• Gradually increase your heart rate
• Progress from smaller to larger motion
• Progress from slower to faster motion
• Include multiple directions of movement

Not sure what to do? Try five repetitions of each of the following exercises:
• Head circles
• Calf raises
• Alternating hug knee to chest
• Alternating quad stretch
• Arm circles forward
• Arm circles backward
• Torso rotations
• Body weight squats
• Walking lunges
• Jumping jacks

TIP 4
KEEP A RUNNING LOG
Include minutes and distance. Increasing running duration more than 10 percent each week is correlated with higher injury rates. Distances of more than 40 miles accumulated in a seven-day period are also correlated with higher injury rates.

TIP 5
RETURN TO OUTDOOR RUNNING GRADUALLY
Sharp increases in new activity are often responsible for the first 30 days of bone and tendon injuries that sideline running plans. Need a strategy? Begin with this plan:

NEXT STEPS:
Get shoes. Plan your path. Find a place to log your duration and miles, then put the plan into play! Have questions? Let me know so I can help.

Meet your contributor:

Dr. Meredith Butulis is an Assistant Professor at the State College of Florida, licensed Sport/Orthopedic Physical Therapist, Certified Exercise Physiologist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, and Yoga/Pilates Instructor practicing since 1998. She is the creator of the ISSA Fitness Comeback Coaching Certification, author of the Mobility | Stability Equation Books, and host of The Fitness Comeback Coaching Podcast. Learn more on IG @Dr.MeredithButulis or visit Http://MeredithButulis.com.

Website: Http://MeredithButulis.com

Podcast host: Fitness Lifestyle for Busy People 

Author: Mobility | Stability Equation

LinkedIn: Meredith Butulis