Running Injury Free

With Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2016 around the corner, and a series of other smaller Marathons in line, Mumbai is on a Running spree. With rising fitness awareness, there are more enrollees each year challenging their bodies to work, run better.

In this fitness uprising, many runners tend to land with injuries. Running, meant to better our bodies should be injury free especially cause it is our inherit nature. Centuries ago, running was not a fitness fad, but a necessity to get  messages across and perform essential tasks for survival. Reasons for Running can change but the very act remains the same.

Lets discuss a few things that will help you run injury free.

TECHNIQUE-RUN SOFTLY

After treating a lot of marathon runners, I have realized that majority of the running related issues arise due to the wrong technique of running. Yesterday while training in five gardens, which is a training ground for marathon runners, I noticed many young kids as well as the adults thrusting their foot on the ground while running. Lets see what this does to our joints.

Running puts a pressure of 2.5-3 times your body weight on your feet. Ground Reaction force(GRF) is a force  that the ground exerts on your body depending on the surface you run. Since most of the marathons are run on tar roads, the GRF is high. Landing softly helps your body evenly distribute  and absorb the shock effectively. It also decreases the GRF acting on your body, which protects your joints. Remember, a better way to run is always to Run Softly, Sneek-ily and glide through air.

FUEL EFFECTIVELY

Fuel is one thing that will constantly drive your muscle to help to run and reach the finish line. Being deficient in fuel and ending up exhausted or with cramps before reaching the finish line is not something you want. During running it is essential to fuel  the body every 15-20 minutes.  The intake should add up to 35-45 grams of carbs per hour for a full marathon. This also includes hydration. Our body can easily utilize around 150-200 ml of water every 20 minutes while running. Don’t worry you wont loose on time by stopping for pee breaks.  Hydration keeps your muscles supple and helps them glide easily making the movement of running less taxing thus saving your energy.

RIGHT TRAINING

At least a week prior to a marathon the training  intensity should go down to 30-50%. This is to help your body recover and repair from the intense training and prepare it for marathon. Excessive training right before the marathon will cause muscle fatigue and lead to injuries, cramping, strains and sprains. Also it is Important to train in the shoes you are going to run. Do not try to run in new shoes on the day of the marathon. Active Dynamic warmup is important before running. This would include exercises like High knee Jogs, Butt Kicks, Straight leg Marching, Heel Raises and a slow jog.

Regardless of all these precautions in the ned it is important to listen to your body and act likewise as your body knows when it can push more and when it has had enough.

Signing off..

Listen to your body! Run injury free…