How To Prevent Running Injuries, According to a Physical Therapist

Running is an amazing form of exercise. Not only can it help build strong bones, strengthen muscles, and improve cardiovascular health, but it can also boost your mental health thanks to the release of those feel-good neurotransmitters, endorphins. But what starts off as a healthy way to move your body can sometimes turn into painful knees, a stiff low back, and an overall achy body for many runners. If that sounds like you, you’ll be happy to know that preventing those running injuries isn’t as hard as it seems, though. 

According to Dr. Matt Barle, a doctor of physical therapy and founder of Trident Physical Therapy, there are a few key things frequent runners can do to prevent these common problems from occurring in the first place. 

Strength Train

“I’ve worked with many runners over the years, and there is usually one commonality between them all: they aren’t fans of strength training,” Barle laughs, noting this doesn’t apply to all his patients, “but most.” 

He continues, saying “There seems to be this misconception that if [runners] strength train, their runs will be affected negatively. The truth is quite the opposite.” 

Barle doesn’t recommend a runner “be in the gym 5-6 days a week,” as that would be “unnecessary, and frankly, just not realistic for most runners.” Instead, he suggests adding “at least 1-2 days of strength training to the routine. The research shows it will not only help prevent injury, but it will also help improve your running economy.” 

He also suggests adding these exercises into your routine as prehab: 

• Standing Fire Hydrants
• Deep Squat Ankle Rockers 
• Single Leg Soleus Press 

Stop Static Stretching

“Static stretching involves holding a stretch for an extended period of time, often around 30 seconds. Dynamic stretching involves performing active movements that tend to be more functional in nature and imitate the movements that will be performed in a workout or sport. They’re repeated for a number of repetitions, and the stretch is not held at the endpoint,” Barle says, first explaining the difference between these two common types of stretching. 

“When it comes to running, static stretching becomes complicated for runners because of its effects on flexibility. Flexibility is not necessarily beneficial for runners,” he continues. 

“Let’s use a rubber band as an example. You want a rubber band that can easily snap back to its original shape, rather than one that becomes stretched beyond the point of use. This is the case with our muscles, as well. 

“Muscles require a certain amount of elastic storage for energy return. This tension in your muscles acts as a spring. Your foot hits the ground, and your muscles and tendons compress and absorb energy followed by the muscle then releasing energy to propel you forward,” he concludes. 

To get the most out of your runs, swap in these five dynamic moves instead of your typical static stretches. 

‍Your Sneakers Matter

“It’s a no-brainer, but your sneakers are the most important piece of equipment if you’re a runner,” Barle stresses. 

He recommends monitoring your sneakers and making sure they aren’t worn out. “As a general rule of thumb, you should consider changing your running shoes between 400 to 500 miles,” he suggests but notes that “this is going to vary depending on how many different shoes you use throughout the week with your training. A lot of my runners have multiple shoes that they use depending on what the workout calls for that day.” 

“From a physical therapy standpoint, I think utilizing different types of sneakers throughout the week is a great way of stressing the feet in a variety of ways. If you are using the same pair of sneakers every single day for every single workout, your foot is going to be stressed the same way, as well. Running is a very repetitive sport, so if there is any way to decrease the nature of that repetitiveness, I think that is great for decreasing the likelihood of injury,” he explains. 

When Injuries Happen

Even with all the prehab and preventative measures, injuries are still a risk with any sport. If you do happen to find yourself struggling with pain, Barle says that it’s vital to “listen to your body, and assess the symptoms.” 

“Muscle soreness following a workout that gradually decreases after a day or two is completely normal. Symptoms such as sharp pain, numbness and tingling, and symptoms that are staying at a consistently high intensity for three or more days are not normal responses to exercise, and need to be further assessed,” he says. 

If you’re not sure whether or not your pain requires intervention, Barle provides a range below to help assess your symptoms: 

• 1-3/10 pain is a range where you can continue your runs.
• 4-6/10 probably means you need to alter the distance of your runs and/or volume of days/week while going to physical therapy to find the root cause of your symptoms.
• 7-10/10 is an injury where you are more than likely going to have to hold off on running until symptoms can come down.

If pain persists, or becomes more than the normal post-run muscle soreness, it’s recommended that you speak with your medical provider, or contact an expert like Dr. Barle for a more in-depth evaluation, as the information in this article is not meant to treat or diagnose any injury. 

Want more from Dr. Matt Barle? Follow him @dr.matt.barle, or schedule your free discovery call with him here. 

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