Prevent Walking and Running Injuries
By Sara Butler
Walking and running are two great forms of cardiovascular exercise. You don’t need any special equipment beyond a good pair of supportive athletic shoes, which is why so many people use walking or running as their go-to exercise. But these activities can lead to injury and pain if you don’t take a few steps to stay healthy. Here's how to prevent injuries during your walking and running routine.
Understand Your Limits
Anyone can get injured if they’re doing more than the body is capable of. Everyone has a different threshold based on their level of physical fitness. Going above your personal limit before your body is ready to do more can cause injury and pain. Just don’t do too much too soon and you should be OK. Remember, building your body up over time is the key, don’t rush that process.
Listen to Your Body
This is an old piece of advice but a good one for avoiding injuries. You can nip injuries in the bud by stopping when your body is in pain. Most injuries from running and walking don’t happen in a flash, they often cause symptoms first that you shouldn’t ignore such as soreness, aches, and pain. Don’t dismiss these signals and take the right action when they do pop up.
At the first sign of any kind of atypical pain or discomfort, stop what you’re doing and rest. Find another way to exercise that isn’t as high-impact for a few days, just do it at a slower pace. If it still doesn’t go away, then consult with a chiropractor or other medical professional. Just don’t ignore your symptoms!
Don’t Forget Your RICE
When you have aches or pains nothing will beat RICE – rest, ice, compression, elevation. This is a great way to immediately treat any discomfort or pain you may experience after walking or running. RICE helps to reduce pain, protect tissue that may be damaged, and reduce swelling. All of these things will help to speed recovery and healing. Don’t just slap some ice on your aches and pains and call it a day, make sure to rest, compress, and elevate – and don’t walk or run on the injury until it’s better.
Walking and running are both great forms of exercise. Just know how to avoid injury so you can keep on moving forward!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Woodland Hills, Calif.