Are you a runner? Or thinking of starting to run?
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I ready to start running? How do I know?
2. How do I start a running program?
3. If I am having neck, shoulder, back, hip, knee or foot pain, should I be running?
4. Is running enough? What other exercises should I do as a runner?
A lot of variables go into knowing if you are ready to run, but if you have been a couch potato and think couch to 5K sounds like a good idea, you might need to ask yourself some additional questions. If you suffer from any joint pain and do not properly train for a running program, you can end up in more pain. You can actually increase the time it will take to reach your goals if you have to stop to rehabilitate an injury. You would be better off ramping up gradually under proper guidance.
If you have any aches or pains or want to know how to return to running after an injury, you would benefit from seeing a physical therapist, as your individual needs require individualized attention. For instance, if you have been starting to run and you have been having knee pain, is the knee pain a result of a structural issue? Do you have restrictions in your hip mobility which are resulting in stress to your knee? Is that instability in your ankle from your sprain last summer making your knee have to work harder to stabilize? The possibilities for knee pain are endless. Can you see why you need to be assessed?
To be a strong runner and have longevity with running, it’s best to do cross training. Meaning, do a combination of other activities besides running alone, especially strength training. Those who only run tend to have muscular imbalances which increases the likelihood of injury. You might be surprised to know that strengthening your upper body influences your running form or that sitting all day for work can lead to tightness in your hip flexors, influencing your ability to extend your hips while running.
You need to do exercises for your upper body, back, abdominals, hips, knees, etc. What exercises are right for you? It depends! Everyone has a different baseline. If you have only been walking for exercise and then decide to start running, it is probably best you start working on strengthening exercises prior to running.
It is important for all runners to have adequate global strength and stability, especially on one leg. I always tell my patients, if you cannot do a single leg squat well, then you should not be running. Now of course there are many other things I look at as well, but that is a really important one.
In your physical therapy or personal training session with me, we will not only discuss your current functional status, but your past as well. I believe in looking at someone as a whole and considering all of their current and past injuries and activities they have participated in. You are who you are or the way you are because of your experiences. It is not uncommon for someone to have incurred an injury 20+ years ago that still influences their function today, but YOU CAN CHANGE your body to be different than it has been for years!
