2 minute read
HEALTH SENSE: Nicolas Bradley on running
Things to consider when running for the first time or if it has been a while
By Nicolas Bradley I f it’s been a long time since you’ve last had a good workout and you are looking to get started again, there’s a lot of things to consider to increase your chances of success and reduce the chance of being injured.
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First, consider establishing run or fitness goals for the summer or year. Are you running for weight loss, general health or to “check the box” of running in a race like a 5K or a half or full marathon?
There are an abundance of run programs that can help guide your mileage based on your current fitness level and run goals.
Start with the basics. Have your run gait looked at by a certified athletic trainer or professional at a local running shoe store who would be able to assess whether you are a natural runner or tend to over-pronate when landing. They can also provide shoe options, such as neutral shoes for natural runners or stability shoes for foot control.
Begin, and continue throughout the run year, working on quadriceps strengthening and hip stability exercises. Quad and hip strength will help prevent runner’s knee and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. A tight iliotibial band can lead to swelling and pain around your knee.
A simple internet search can provide you a wealth of hip and quadriceps exercise options. Injury can halt everything, so it’s best to build and maintain a strong running platform that will help you prevent injury.
Once you are ready to run, take a few minutes to warm up and loosen up those “cold” muscles.
Brisk walking, jogging in place, and jumping jacks are a few examples that will help prepare your muscles for the impact of running. Follow that up with some light stretching, emphasizing the hamstring, glute, calf and quadriceps areas.
The more time spent warming up and preparing muscles for running, the greater likelihood of preventing injury. Run progression is also important with injury prevention and can help add mileage in a controlled fashion. There are several options to increase distance
in a controlled fashion.
One method is to start with timed walks, increasing speed and duration daily. Once you feel ready to run, alternate between walking and running until you feel more comfortable with just running.
Another option is to run a comfortable distance pain-free for one week, then increase the next week’s run distance by no greater than 10%. For example, if you ran 3 pain-free miles the first week of running, increase your next run week distance to 3.3 miles.
Continue this trend as it feels comfortable and good luck getting back into shape.
Nicolas Bradley, MPAS, PA-C, is clinic provider at Providence Express Care-Alaska
