Prevention of Running Leg Injuries

Running helps to promote healthy heart, reduce obesity and osteoporosis. Running also helps enhance mental health. Running, however, also increases risk of injuries to hips, knees and feet. Most of running injuries are insidious and are not neccessarily associated with specific trauma.

There are several things you should do or not do to prevent leg injuries.

Do:

• Stretch before and after running: even though a meta-analysis study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was inconclusive as to the real benefit of routine stretching, many runners have found it helpful
• Make sure shoes are fitting every time you buy new pairs since feet widens with age
• Change running shoes every 350 to 500 miles since new shoes lose 40 percent of cushioning after that much distance
• Use orthoses if you have excessive pronation, patellofemoral pain, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, or Achilles tendinitis
• Use ankle braces if you have prior ankle injuries
• Rest completely from running during injuries

Don't:

• Run persistently 40 miles or more per week since it is the most important risk of injury.