More Injury Prevention Tips

Injury Prevention
by Andrew and Emma Nelson
andy@getfitnyc.com

A few words about staying injury free while keeping yourself fit.

The saying goes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of proof. This is ever so true of running and the sport of triathlon. When beginning triathlon training or a running program it is important to get clearance from your physician. Your next stop should be a visit with a coach or physical therapist for gait analysis. If you are training for a triathlon you should probably check the fit of your bike and get some underwater video of your swim technique.

Increased body awareness can be invaluable to preventing most overuse injuries. Stop what you’re doing if you feel “pain.” One way to increase the necessary awareness is to run WITHOUT music. It is common to run too hard while running with music and not listening to the small messages your body sends. I recommend trying a run or two per week with no music.

According to the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) 83% of runners are injured every year. The off-season is the best time to retrain your body to perform more efficiently; this is done using strength training and movement drills. If you are already in the middle of your training plan, then some patterning drills can be introduced at the beginning of your workout to make your movements more efficient for your sport. If you can move well, you should be less prone to injury.

Athletes are often the standard to which we hold our body image and performance goals. But most people have a job that requires something other than sport performance. Besides being sedentary for most of the day, many people think they can make their body perform straight out of the chair; much as they did in college. A few basic warm up and performance drills can help your body (almost) forget that it has been sitting at a desk for 8 or 10 hours, while creating a platform for improved flexibility.

Here are a few drills and "stretches" to help you become a better runner with fewer injuries (DO NOT ATTEMPT THESE DRILLS IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF SHIN SPLINTS OR OTHR INJURY):

Skipping- just like when you were a kid, focus on staying on the front 2/3 of your foot.

Walking toe touch - take a small step forward with one foot. Keep your back straight and try to touch the toes of your front foot with both hands.

Heel Walks/Toe Walks -walk with straight legs only on your heels (do not let your toes touch the ground), walk the same distance without letting your heels touch the ground.

Foot Chops/Ankling - run with short, choppy steps. Each step should only be about the length of the foot, run on the toes. Lift the foot only as high as the ankle.

Hopping/single leg hopping -hop using both feet, try to lift the feet from the ground as soon as they land. Once you have mastered using both feet then try to hop with only one foot at a time.

Walking Lunges w/rotation - with hands behind your head take a long step and try to touch your trailing knee to the ground while rotating the trunk toward your front leg. Alternate legs for about 20 steps.

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