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SUMMER
2015
ESCARPMENT
®
well-being
Thegift of beingable
to liveandplay in thisbeautiful part of theEscarp-
ment region is the reasonmanyof us havechosen tocall thisareaour home. One
of themost popular activities in thearea is running, and this Summer, thousands of
runnerswill take to the trailsand roads toenjoy thisgreat outdooractivity.
Running is an excellent way to improve lower extremity strength, balance, en-
durance, aswell asmentalwell being. However, despite itsbenefits, researchhas
suggested that approximately80%of runnersexperience injury related to thisac-
tivityeveryyear.Therefore, takingmeasures tominimize theassociated risks isan im-
portantcomponentofa runner's routine toensureapain-freeandenjoyableactivity!
Asaphysiotherapistworkingwithathletes, Ioften see running injuries stemming from
threemainareas: tissueoverloadingor trainingerrors; intrinsic factors (muscle imbal-
ancesorweaknesses);andextrinsic factors (suchasequipmentandrunningsurfaces).
HOWDORUNNERSAVOID INJURY?
TissueOverloadandTrainingErrors...
The first step is for the individual to identify their goals with respect to running.
Whether the individual isa recreational, competitiveoreliteathletewill change the
approach to theway they train, recover and live. This concept is important as the
eliteorcompetitiveathleteoftenspendsmore timeonstrengthandconditioning, re-
covery, nutritionand this in turnallows them to trainat ahigher intensityandmore
frequently. Sowhen it comes to training, runnersneed to runat theirownpaceand
understand that it takes time tobuild fitnessandadapt theirmusclesand tendons to
thestressesof training. Thekey is to trainwith realisticgoals inmind. Allow thebody
toadapt, with slowprogressions nomore than10% increase in volumeperweek
and intensityatnomore than3%perweek. Recovery isalso importantwithattention
toadequate sleep, active recovery (suchas ridingabikeor swimmingat lower in-
tensity),avoidinghardback toback trainingdays,and seeking recoverycare from
aphysiotherapist,massage therapist, chiropractororotherqualifiedprofessional.
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Story | GlennWark
