Preventing Running Injuries

Yesterday I posted 'Common Running Injuries' so today I thought I'd share some tips on treating those injuries and most importantly preventing them in the first place. 

Here are my top tips!
Warm up and cool down

It’s essential to warm up properly before you start running. Five to ten minutes of brisk walking or gentle jogging before you start will warm your muscles up and help prevent injury. To cool down, carry on running at an easier pace or walk for five to ten minutes. This will help your body recover after your run. 

When I first started running I never done this and soon learnt that was a bad idea. I was getting really sore muscles and everything felt very tight. 
Wear the right shoes

As I mentioned in a previous post this really is my key to a pleasant running experience. It’s so important to buy the correct running shoes, and it’s best to go to a running shop to get fitted. 
Build up slowly

Don’t be tempted to increase the intensity or distance of your running too quickly. Do a similar run at least three or four times before you increase your pace or distance.

It took be such a long time to build up to 10K but now I'm adding a few KM each week and feeling much better for it.
Stay motivated

As I know very well, being injured can be very frustrating. When I first started running and got minor injuries I was tempted to just give up. But by giving myself goals, 5k charity run, this really boosted me to get back out there. In general I find that if you have something to work towards, it really helps. 

Always remember at the first sign of any running related injury...