Strength training - the vaccine to running injuries?
- Anita
- Aug 4, 2020
- 2 min read
I run sometimes. Sometimes I even enjoy it. Sometimes it hurts.
I've had niggles in my knees, hips, and at one point in my twenties, severe pain in my foot.
This was actually the moment in my life that set me on the path to soft tissue therapy.
I was working at a charity called Teach First in London at the time, and had started training for a 10km fundraising event, running along the river next to the office early in the mornings before starting work.
A PT friend of a colleague had offered his services to help runners with training. I was convinced I'd broken something in my foot, but when I arrived to see him, he got me to do a few movements, looked at my gait, pointed out my calf muscles were really tight, and suggested I stretched them, and massaged them with a roller, ball, or sports massage.
I was a bit shocked that what was happening in my calves could be causing such extreme pain in my foot, and even more shocked when after just a few days of regular rolling (I couldn't afford London massage prices at the time!), the pain completely disappeared.
It really changed my perception of the human body, and the musculoskeletal system in particular, and was a real 'wow' moment.
I became much more respectful of the whole body and how looking after one area can benefit another.
My issues were helped with stretching and massage, but strength training can be just as important to avoid injury in the first place, and maintain balance and integrity in the body.
These documents provide a bit more food for thought on how strength training specifically for runners can help to avoid common running injuries.
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