How to Avoid 3 Most Common Running Injuries

So, you’ve decided to take up running? Well, I can’t say that we blame you. Running is one of the best ways of keeping in shape that there is. Taking up running isn’t just the fastest way to a more attractive and healthier body, but it is also a great way of improving your mood and your outlook on life!

However, nothing in this world is perfect. While running does offer many benefits to those that take it up, it can also present some problems if the runner isn’t vigilant. The wrong technique or equipment can turn a leisurely run into a number of days or weeks in bed recuperating from an avoidable injury.

The good news is that you only need a little bit of foreknowledge to ensure that you avoid the most common running injuries. 

#1 Shin Splints

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries that runners face. They are normally caused by inappropriate footwear. This is one of the main reasons that investing in a pair of proper running shoes is so important.

Shin splints tend to appear after a long period of running while using the wrong footwear. They manifest as pain behind the shin bone, which although it feels like it is in the shin, hence the name, it is actually in the muscle.

To avoid splint shins, make sure that you wear a pair of proper running shoes. Note that even a pair of cheap shoes that fit your feet properly can still lead to shin splints.

#2 Calluses

Calluses are areas of the skin that become thick and hard because of the constant rubbing or pressure. Again, they are a problem that is regularly caused by inappropriate running shoes. Unlike shin splints, which can be caused by a pair of shoes that fit properly, calluses are almost exclusively caused by footwear that does not fit properly.

When you have footwear constantly rubbing against the same area of skin, as you would when running in a pair of loose-fitting shoes, this can, over time, lead to the formation of calluses on feet, blisters, and other painful conditions.

The solution, as above, is to ensure that your running shoes fit you properly.

#3 Muscle Soreness

Unlike the issues above, muscle soreness can be caused by a number of things. However, it is generally an indication that you are over-exerting yourself. A small amount of muscle soreness can be a good thing, as the process of building muscle requires muscle to be damaged.  But in relation to running, you should really only feel muscle soreness when you first begin. Once your muscles are used to running, there’s no reason you should feel soreness unless you have either drastically increased the amount of running that you’re doing or go over the limit of what your body can handle within a particular space of time. 

If you one of those people who are always pushing themselves past through pain, and if you suffered from shins splits you probably are, you might want to have a look at my pain cave guide where I talk about what impact it has on our body.

Running is good for you, as long as you approach it the right way. If you don’t invest in the right gear, or you push yourself too far, running can end up being painful. Avoiding the most common running injuries is mostly a case of practicing good self-care.

Have you ever struggled with some running injuries? If so, what was your injury and how did you recover from it?