The Most Common Running Injuries and How To Prevent Them

Whether it’s a tiny niggle or full blown issue – we’ve all been there.

These problems can affect all over too, whether it's knees, hips, back, Achilles or the dreaded shin splints – it’s a veritable list of what can or might go wrong.

Could this all be down to the way we run? The shoes we wear? Because we sit all day? Or do we keep repeating training mistakes: big jumps in mileage; running flat out all the time, doing the same five-mile route, on the same side of the road, week after week?

The fact is that all the above are true, and more. Injuries are about the perfect storm for a particular individual. It’s why one person can run 100 miles per week with what could be looked at the as horrendous form and be fine – and yet another struggles to run 5k once a week. Injury prevention is multifaceted, so many things can come into play, and it can seem so challenging.

I would say that to avoid the majority of injuries – certainly, the ones that you can have full effect over – there are four things to bear in mind: Good strength/stability, a modicum of stable form/technique, good, well-fitting shoes, and a sensible programme or routine to follow.

Get Strong

The best prevention against the majority of injury is a strong body. Stronger soft tissues (muscles/ligaments/tendons) protect the body from impact, improve your movement and maintain your style as you fatigue. The weaker your muscles are, the less likely you are to repeat stable, controlled movements.

Stronger muscles are already braced for impact before the foot hits the ground – the glutes and core muscles stabilise the trunk, pelvis and leg, which means less movement in odd directions and therefore less strain to cause injury. Similarly, foot and ankle muscles are switched on, giving a solid platform to land and toe-off. Think of it like muscle tone; muscle tone is a very slight contraction within the muscles, preparation for work.

The weaker the big controlling muscles are, the more that the smaller stabilisers have to work. The more the stabilisers have to work, the more likely we are to result in injury. Because these muscles are smaller, it means that their capacity for work is less, so we fatigue quicker.

There are all sorts of moves that you can do to increase strength. And this doesn’t mean that you HAVE to go to the gym – although being able to add more weight can offer extra benefits. Exercises like squats and deadlifts are perfect for running, and they bring great bang for the buck as they work the whole way up the body from ankles to shoulders. Bringing in some balance and doing single-leg exercises (squats, deadlifts, and step-ups) can add an extra layer of stability as well as strength, along with neurological benefits as well. And then core exercises like the bird dog, bear crawls and dead bugs are perfect to build trunk strength and improve coordination.

Improving Form

Being stronger is great, but it’s no use to you if you still end up running the same way. No-one teaches us to run, so thinking about running can be a bit of a challenge. While some people may tell you that there is a “best” way to run, we are all individuals with our own mobility issues, strengths and experience. Rather, it’s more about concentrating on a few core tenets, and helping mould your body around them to get the most out of your running.

1) Think about good posture

Meaning – pull your ears away from your shoulders, lengthen your spine, and engage your core. Basically, stand up tall, don’t hunch.

Why – Poor posture concentrates pressure from impact in narrow areas rather than spreading it throughout the system. It also means that the bigger muscles aren’t in place to work properly.

Improve – Strengthen core (see above). Practice good posture during the day, habits carry over from normal to your run.

2) Land under your body.

Meaning – as it suggests, land with your foot under your hips, trying not to reach out in front.

Why – The further you reach forward in front of you, the more you add to the breaking forces going through your leg and hip, and meaning that you need to reaccelerate your body/momentum.

Improve – focus on pushing down through the floor and then if you want to increase stride length, drive your leg back behind you. Running uphill is a great way to think about where you strike as it’s tough to overstride when climbing inclines.

Should you change what part of your foot you land on?

In my view, that shouldn’t be your focus. Most studies (rather than particular experts and advocates) are tending to show that there is no benefit to changing where on your foot you strike. Chances are you'll trade one injury for another, hips and back for the calf and Achilles tendon.

3) Land Lightly

Meaning - Consciously landing more softly

Why - When we try to run quietly, we make natural adjustments like shortening our stride which lessens impact forces.

Improve - Run in place, letting your knees rise naturally for 10 seconds. Then lean forward and run for 50 yards holding that posture. Repeat three times before you run.

Good well-fitting shoes

Getting a decent pair of running shoes can definitely reduce your injury risk – and increase your enjoyment too! Shoes do alter your form, and the accepted wisdom is steadily changing on what that means for what we wear.

Because running on the road means that impact forces can be quite high (anywhere between 2.5 and 4 times body weight), a pair of shoes designed for running (as opposed to casual sneakers) will definitely assist and absorb a large amount of shock.

From here though, advice is slightly changed with regards to studies (as opposed to brands and retailers). The best shoes for you to run in are the ones that are the most comfortable.

Over the last 40 years or so, there has been an encouragement for people to look at how much movement there is by their lower limbs while running, looking at something called pronation. We all pronate to some degree – our feet roll inwards from impact to slow the absorption of shock. It had been believed that going beyond vertical and our feet collapsing inward was a case of “over-pronation”, and to be corrected.

Nowadays, the majority of studies have suggested moving away from trying to “block” or stop movement, as this is something that can be affected by increased strength and stability. Instead, a comfortable pair of running shoes (which may incidentally include some form of stiffness or stability) is a better option, allowing you to run more naturally.

There is no one perfect shoe. Everyone likes and will fit something different. And it is incredibly rare that a particular shoe may be the reason for an injury. However, finding a pair of shoes that are comfortable, fit well, and feel great when running can very much lessen the risk of the issue.

Sensible training programme

The final point is often the biggest cause of injury. Too many people spend too much of their time running hard or trying to progress too quickly, which doesn’t allow the body time to adapt, strengthen or recover.

The majority of issues and injuries come from an overload (hence wanting to strengthen muscles and use the technique to be in a more stable position). Overloading your training too far without enough recovery increases that burden, often to a breaking point. Of course, you need a little bit of overload to improve – it’s a case of knowing where the limits are.

If you are adding mileage to your programme, take it steady. Don’t add distance AND run hard for all that extra too – that’s a recipe for disaster if done week on week! 10% is often touted as a rough amount to increase per week; you might be slightly above that, or slightly below, but it gives you a guide to work toward.

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