How to ease your way back onto the treadmill after 13 June

“Run often, run long but never out-run your joy of running” (Julie Isphording former olympian) Humans are literally born to run and since the beginning of time running has been integral to our survival. Why then do a whopping 2/3s of the 300 million people that run globally, get injured at any one time? A simple answer that you will hear from most sports physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and personal trainers is LOAD. Too much too soon. For some, COVID has meant a time of rest and so with the gyms reopening it is imperative that the return to activity be both modest and monitored. The program needs to be formulated, considered and adhered to make it fit with the users current fitness statistics, time frames and goals. Effective running requires 3 key components. Firstly that we have adequate strength and conditioning sessions in our weekly schedule, secondly that we run with good technique and thirdly that we increase the LOAD or mileage or speed or effort slowly over time. A simple question that Rachel Stanley (sports physiotherapist and founder of Run180) likes to ask her clients is “who taught you how to run?. Most of us were taught tennis or basketball, but unless you were on the track team at school most people don’t know how to run properly. They simply put on their shoes and subconsciously copy the already poor running form that most people display. Running properly is essential to avoid injury and increase efficiency. The message from this physiotherapist is to run… Read More