Running is a popular pastime and a great way to stay in shape and enjoy the outdoors. However, it can also lead to pain and injury. If you regularly find yourself in pain during or after a run, you may wish to visit a podiatrist for help with injury treatment and prevention. Tips include:
- Wear appropriate footwear. Your running shoes need to fit both your foot shape and your running style.
- Talk to a podiatrist about custom orthotics or arch supports. These can help support your feet and reduce pressure and stress as you run.
- Warm up and cool down before and after every run.
- Stretch and strength train regularly to maintain your flexibility and reduce muscle fatigue.
- Increase the mileage or intensity of your runs gradually. Going too hard, too fast, too soon can lead to injury.
- Cross train in multiple athletic disciplines. Rather than only running, or only playing sports with running and jumping, spend some of your training days on low-impact exercise (such as cycling or swimming).
- Choose less stressful terrain. Running on softer, more level surfaces can reduce the strain.
- Listen to your body. If you are in pain, stop before you get seriously hurt.
If you sustain any kind of foot or ankle injury while running, please visit Northwest Extremity Specialists to review your treatment options.
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