Stride

How you move your body is very important. Each movement you make requires energy. So, as we continue with running, make sure you have the proper running technique to help you get the most out of each mile. Did you know?

No one has the power to predict who will or will not get injured from running. Until recently, it was believed that running less than 20 miles per week lowered the risk of injury, but that recommendation was based on a small number of studies. Now, however, a new study called a meta-analysis (a study that reviews many studies on one subject) evaluated studies of running injuries and published the following interesting results:

1. The overall incidence of lower-extremity injuries varied from 19.4% to 79.3%, thus the range is wide, which implies that it is difficult to predict who will get injured.

2. The most predominant site of injury was the knee.

3. Higher age was reported as a significant risk factor to incur running injuries in four high-quality studies, but two other high-quality studies reported that higher age was a significant protective factor. Therefore, at this time, the evidence is conflicting and so it's not clear if running when you are older will cause or protect you from injury.

4. Increasing distance during the week does not appear to be a risk factor for injury, and in fact, in some studies, it was shown to be protective against injury. However, this may be because only strong runners increase their mileage and they may be less prone to injury. More research needs to be done before conclusions can be drawn about increasing mileage and the risk of injury.

5. Running more than 40 miles per week was a risk factor for both male and female runners to incur lower-extremity running injuries, although the risk was higher for males, perhaps because they tend to weigh more than women.

6. There appears to be no association between the use of a warm-up and lower-extremity injuries. This means that stretching beforehand may not reduce your risk of injury. This is not a surprise, as there is virtually no research to show that stretching prevents any type of injury.

7. The most common site of lower-extremity injuries was the knee (7.2% to 50.0%), followed by the lower leg (9.0% to 32.2%), the foot (5.7% to 39.3%), and the upper leg (3.4% to 38.1%). Less common sites of lower-extremity injuries were the ankle (3.9% to 16.6%) and the hip/pelvis (3.3% to 11.5%).

8. A history of previous injuries is a risk factor for running injuries. Runners with previous injuries should pay extra attention to signs of injuries, avoid overtraining (like exceeding 40 miles per week), and take time to fully recover from their injuries.

Guidelines The American College of Sports Medicine Position Statement on Exercise recommends that all healthy adults should do the following:

1. Frequency of training: three to five days per week

2. Intensity of training: 55/65%-90% of maximum heart rate (HRmax)

3. Duration of training: 20-60 minutes of continuous or intermittent aerobic activity

Mode of activity: any activity that uses large muscle groups, which can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmical and aerobic in nature (for example, walking-hiking, running-jogging, cycling-bicycling, cross-country skiing, aerobic dance/group exercise, rope skipping, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, skating, and various endurance game activities or some combination thereof) Foot

The type of foot you have and your running style will determine the shoe that you purchase. The first thing to do is determine your foot strike. Foot strike describes how your foot hits the ground. Normally your heel lands first (heel-strike), followed by mid-foot strike and flattening of the arch to absorb impact (very important), then the forefoot strike (front of your foot), and finally the push-off to the next stride. Soft heel-strikes with a smooth gait pattern and some flattening of the arch will reduce the impact on the foot and cause less stressin joints as high up as the hip. There are three types of foot strike:

2. Pronated foot strike. Pronation is the term to describe when your arch flattens on foot strike (for example, when you have flat feet) and causes your foot to invert, or roll in. Excessive pronation will cause your ankle and leg to twist and can lead to stress fractures, shin splints, and other lower-extremity injuries. You're probably a pronator if the inner edges of your shoes wear out.

3. Supinated foot strike. Supination is the term to describe high arches that don't flatten. This is a problem because if your arch doesn't flatten and your foot doesn't roll in at all, then you lose shockabsorption on foot strike. Excessive supination can lead to ankle sprains, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fascitis, and iliotibal band syndrome. You're probably a supinator if the outer edges of your shoes wear out.

4. Neutral foot strike: An efficient amount of flattening of the arch is called "neutral" foot strike. This provides plenty of shock absorption and enough energy for you to have a powerful push-off.

Reference: Weil, Richard, Running, Medicine Net