Working out is good for you and should make your body feel good, but if you're suffering from injury, the slightest physical activity can be painful.
Here are nine of the most common runner's injuries:
- Runner's Knee: Often happening when your kneecap is out of alignment
- Stress Fractures: A small crack in a bone that causes pain and discomfort
- Shin Splint: Pain that happens in the front or inside of the lower leg along the shin bone
- Achilles Tendonitis: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon
- Muscle Pull: Small tear in your muscle, usually caused by overstretching
- Ankle Sprain: Tearing or stretching of ligaments surrounding the ankle
- Plantar Fasciitis: Inflammation of the think band of tissue on the bottom of the foot that extends from the heel to the toes
- IT Band Syndrome: Pain on the outside of the knee caused when the IT band ligament thickens and rubs the knee bone, causing inflammation
- Blisters: Fluid filled sacks on the surface of the skin caused by friction
Kim Coppola is a trainer at Merritt Athletic Club. She said one of the best ways to prevent sports injury is to stretch before and after exercise.
Coppola likes to use a foam roller or lacrosse or tennis ball to really stretch and massage deep into the muscle tissues. She said it's common for foam rolling to be slightly painful or uncomfortable, but recommends to go slow and don't rush it.
Foam Rolling Tips:
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Another tip to avoid injury, Coppola said is to modify your workouts. She said many exercises can be modified to accommodate different fitness levels and strengths. For example, pushups can be standard, military pushups or they can performed against a wall or with bent knees.
"Form is the big thing," she said. "Don't be afraid to modify."
And if you are injured, remember to take care of yourself and ease back into your workout routine.
"Rest, ice and Advil," Coppola said. "Reduce the inflammation, make sure you get the swelling down first."
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