Three Bad Habits That May Be Leaving You Prone To Running Injuries

Running many not be a contact sport, but it can certainly lead to a lot of injuries. From shin splints to stress fractures, these ailments tend to pop up when least convenient – often when you're training hard for a race or when you have a big workout planned. The occasional injury is par for the course, but if you're finding yourself injured again and again, it's time to look closely at your running routines and figure out what habits are making you more prone to injuries. Here's a look at some likely culprits.

You log all of your miles on the side of the road.

Surely the side of the road is a convenient place to run. However, most roads are banked, which means that you're not really running on a flat, even surface. The leg closer to the outside of the road is left to support a bit more weight than the other one because it's further down the incline. This can lead to all sorts of injuries, from Achilles tendon pain to IT band syndrome. Move some of your runs to flatter ground, like bike paths and tracks, and you'll probably suffer fewer injuries.

You run your easy runs too hard.

Your "easy runs" should be just that: easy. Those easy miles are meant to get your heart pumping and your muscles moving without really putting a lot of strain on your body. Far too many runners run their easy runs too fast, which means they're not really recovering from their harder workouts. Eventually, they get burnt out, and their muscles, ligaments, and tendons start giving out. So, how fast should you run your easy runs? Experts suggest running these miles at 50-75% of your 5k pace. That means if you're running a 5K in 20 minutes (a pace of 6.26 per mile), your easy runs should be run between an 8:00 and 9:40 pace.

You don't take rest days.

"Streaking," a fad where runners see how many days in a row they can run without taking a day off, may be popular – but it's not a good strategy when you're trying to avoid injury. Rest days are when your body repairs any damage you've caused during your workouts. If you don't take them, you're almost certain to become injured eventually. Even world class runners usually take off at least once day a week to rest and recover. Taking off two days per week (so you're running 5 days a week) is an even better strategy for most runners.

Contact a professional such as Dr. Lisa M. Schoene for more information.