by John Gray

Created on: April 17, 2009   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

Running is an extremely physically demanding sport which places a lot of strain upon the body. The joints and muscles are under constant pressure as the runner pounds the pavement, over and over again. With this in mind injury is something which most runners come across from time to time despite taking precautions, but for the amateur runner there are a few hints and tips which should be followed to prevent most running injuries.

* Warm up, Warm up and Warm up

It cannot be overstated the importance of thoroughly warming up the body before exercise. A typical mistake for the beginner is not to warm up enough prior to exercise or sometimes there is no warm up at all! Light bending and stretching exercises should be undertaken as part of any regular training schedule. Spending ten minutes preparing for the road ahead will not only vastly reduce the chances of gaining an injury, it will also improve the overall performance dramatically.

* Too Much Exercise

Many injuries are caused by pushing the body past what it is cable of. Enthusiasm and eagerness to train and is understandable but balancing this with a sensible, well prepared programme is much the wiser route to take. Following a set routine which is comfortably challenging is all about finding the body's limits and remaining within them, and most people know what their safety limits are instinctively. Trying to curb that over-eagerness and to remain within the bounds of what is practical helps to prevent injury and helps to maintain peak performance throughout.

* Rest and Recuperation

Rest and recuperation is a vital part of training. Allowing the body time to heal and to rebuild the muscle not only prevents injury but also improves performance. Eating the right foods, namely carbohydrates and proteins, are essential for replacing lost energy and repairing muscle. Rushing back to training after an injury is also not a good idea. Many injuries are much worsened by trying to too much too soon. If an injury has taken place a slow recovery programme should be followed, with light workouts and runs instead of placing too much stress upon the injury prematurely. It is far better to spend longer recovering from injury in this way than to cause another by a hasty return to the track.

* Rounded Exercise

Any athlete is prone to placing too much stress upon their particular area of fitness and neglecting to adapt to a more rounded programme. A runner or cyclist is likely to set themselves more and more stamina

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