Top 10 Performance Tips to Run Stronger and Injury-Free.

Understand the Risks: Overuse Injuries Are Common

Overuse injuries are damages to parts of your body, such as ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones due to repetitive stress. You know you have an overuse injury if you notice symptoms such as pain and inflammation in the area of treatment.

The main cause of overuse injuries is technique error and overtraining, which can be prevented when you train with a professional. Examples of overuse injuries include: shin splints, IT band syndrome, among others.

Shin splints are a running injury caused by repetitive stress on the muscles and tissues surrounding the tibia.

IT band syndrome is a running injury caused by repeated knee flexion and extension, common in athletes.

Common risk factors of overuse injury include:

• Improper form. Poor technique leads to repetitively overloading a tissue, therefore increasing the risk of overuse injury. You use the wrong techniques when participating in sports activities or strength training.

• Hard surfaces. Running on hard surfaces places excess stress on your feet, ankles and legs. This can lead to shin splints and plantar fasciitis.

• • Muscle imbalances. Muscle imbalances put excess stress on other parts of the body, and this can result in an injury.

• IT band syndrome. An irritated or swollen IT band can put you at risk of an injury when you run.

• Plantar fasciitis. Repeated stress causes tiny tears on the plantar. If you run regularly, you are a risk of plantar fasciitis.

 Read More: Running Performance

Use Dynamic Stretching Before You Run.

Sitting for long hours can contract and shorten your muscles, you need dynamic stretches to lengthen and stretch your muscles.

Pre-run-up warm-ups help with:

• Improve your range of motion by loosening your joints.
• Increase your heart rate to increase the flow of blood into your muscles 
• Activates your muscles for running.
• Prevents future injuries by preparing your muscles for a run.

Below are dynamic stretches for runners that can help you run stronger and prevent injury.

Walking Calf Stretches.

Walking calf stretched, focus on stretching your feet, ankles and calves. Here is how you should do walking calf stretches:

• Stand upright with your toes pointing forward.
• Lift your heels off the ground while standing on your toes.
• Return to your neutral standing position.
• You can walk 5 steps forward to activate your muscles more.

Walking Quad Stretch.

Walking quad stretch focuses on stretching your quads to prepare them for the impact. Below is how you should stretch your quads:

• Stand on a flat surface.
• Lift your left ankle with your left hand.
• Pull your left foot towards your buttocks.
• Hold this position for a few seconds, get back to your standing position, then take a few steps forward.
• Repeat on the other leg.
• If you are struggling to balance, support yourself with a chair.

Walking Lunges.

Walking lunges activate your core, hips, quads, glutes and hamstrings. While stretching, ensure to maintain an upright torso and engage your core. This is how to do walking lunges:

• Stand up straight, with your chest up and hands on your waist.
• Your left knee should almost touch the ground 
• Lunge and walk forward on each leg at least 10 walking lunges per leg.

Lateral Lunges with Forward Stretch.

Lateral lunges with forward stretch focus on stretching your core, hips, glutes, quads, and shoulders. Instructions on how to perform this stretch are below.

• In an upright position, take a big step to your right.
• Bend and lean to your right knee
• Using your left arm, stretch your obliques while bending to your right
• Move side to side and do the same to the other arm and leg.
• Do at least 10 stretches per leg/

Knee Pain? Look at Your Ankles and Hips

Kinetic chain is the body’s coordination of interrelated parts such as joints, muscles and bones to perform a movement.

The lower kinetic chain includes the pelvis, hips, thighs, knees, lower leg, ankle, feet, and toes. It helps you run, walk, jump, and balance.

Hips are made up of strong muscles like the glutes and hip flexors that aid in movements and balance. Reduced arch control in the pelvic area can affect the knee and feet, therefore increasing the risk of injury.

The knee absorbs forces during high-impact activities like running. Stiff and imbalanced thigh muscles affect knee alignment and increase tension on the joint and surrounding structures. This may put you at risk of an injury.

The calf muscle and ankle joint absorb shock and help in propulsion. Stiff ankle and calf muscles affect ankle mobility, reducing movement and balance and adding more stress to the knee and foot.

The foot absorbs vertical forces and transfers these forces throughout the lower kinetic chain. The arch, plantar fascia and foot muscles help in load distribution. Foot biomechanics such as flat feet and excessive pronation reduce movement and increase tension in the hips, knees and back.

Also read: Recovering from Jumper’s Knee: A Comprehensive Guide

Strengthen Key Muscle Groups.

While running, you put too much weight on your legs. You need a strong core and muscles t handle the weight.

The key muscle groups that runners should strengthen include: Glutes, core, calves, quads and hamstrings.

Strengthening these muscle groups helps with improving performance, reducing the risks of future injuries and improving the health of your bones, muscles and connective tissues.

Glute bridges focus on strengthening your glute muscles. Your but consists of 3 glute muscles: Gluteus medius, Gluteus maximus and and Gluteus minimus.

Each glute muscle has a specific role. The gluteus maximus extends your hip when you move your foot off the ground. Gluteus medius and gluteus minimus work by stabilising your hips and pelvis during the stance phase.

Some of the glute bridges you can perform to activate your glutes and increase core stability include:

Glute bridge:

• Lie on your back, with your knees wide apart to the same size as your shoulders.
• Bend your knees and ensure your toes point straight forward.
• Place your arms flat on either side and let your palms open toward the ceiling
• Gradually raise your hips to engage your glutes.
• At the top of the glute bridge, squeeze your glutes so tight and hold for a few seconds.
• Lower your hips gradually to the ground.

Single leg Glute Bridge:

This is an exercise that helps in increasing stability and focus more on your core.

• Stay in the glute bridge position.
• Rather than raising your hips with two legs, bend one of the legs and point the other leg straight up
• The one leg pointed straight up should rise and fall as you slowly lift and lower your hips.

Elevated Glute Bridge:

• Pick a chair and place your shoulders on it. This helps you to be in an elevated position.
• With your feet on the ground, ensure that your hips are wide apart.
• Drop your glutes gradually to the ground.
• Lift your hips slowly and squeeze your muscles.
• Repeat at least 10 times for effectiveness. 
• You can add weights on your hips if you need a higher impact.

Clamshells.

Want to be a stronger and more stable runner? Strengthen your glutes, pelvis, legs and hips with clamshell exercise.

Clamshell exercises imitate the behaviour of a clamshell. You lie on the side, on the knee, on the upper side, and gradually target your hip muscles.

Clamshell exercises target your hip abductors and hip rotators. Hip abductors contain glute medius and minimus, which play the role of stabilising your knees. Hip abductors play the role of controlling the movement of the femur.

Belo is how you do a clamshell exercise.

• Lie on your side on your workout mat and support your head with your arm.
• Roll your hips forward.
• Rest your top arm on the floor with the palm.
• Put your heels together and open your knees 
• Do clamshell exercises until you feel the impact. Two sets can be good for a runner.

For higher impac,t you can modify the calmsshell exercise witha bridging clamashell variation. Bridging clamshell variation is best for you if the first clamshell exercise feels easy to work out.

Below is a step-by-step instruction on how you can do the bridging clamshell variation:

• Stay in a prone position.
• Bend and tac your knees on top of each other.
• Ensure that your feet are touching each other.
• Lift your knees from the ground and rotate the top knee open.
• Repeat this process as much as you can.

Squats. 

Squats are the best strengthening exercises since they focus on multiple muscle groups.

Squats focus on the following lower muscles: glutes in the buttocks, hip flexors, groin, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves.

To get maximum benefit and prevent future injuries, you need to do proper form. Below are instructions on how to do squats:

• Stand in an upright position.
• Ensure that your feet are wider than the width of your hips.
• Ensure your toes are slightly out.
• Keep your chest up and out.
• Engage your abdominal muscles by shifting your weight back into your heels while pushing your hips back.
• Squat until your heels start lifting off the floor.
• With your chest out while still maintaining your core, push through your heel and get back to the starting position.
• Squeeze your glutes.\perform at least 3 sets a day, 12 reps per set.

Other than basic squat variations, you can try squat variations that include using dumbbells, weights, yoga balls and barbells. Squat variations help you activate different muscle groups.

Improve Hamstring Flexibility.

Your hamstrings are located behind youtube thigh in between the knee and the hip. You get a tight hamstring before, during or after running. Want to know how your hamstrings function while running? Your running gait is split into two phases: Swing and Stance.

 When your foot leaves the ground, your hamstring extends your hips and flexes the knee. When your leg swings forward, your hamstrings decelerate your leg, preparing it to land.

When your foot behind to et back to the ground, harsmtring acts as he shock absorber by stabilising your hip and knee.

As a runner, you get a tight hamstring because your hamstring goes through constant short contractions. This can result in knee pain, hamstring strain, sciatica, lower back pain and ankle pain.

How do you stretch your hamstrings to improve their flexibility? Below are some of the techniques you can use to improve the flexibility of your hamstrings.

Calf and hamstring stretch.

• Position a yoga block in front of you.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
• With your legs straight, place the balls of your feet on the yoga ball.
• Hike forward to stretch your calves and hamstrings.
• Hold for 50 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Pigeon pose.

This stretch not only stretches your hamstrings but also opens up your hips. target sth hamstring, hips and glutes for flexibility and relief of tension. This is how you do pigeon pose:

• Kneel and position yourself in all fours.
• Push your right knee forward, then position your lower leg behind your right wrist.
• Ensure that your ankle is near your left hip.
• Push your left leg straight back.
• Rest on your forearms and remain in this position for 50 seconds.
• Breathe deeply.
• Repeat on the other leg.

Standing hamstring stretch.

Standing hamstring stretch focuses on lengthening your hamstrings and engaging your lower back. This is how you do a hamstring stretch:

• With one leg, take a step forward.
• Bend the leg (remaining behind) until both knees meet in the middle.
• Bend the front leg and lean forward at your waist.
• This position stretched the back of your upper leg
• Hold the stretch for 50 seconds on each leg.

Choose the Right Running Shoes

The right running shoe offers the right foundation, absorbs body weight and high impact force. You need to shoes running shoes based on your foot type. Understand your gait and pronation before purchasing a running shoe.

If you have a neutral type of pronation, you are less likely to experience shock-related injuries. You know you have a neutral type of pronation if your foot rolls slightly inward. Neutral pronation enhances even distribution of weight and shock absorption.

If you have flat feet or low arches, you experience overpronation. Overpronation is when your foot rolls excessively inward and causes excess flexibility. Overpronation puts you at higher risk of injuries while running.

If you have stiffer feet or high arches, you experience underpronation or supination. While running, your foot rolls outward, causing you to land more on the outer side. Supination puts you at risk of future injuries and strains your ankle and lower leg.

Before buying a running shoe, seek help from a specialist who examines your running patterns in your previous shoes.

If you have flat feet, go for a motion control running shoe. Motion control running shoes offer maximum reinforcement in the arch area, preventing your heel from rotating excessively and reducing twists.

Mild overpronators and supinators can get neutral running shoes since they offer more flexibility, while mild overpronators can get stability running shoes with softer heel counters.

Consider Gait Retraining

Gait retraining is a pattern of movement used to help you correct abnormal running mechanics that put you at risk of injury. Giat is retaining focus on changing your running mechanics and reducing running injuries.

Gait analysis is the process that evaluates how you walk or run. A physiotherapist observes and analyses movement patterns that alter good performance and contribute to injuries.

At the stance phase, your healthcare provider analyses foot strike pattern, how your toe and heel transition and the distribution of pressure.

At the swing phase, your doctor analyses your height or your hips, knee flexion and the length of your stride.

How your tendons, joints and muscles work together to absorb shock at the impact of each step is also analysed.

A therapist can check factors like head position, posture, and arm swing to test your ability to maintain balance and control body movement.

Once the abdominals are identified and corrected, they reduce the risk of running injuries such as plantar fasciitis, stress fractures and shin splints.

Steps of gait analysis include: 

• Assessing medical history and discussing your concerns on gait.
• Analysing movements through observation.
• Collecting data through motion sensors and video cameras.
• Analysing the collected data and providing feedback.

Use Foot Orthotics When Needed

Orthotics for runners stabilise the foot and provide proper alignment while running.

Custom orthotics are designed according to your feet’ preferences. For example, if you have flat feet or foot pain, you can insert custom orthotics for comfort and to relieve foot and heel pain.

You can get over-the-counter inserts such as arch supports and gel insoles. Arch supports correct over-arched feet while gel insoles provide comfort and relief when you have foot or heel pain.

If you have plantar fasciitis or severe heel pain, you can seek help from a podiatrist. A podiatrist prescribes custom orthotics designed to solve your problem.

High-quality inserts prescribed by a podiatrist are moulded to your foot to provide support and comfort.

Don’t Blame Your Anatomy—Fix the Imbalance

You don’t have to worry much about running injuries when you fix your balance. Focusing on runners’ specific exercises and cross-training can strengthen weak muscles and improve your performance.

Muscle imbalance is when your muscle groups are of different sizes and strengths. For example, you can have strong quadriceps and weak hamstrings, or you may have a larger right bicep than your left bicep.

You know you have a muscle imbalance if you notice:

• Poor posture
• Stiffness 
• Difference in strength, balance and flexibility 
• Different muscle sizes that you can see.

Causes of muscle balance include: wrong shoes, injuries, poor posture and repetitive movements due to running.

Muscle imbalance makes you slower and puts you at risk of an injury. Single-leg exercise is effective since it enhances balance, coordination and proprioception . Single-leg exercise involves working out the weak leg and keeping the stronger leg dominant.

Other types of unilateral exercises include: single-leg deadlifts and single-arm bicep curls.

To fix the imbalance, join a therapeutic program to stretch your tight muscles and strengthen weak muscles. In the therapeutic program, you may include strengthening exercises focusing on glutes, core, and hamstrings, foam rolling, and hip flexor stretches.

To prevent muscle imbalance:

• Stretch before and after a run.
• Walk around or jog to prevent inactivity.
• Wear proper footwear.
• Train both sides of your body 
• Cross  train 

Scale Back When Injured

Running injuries are mostly due to high-impact activities that subject your joints to excessive stress; however cross cross-training focuses on low-impact activities. Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling and paddling keep your body fit even without running.

Cross-training mimics running metabolic activities to help you stay active and minimise running injuries.

For you to be a good runner, you have to teach your body how to move well. Strength training is part of cross-training; you don’t have to do high-impact exercises to strengthen your muscles. A physiotherapist can recommend the best low-impact strength training.

Build strength, learn correct movements to gain stability, control and mobility.

Reduce running volume by 50% to maintain your running frequency and maintain consistency. Consistency keeps your body ready and active and helps improve your performance.

Final Thoughts.

Performance tips to run strong and injury-free can help you sustain your position as an athlete for a long period.

Understanding the risks, stretching before and after a run, strengthening your muscles and fixing your balance are the key to a successful athletic career.

At the Hong Kong clinic, we have professional physiotherapists who will not only examine your movements but also train you to be a great athlete. Visit the Hong Kong Sport Clinic today to consult a physiotherapist.