News & Advice

8 Top Tips for Marathon Injury Prevention

Marathon injury prevention should always be our priority. While there are plenty of things that could go wrong when we don’t prepare properly, the most successful methods to staying injury-free are actually very simple.

1. Cross train. Different surfaces, different disciplines. Don’t repeatedly load the same structures in the same plain of movement. Load joints in multiple plains for all round strength.
2.  Build up the mileage at a steady pace. General rule is not to increase more than 10% a week.
3. Run at YOUR pace. A common mistake that often leads to injury is when we try and run at a faster pace than we are capable of. Choose a pace that feels comfortable, especially if we’re not used to running long distances. Build up the mileage and listen to our body. Taking the extra time to reach our goal may seem frustrating in the short term, but for the long term, we want our body to be functioning at its best.
4. When we experience persistent niggles, REST. Any major pain that persists beyond a few days, seek advice from a Physiotherapist or Sports Therapist for a Biomechanical Assessment.
5. Avoid over training. Signs of over training are; high resting heart rate, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and struggling to sleep.
6. Warm up. Our joints like being warm – the fluid in them thins and lubricates/covers the joint better. Muscles are more elastic when warm and are better able to respond to sudden length changes, for example, if we have to swerve, change surfaces, or stumble.
7. Eat well. Amino acid and protein intake is important, both as a regular part of meals and post a heavy session to help recovery. As are antioxidants, creatine and omega 3. All have been linked to preventing muscle loss and anabolic resistance and promoting healing.
8. Get enough sleep. Sleep is a key component in the repair of cellular damage. Less than 8 hours sleep has been correlated with 1.7 times risk of injury and poorer recovery than more than 8hrs. Poor sleep also creates a proinflammatory state leading to decreased resistance to infectious diseases.

 

Consider all these points to keep your body happy and running well, not just for the upcoming race but for years into the future. If you are in training or thinking of training and would like some FREE advice beforehand, you can reach out to our team of expert Physiotherapists here.

Alternatively, you may call us on 01282 453110.