Running injuries are fairly common, and the big mistake that many runners make is trying to continue training through what may seem like a minor injury. It’s understandable; the time away from training is going to affect your performance and you don’t want to lose what you have put so much time and effort into building. To avoid this time away from running, you need to take steps to avoid the injuries in the first place. While some injuries may be unavoidable even with the best of practices, there are some tips that you can follow to significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Take up strength training

The best defense against running injuries is a strong body. When the body is strong, it will be much better equipped to deal with the stress that comes from running. Increased strength will also improve your gait and help to keep it more consistent as you run.

As a runner, strength training will help, but you do not want to train like a person that views gaining strength as their primary goal. You want to strength train like a runner. You want to build more muscle in the legs and strengthen the stabilizing muscles. Plyometrics can be great for runners that are looking to build strength, stability and balance. Additionally, some light weightlifting and exercises to strengthen the core will be beneficial.

Maintain flexibility

Stretching is obviously important for before you run, but you also want to do some exercises to maintain flexibility on your days off. Before you run, you want to make sure to stretch every part of the body. Get every joint and all of your limbs. For the days that you do not run, you should try to build a short exercise routine that includes some stretches. Doing about 20 minutes of stretching every day can make a major difference when it comes to flexibility and it can help to prevent injury.

Take days off

If you are not already taking days off, then you need to work some off days into your schedule. It may feel like you are making big gains and getting your body ready for a race, but you are also putting the body under an extreme amount of stress. As you run every day, the wear and tear accumulates and after several days without a rest, it could result in an injury. Give your body time to heal in the middle of your training schedule and it will actually benefit you more than grinding it out every single day without a break.

Wear the right shoes

Wearing a pair of shoes that are well suited to you and the type of training that you do is also important. A good pair of running shoes will help the runner to control their form and they absorb more of the force when your foot impacts the ground. Finding the right pair of shoes for the runner can be difficult. A big part of finding the right pair will depend on the type of running, but your own personal biomechanics will play a role. The staff at a store that sells running shoes might be able to help you find the right pair for the type of training, but it is unlikely that they will be able to give advice about finding the right shoes for your body. When it comes to knowing whether the shoes are right for you, it is really just going to take putting them on and seeing how they feel when you run. If they don’t feel right when you are running or you feel more aches and pains when you are done, then it is likely that they are not the right shoes for you.

Visit a sports chiropractor

Some injuries can be the result of the body being out of alignment, and a visit to the chiropractor can help to restore the proper alignment of joints and bones. In addition to this, running does put a great deal of stress on the muscles and the nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments can help to address many of these problems, and a good sports chiropractor will offer additional treatment options that are specifically designed to meet the needs of a runner. Beyond this, chiropractic care can also be good for treating running injuries and for correcting small issues before they turn into a major problem.

While it may be impossible to make yourself completely immune to the possibility of a running injury, there is a lot that you can do to keep yourself injury-free. However, there are no shortcuts to injury prevention and you will find no single thing that is going to protect the body all on its own.