Are you a Runner

Are you a Runner?

Running is a great stress relever and cardio for the body, however the legs and feet take a pounding from the constant hit of the ground. Even though the ligaments and tendons in the feet act as shock absorbers to counter the pressure, it’s vital to strengthen and stretch the intrinsic muscles to avoid injury.

Common running injuries are:

• Plantar fasciitis occurs when the fibrous tissue of the foot, connecting the heel to the toes, causes pain in the arch and heel.
• Shin splints are when the soft tissue surrounding the tibia (the bone connecting the knee to the ankle) becomes inflamed. Koss says without treatment, this injury can become a stress fracture.
• Achilles tendinitis indicates the inflammation of the tendon connecting the calf to the heel. Pain can be felt anywhere from the heel to the lower calf with redness and swelling.

There are ways to avoid suffering those injuries, so you can continue to run it out.

Here are three of our favourite stretches post run to help prevent running injuries:

1. Towel Crunches

Wearing shoes in daily life is necessary of course, but it can leave small muscles in the feet weak due to insufficient use, which in turn may lead to plantar fasciitis.

Place a thin towel flat on the floor, and place one bare foot on it. Keeping your heel in place, pull the towel toward you by grabbing it with your toes and arch. Repeat five times with each foot.

2. Achilles Stretch

Putting pressure on the middle of the fascia is another way to elongate that muscle, which helps prevent plantar fasciitis. Over time, you will be able to get your heel lower.

Stand on a step with your heels hanging off. Let your heels slowly drop over the edge for 15 seconds before bringing them back up to step level. Repeat five times.

3. Space it out

Stretching out the muscles in your toes will be relief from constantly pressing off the toes as you leap forward.

Depending on how often you use the toe spacers, leave them on for 30 minutes or longer.

 

Remembering to care for your feet and stretch out the muscles as you do your calves and other leg muscles will help prevent injuries. The Toe Spacers help relieve tension from the constant weight that bears down on each stride and also helps improve speed by strengthening the connective tissues.

THE TOE SPACER