4 tips to prevent running injuries

As a beginner runner, you don't have a running coach who pays attention to your posture, your overall movement pattern, and the use of your arms and legs. Why do many runners experience injuries when they just start, without guidance? The answer is simple: your body is not yet used to the repetitive movement. As a starter, you quickly take 150 to 160 steps per minute. Suppose you run for 15 minutes, you will easily take over 2,250 steps. If you jog for 30 minutes, you will reach over 4,500 steps. During all those landings, you absorb 3 to 5 times your own body weight! That is an enormous shock load for your calves, your Achilles tendons, and your shins. So, it may well be that your heart and lungs are already capable of a lot, but your tendons and muscles cannot yet handle the "impacts" of landing. Your muscles need more time to get used to that repetitive movement. Running is one of the most injury-prone sports, as it's not for nothing that almost 50 percent of beginner runners drop out within a few weeks.

You can optimally use a rest day for a good stretch and to strengthen your body. To stay 'running fit', it's useful to include a few essential exercises in your normal running routine. Through eccentric calf exercises and specific foot exercises, you make your body stronger and can prevent many typical running injuries.

4)Changing surfaces is good for the development of your motor skills. Make sure you don't just run on unpaved surfaces. When landing on asphalt, your calves experience a higher load and you run an increased risk of problems with your shins (shin splints) and Achilles tendons. In the forest, you can easily vary: soft and paved surfaces are plentiful there.

Keep on running, keep up the good work!