At Lifestyle Health Retreats we understand that a big part of establishing a daily practice of health and fitness is working out safely. Whether you are optimizing your health by running or walking, the point is to move more and establish habits that fit your lifestyle and fitness level. If you are someone that enjoys running, make sure you avoid the 5 most common running mistakes that most people make. That way you can minimize pain, while having a fun and effective running experience.
- Inward Knee Collapse. This basically means that while you’re running, your knees are collapsing inward which can be caused by weak muscles. While running, your knees are supposed to stay aligned with your hips. If your muscles are weak, they won’t be able to support you and your body weight. To correct this, performing exercises to build up your gluteus muscles will end up helping you support your body weight thus preventing any injury.
- Asymmetrical Running Pattern. This is when you land harder on one side of your body than the other. By simply paying attention to the sound your feet make when you hit the ground, you will be able to tell which side you are coming down harder on and start to even out your landings.
- Running Posture. If you have been running on the fore-front of your foot when you are actually a rear-foot runner and the same goes for rear-foot runners running on their fore-foot this could severely affect your running posture. Picture yourself running. When you run, do you put most of the pressure on your heels, or the front of your feet? This is a test for you to see what running style you have. You don’t have to switch up your running style, just make sure that whichever running style you have, you aren’t having any pain when you strike down.
- Over-swinging and Over-striding. Are you someone that swings their arms when you run or simply has an extra-long running stride? These can actually lead to back pain. When you over-stride, you are taking steps that are too long for your body size. The extra rotation can actually harm your spine because it’s having to work overtime to compensate for longer strides. It’s natural to move your arms a little when you’re running, but swinging them too much actually affects the alignment of your spine. To correct this, simply become aware of your strides and how your arms are swinging. Just by altering your stride a little bit and by keeping your arms a little closer to your body while running you can reduce back pain tremendously.
- Be Aware of Foot Type. Everyone’s foot is different. Some have higher arches, wider feet, flatter feet etc. You may not notice that your feet are flatter than you thought. It’s all about finding a shoe that supports your specific foot type. If you can find a shoe that supports your feet and ankles, you can minimize back, hip and knee pain while running. If you are someone that is dedicated to running, it’s best to spend those extra dollars to find a pair of shoes that are specifically designed for running and that fit you like a glove. In the long run, you will feel the benefits.
