RUNNING
R
unning injuries
are extremely
common, with
some statistics
estimating that
as many as 90% of runners
miss training time every year
due to injuries like IT Band
Syndrome, hamstring issues,
shin splints and stress
fractures.
But these running injuries need
not be an inevitable symptom
of running. As a PT, here are
five key things you can do to
help your clients remain
injury-free as they train for
a big event like a half or full
marathon.
“
Many PTs
assume that
someone training
for an event will
already have a
good running
foundation, but
they may be
coming from
absolute zero.”
1
Understand your
client’s exercise history
According to Neil Dimmock,
Head of Fitness at Ten Health
and Fitness, the first step
in training any runner is to
understand their starting point.
“When it comes to training for a
big running event, many PTs get
caught up in what their client
thinks they need,” he says.
“It’s important to first establish
where they are at the beginning
of their training journey.
“Many PTs assume that
someone training for an event
will already have a good
running foundation, but they
may be coming from absolute
zero. This is more and more
common as marathons
become more accessible to
people of all different abilities.”
When a client is starting from
zero, he says, it can be more
difficult to build up. A trainer
needs to work with a client to
do foundational work before
they can start loading the joints
with repetitive actions. “Once
you have that base, it’s all about
loading incrementally over time
with resistance training and
increasing mileage,” says Neil.
@REPsUK
FM 29