It’s that time of year again…
My Physio clinic is getting swarmed with countless people getting themselves prepared for the Great North Run in just over a week’s time!
Thing is, these patients may be putting the miles in to get across the finish line in the best time, but! And here’s a big but – these people are over doing it and training too much!
Just last week a long standing patient of mine Nick, aged 52, Seaton Carew, came to me with a slight pain in his ankle as he twisted it whilst out on a run during the weekend.
Now Nick isn’t the ONLY patient I’ve seen these last few weeks limping around with a bad ankle…
Big news! Ankle pain is one of the most common injuries I see this time of year…
…and it may sound strange to you, but the thing is, these kinds of injuries happen because people tend to believe that to get better, faster and stronger at running – they need to run more.
But that’s not true.
In fact sudden changes to the amount of time someone goes running for, and how often someone goes running for – increases the risk of pain creeping up on you, which is definitely the last thing you want when you’ve got a big even coming up!!
So, if you’re in training for the Great North Run, (or even if you simply enjoy jogging and you’re not taking part this year)…here’s the top three tips that I give to my patients with ankle pain, to improve their performance, even if they have a bad ankle…
One of the first things to think about is how many miles have your running shoes logged?…
When heading towards the 8-10 miles stage of your training, I tell my patients to replace their running shoes. You should really get a new pair for every 600 miles that you do (that’s a lot of miles I know! But you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll do that many!)
If your trainers are out-dated, or overly worn, then you’re more likely to experience pain in your ankle. Try changing the type of trainers you use, and discover which shoe is the perfect fit for you.
Focus On Low-Impact Activities…
Instead of always taking your training to the pavement and going for a run, focus on low-impact activities.
If you’re in pain, activities such as swimming, cycling and rowing, won’t require and sharp and sudden ankle motions. They’ll keep your ankle protected helping you to get back into running faster and safer!
And here’s a quick and easy exercise that anyone can do too…
The Single-Leg Balance…
To improve your ankle strength and minimise the risk of injury, simply balancing on one leg without any shoes on is a great one for runners.
All you’ve got to do, is start by balancing on the leg with the injured ankle, with a stable object near by (your table will be perfect).
Stand on one leg with no shoes on, on a flat surface and count up to ten, then relax.
I recommend you work up to keeping your balance for sixty seconds, and doing these twice a day… You should know that this exercise is so easy, that you can even do it whilst you’re watching TV!
Getting over the finish line is easy, if you follow these tips and listen to your body. If your ankle is painful or sore, it’s pretty simple – resist the temptation to keep pushing through, and focus on reducing the pain by taking part in other activities and resting, instead.
If you want more tips like this to recover quick from running injuries, go to this webpage now: www.paulgoughphysio.com/sports-injury-clinic to collect your free report which you can get instantly. Good luck!
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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