Among so many things, getting injured during an exercise is one of the most annoying things one could experience. Instead of feeling good because of the boost you get from exercise, it becomes a painful and uncomfortable experience instead.
However, injuries can happen anytime while exercising and are caused by a lot of factors. If you’re a runner, you are more prone to injuries involving the legs and feet because these are the parts that you mostly use. To know whether you need to seek medical help or just continue running, here are the most common injuries you could get from running.
Runner’s Knee
Simply put, a runner’s knee is the pain that you feel in front of your knee. Usually, it doesn’t hurt when you’re at rest but it all depends on the severity of the pain. Runner’s knee is caused by an injury to the kneecap or the structures surrounding it. Through time, the kneecap loses its natural flexibility making it prone to injury when doing repetitive movements such as running. It is best to give your knees rest from exercise when you experience this to let them heal first.
Hamstring and Calf Pull
Hamstring and calf pulls are caused by excessive strain on the muscles located at the back part of your legs and thigh. You’ll know you have this condition when there is excessive tightness in the back of your leg or thigh. There are different muscles that can be affected by this injury. It can be at the tendons near the knee, along the muscle belly, and any other parts around that area.
It is best to start slow if you’re just a new runner to prevent calf injuries and even hamstring issues. When you experience this injury, it is best not to continue running since it could only cause more harm and damage to the pulled muscles. Hamstring and calf pull need much time to heal and could even require professional medical help especially when it is really severe.
Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is an injury characterized by a sharp, shooting pain in the calf when you step or try to stand up. This problem happens when there’s not much movement on the ankle. There are two main causes of Achilles tendonitis – it could be an inflammation caused by injury or strain from running or just regular degeneration of the tendon because of less stimulation and usage.
Just like other injuries, you should also give yourself a rest from running when you experience this type of problem. However, unlike other injuries, you can still do other exercises such as strength training to stimulate that area and prevent it from degenerating. It is recommended to seek medical help when you have this problem because there are plenty of factors that can affect its fast recovery.
By knowing these common running injuries, you now have an idea of how to take care of your body when doing your exercise. Take things slow in your exercise regimen to keep safe from those injuries.