Injuries

terrytass
terrytass Posts: 2 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I'm having trouble with injuries and need some guidance.

Every other week I seem to injure something, my knee, my calf, my heel, my shin. This always happens after I have done some exercise related to either running or walking for over 40mins. Every time I injure myself I am out for a while and it is frustrating because I like walking, running and cycling. I find swimming laps tedious but it appears to be the only thing that doesn't cause any damage.

Currently my left knee is hurting and my right heel.

I would like to know, what should I be doing to be able to run/walk again consistently in the near future. I can't stand thinking I could never run again.

Are there core exercises that I should do before I try running again ?
How long should I wait for an injury to heal before I try exercising again ?

Thanks
terrytass

Replies

  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
    Do you have good shoes? That could be a culprit! Look at other things like your posture and form as well. Otherwise, I would talk to a trainer.
  • AngelicaDulas
    AngelicaDulas Posts: 196 Member
    I recently injured my left knee also. It was caused by running in the wrong shoes/not stretching well enough before and after. I went for 3 months no injuries, then got new shoes and bam! I found that walking for 20 minutes and really warming up (3.5/4mph) THEN doing my interval jogging for another 20 min really helped. Everything was warmed up etc... I think that it really came down to the shoes for me. I'm going to have to buy a different pair than the ones that just injured me. Hope you feel better, maybe just try fast walking? It's much less stress on the joints and you are still getting your heart up. You could try walking with weight (backpack or dumbells) to increase your cardio rate?! Take it easy and STRETCH gently. be sure to ice the knee if it feels like swelling.
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
    A couple of things come to mind when you talk about recurrent leg injuries.

    1. How are your shoes? Shoes wear out over time, the cushioning gives out and they no longer support your foot properly. This can lead to Shin Splints, Illiotibial Band issues, and a host of other issues. For me, a shoe is worn out at 300 miles. They look ok, but they can no longer take the pounding... I relegate these to my puttering around shoes and won't run in them.

    2. Are you wearing the right type of shoes? People fall into one of three basic groups Pronators, Suppinators or Neutral. This is a measure of how our foot rolls when we are walking or running. There are shoes intended for each group of people (Neutral, Motion Control or Stability). If you aren't sure which group you fall into, go to a reputable running shop and have them look both at your Gait and your existing shoes to see where they are worn. The wrong type of shoe will increase the likelyhood of you suffering an injury while running.

    3. How much are you training when you get injured? Most non impact related leg injuries are because of overusage. If you run too much, your legs wear out and you end up with injuries. An example would be shin splints or IT Band syndrome. Remember to NEVER increase your mileage by more than 10% per week and take time to rest properly between workouts.
  • terrytass
    terrytass Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone! Seems that I need to get new shoes... perfect! I'll give that a go and report back.
    Thanks again!
    Cheers
    terrytass
  • JohnnyNull
    JohnnyNull Posts: 294 Member
    IMO, the shoe-thing is way overrated. No shoe in the world can effectively compensate for poor form. Perhaps take a look at that.

    Other than that, a trip to the doc, maybe a little weightlifting, too much/too soon?
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