Pounding the Pavement Do You Need to Stop Running?
Eventually, every runner will experience a sore muscle or achy joint in their running career. But when should you seek out a physical therapist?
strengthening exercises using stability balls, resistance bands, and body-weight exercises to increase your strength.
Runner’s injuries can be caused by poor form, inadequate preparation, and overtraining. While muscle soreness can be expected with most types of physical activity, many people also experience some stiffness at the beginning of a workout or joint discomfort the following day. As long as this pain goes away after a while, no additional action is necessary. However, any pain that lingers or keeps you awake at night should be carefully monitored and treated. If you get a few minutes into a run and your pain worsens, stop, walk, and seek out a physical therapist. Many runners will change their stride to compensate for a sore spot, but this doesn’t fix the problem and can cause other injuries in the long term.
So, do you need to stop running?
One of the hardest phrases to hear as a runner is to stop running, but according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 80 percent of running injuries are caused by increasing mileage too quickly. A break from running is often the first prescription given by a physical therapist. Muscles and joints are slower to adjust to stress than the cardiovascular system, meaning it’s easier for runners to wear out their legs, back, or neck before their lungs. At the first sign of pain, it’s best to back off, slow to a walk, and focus on stretching or cross-training to strengthen the muscles around your sore spot, since most injuries occur due to weak surrounding muscles. When in doubt, visiting a physical therapist will allow you to learn the exact exercises and stretches that you need to get back to pounding the pavement.
Physical therapists can work to build up your muscles around your injured area. Your physical therapist will give you stretching and
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Sensational Summer Salad
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound strawberries, thinly sliced • 3 medium peaches, thinly sliced • 1 cup blueberries • 1 heaping tablespoon fresh basil or mint, chopped • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 tablespoon maple syrup • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium serving bowl, combine the strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and basil. 2. Drizzle lemon juice, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar on top. 3. Gently toss to combine. 4. Serve immediately, or chill for later.
Recipe inspired by CookieAndKate.com.
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