Common Foot & Ankle Injuries

If you’re an avid runner, chances are high that you’ve experienced an injury or two over the years. Running is a great sport, but it places a lot of stress on your joints. According to Runner’s World magazine, approximately 66 percent of runners admit to having sustained a running-related injury in the past year. The good news is you can take several steps before and after running to help prevent common problems, whether you’re a roadrunner, treadmill connoisseur or trail racer. It doesn’t matter if you run for competition, simple cardio or just for fun. Anyone who spends any amount of time running will benefit from pre- and post-running stretches. The answer is both, but there are two types of stretching: dynamic stretching and static stretching. Dynamic stretching means you’re elongating tissues while moving through a range of motion to prepare your muscles for activity. This is the best way to warm up before a run. Dynamic stretching increases your muscles’ core temperature and gets your blood pumping by incorporating sports-specific movements that prepare your body for particular actions during your run. It also gets you into competition mode! Additionally, dynamic stretching improves the range of motion around your joints, reducing the chances of injury. Over time, this will improve your performance and maximize your movements due to the increase in the flexibility of your muscles surrounding your joints. For the longest time, running doctrine stated that static stretching was the proper way to loosen up our muscles prior to running. However, we are now aware of the advantages of dynamic stretching and heavily advocate it as a far more beneficial warm up exercise in order to maximize performance. The effectiveness of your warm up not only affects the likelihood of injury, but it also directly impacts your ability to perform to your maximum ability. As such, dynamic stretching plays a major role in maximizing your performance levels and should be a key part of any warm up prior to a run.

Dynamic Hamstring Stretch 

Stand with your feet about hip width apart.

 Bend forward at your waist, bend your elbows and rock your arms from side to side while keeping your knees straight. You will feel a stretch in your hamstrings behind your knees and thighs. Rock back and forth 20 times.

Dynamic Hip Openers 

Stand with your feet hip width apart.

 Get your balance on one leg and rotate your opposite leg in a clockwise motion, drawing a rainbow-shaped arch with your leg.  Reverse the rainbow in a counterclockwise direction. Repeat 20 times on each leg.

Dynamic Calf Stretch  Stand with your feet staggered one in front of the other, 6-12 inches apart.  Gently rock forward, lifting your back heel, then shift your weight and rock backwards, lifting your front toes. You will feel a stretch in your calves. Repeat rocking back and forth 20 times, then switch your feet and repeat 20 more times.

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