What Are The Leading Training Errors That Cause Running?

Running is one of the most popular activities worldwide. Unfortunately, running is often associated with pain or injury related to training. As technology improves, more and more people search the internet for help with training and recovering from an injury.

Unfortunately, the more desperate you are, the more likely you will look to any solution, regardless of its effectiveness. This, in turn, leaves people susceptible to the troubling amount of misinformation that permeates the running community. For example, too many runners emphasize ineffective solutions like changing their running shoes instead of implementing strategies that have been proven to make a significant difference, like training properly. 

Identifying the exact cause of most running-related injuries is often impossible. More often than not, it is a combination of multiple factors or something that seems unrelated to the current issue.

For example, most people don’t know that the leading risk factor associated with runners sustaining an injury is having a previous injury in the last 12 months. The type of injury does not seem as important as the fact you had an injury and did not resolve it entirely. Resolving a prior injury will reduce your risk of getting hurt and keep you running. 

Although there seems to be a difference in novice vs. experienced runners, as well as age and gender differences, the risk factors that lead to running injuries are mostly training errors. According to research studies, the most common risk factors include the following:

• Running experience of 0–2 years
• Restarting running after extended rest
• Overtraining (i.e., more than 40 miles per week, men > women)
• Women recreational runners were associated with a greater risk of running-related injury

At Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation, our physical therapist will help you resolve any pre-existing issues and maximize your training while simultaneously preventing injuries in the future!