Hopefully, we’ve all been mostly injury free up until this point – maybe only a few blisters here and there and, of course, sore muscles.  As we move up to 9 miles this week, let’s be more mindful than ever of how our bodies feel and how we can prevent any serious injuries from taking place.  Below are three anti-injury technique categories that I’d like us to focus on.

Stability

Stability in your workouts will help you avoid injury.  It becomes more and more important as our long walks/runs increase to keep up a consistent training schedule.

Continue to build up your mileage at the same rate each week.  If you miss a long run, don’t jump to the next mileage level without catching up for the week you missed first.  However, still be sure to give yourself several days between long mileage sessions.

Preventative

Taking notice to how your body feels will also help you stay injury free.  If something doesn’t feel right during a workout, don’t push it. It’s always OK to stop, rest and recover.  Stretch before any workout.  When stretching, don’t bounce.  Hold the stretch for about 10 counts.  Be sure to focus on the muscles that will be most used during your training – running day stretches and cross training stretches may be different.  Prevent dehydration by drinking fluids 30 minutes before your workout.

Recovery

After a tough training session consider taking an ice bath.  Your muscles are inflamed from the workout so try to avoid taking a hot bath or sitting in a hot tub.  If an ice bath is too cold, try putting an ice pack or a frozen bag of veggies on your sore muscles.

For more info on injury prevention or for other training tips, don’t forget to login to Facebook daily! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Las-Vegas-NV/Gastric-Band-Institute-of-Las-Vegas/70614945686?ref=ts

Happy, healthy and injury-free training,

Prudence