OCR Text |
Show Fitness Tips Dale Nelson, Professor, Utah State University and member of the Governor's Council on Health and Fitness. We know that distance running causes a low incidence of seriously disabling injuries, but a high number of minor and usually, temporary injuries. In addition, . everyone knows that any injury however minor, takes the fun out of activity. With this in mind let's examine a four year study of injuries in-juries sustained by 2085 runners. The orthopedic surgeon and podiatrist making the study found that very few of the injuries runners sustain will prevent a return to the desired level of training. However, there are conditions that seem to lead to more injuries. Here are the conclusions from their records. It Mows that a little prevention will help everyone. The addition- of hilly terrain into the workout schedule increases the likelihood of injury. It seems that morning runners are most vulnerable. This may be because body temperature is higher in the early hours and-or the fact by afternoon the muscle tissue has already been loosened up by the day's gentle stretches. Information on specific injuries showed that plantar fasciitis was the most common injury. This is manifest by tenderness under the front part of the heel. It is much more likely to occur in men than women (5-0-1 ). ratio, but among women it primarily strikes those 20 or more pounds above the average weight. Time appears to be a factor, since the majority of runners with this syndrome reported running fewer than 20 miles a week for more than five years. Stress fractures were found not only in the foot, but also in the ankle, lower leg, upper leg, and hip area. Many of the runners suffering stress fractures exhibited abnormal foot biomechanics. Finally, the causes of most injuries in-juries were placed into five categories: 1) bad running shoes; 2) bad running surface; 3) lack of flexibility; 4) biomechanical imbalance; im-balance; 5) bad training methods (largely, too fast, too soon, too far). Eliminate these five factors and you have an excellent chance of avoiding injury and prolonging your running career. Use a variety of aerobic activities and you will do even better. Good luck! |