Nothing beats running for heart health, stress relief and weight management. Yet regular running can lead to aches, pains and stiffness that slow you down and can eventually stop you in your tracks. You don’t have to accept pain as a part of running. Proactive measures can prevent pain and speed up recovery so you can get back on the road, pain-free.
1. Shoes are Everything!
There are times and places for bargain hunting, but buying running shoes is not one of them. Properly fitted shoes provide stability and shock absorption. They are your primary safety equipment for the sport of running. Poor fitting or worn out shoes can set you up for injury and pain that take the joy out of running. Find a specialty running store that sells a variety of shoe brands, and that offers foot and gait analysis. Be prepared to pay in excess of $100 for a good pair of running shoes. Hey, it’s cheaper than knee surgery!
2. Strengthen Your Core
While running may seem like a lower body activity, good running form incorporates whole body movement in a coordinated fashion. Strong core muscles help absorb shock and transfer power between upper and lower body movements, stabilizing the pelvis and protecting the spine. A strong core is fundamental to pain-free running.
3. Get a Computerized Running Gait Analysis
The mechanics of running are very specific, and gait deficiencies can lead to injuries that end your running career. Follow up your gait analysis with gait retraining sessions from a physical therapist or running coach. Your speed and overall performance will soar, and aches and pains will subside.
4. Stay Stretched and Strong
Strong muscles protect your joints and prevent injury. Stretching allows your joints to move painlessly through their full range of motion. Stretch your muscles and joints after your run while they are still warm, and stretch frequently throughout the week. Do resistance training for your entire body at least twice a week to maintain strength balance out muscle tension at your joints.
5. Cryotherapy For Pain and Recovery
Recovery is often overlooked, but it is a critical component of physical activity. Recovery promotes healing of damaged tissue and sparks the growth of new cells. You grow stronger during recovery.
Cryotherapy is a time-tested recovery treatment for muscle and joint pain and inflammation. It accelerates healing and recovery while helping to remove toxins and dead cells from your system. Whole body cryotherapy is a natural way to stimulate your body’s own healing mechanisms so you can get back on the road and stay in the race.
Advanced Cryo NYC offers whole body cryotherapy in our spa-like clinic, located in NYC’s trendy SoHo district. Visit us for your whole body cryotherapy session, and be sure to ask about our menu of unique treatments, all geared to keeping you healthy, young and beautiful.
