Now that the weather is (mostly) warm and dry, more people than ever are out running. Whether it’s a gentle jog before work, a lunch-time refresher or an evening 10K, now’s the perfect time to make the most of bright mornings and long evenings. But if you’re just getting back into running after a winter hiatus, or you’re ramping up the mileage ahead of a race, then it’s worth flagging that injuries can – and do – happen. 

Any dramatic increase in the amount you run over a short period of time tends to be a recipe for disaster. If you’ve started running five days a week having never really jogged before, or you’re keen to see how far you can run without building up to that distance, you may be running on borrowed time.

So, how can we keep protecting ourselves while clocking up the miles?

Whether you’ve just woken up or you’re heading out for a 5K after a day of sitting at your laptop, you need to warm up. 

You want to try dynamic stretching rather than sustained static stretching (stretching that doesn’t involve any movement) as some experts believe that holding stretches before heading out for a run can actually reduce the amount of force your muscles can produce. A warm-up should take you through your range of motion, raise your temperature and your heart rate…not necessarily make you any more flexible. Try the moves below.

Inchworm/walkouts

1. Stand hip-width apart then bend forwards at the waist to tap your toes. 
2. Walk the hands out into a plank, hold for a couple of seconds before walking the hands back to the toes and stand back up. 
3. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Hip opener

1. From standing, raise your right knee to the chest (holding just under your knee, on the calf bone) and then rotate outwards to 90°. 
2. Bring the leg back to front, lower your foot and change sides. 
3. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Prison lunge

1. Clasp your hands behind your head, elbows facing outwards and then go into a walking lunge. 
2. Keeping your chest and head up, step forwards with your right foot, bringing the front knee to a 90° bend and keeping your back knee an inch off the floor as you go. 
3. Come back up to standing and step forwards with the left leg. 
4. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Cossacks

1. Stand feet shoulder-width apart before bending your right knee so that you’re hovering inches above the ground on the right side while keeping your left leg straight. 
2. Bring yourself back up to standing and repeat on the left.
3. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Shoes play a huge role in injury-proofing your run. Your best bet is to head to your local running shop to have a gait analysis; they are nearly always free and if you go to a reputable shop, you won’t feel pressured to buy anything.

You can, however, check your own shoes at home. 

How to check your shoes:

1. Make sure that your toes have a thumb-width of room between the end of the shoe.
2. Tie the laces so that the trainer doesn’t keep moving and bashing your toes (see below).
3. Assess how long/far you’ve run in the same pair of trainers. If you’ve run regularly in them for a year or two, consider getting a new pair.

Once you’ve done that, it might be worth thinking about getting insoles – but only if you’ve had your gait analysed and have been diagnosed with a gait that requires extra support.

“We all know how debilitating lower limb and foot pain can be,” says Nick Beresford, CEO of Enertor.

“Every runner will have experienced some kind of niggle or injury such as stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and runners’ knee, but scoping out the latest, scientifically proven kit and adding to your run and strength training programme will help to prevent injury in the lower limbs and improve the level of pain experienced in the feet and ankles.” Enertor insoles, for example, are credited with 44% shock reduction and 36% energy return for improved performance and muscle function. They’re even backed by the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt. As the official insole partner of England Athletics, the statistics speak for themselves; 91% of foot pain sufferers reported an improvement in the level of pain and 75% confirmed that the insoles healed their plantar fasciitis. 

“Each time our foot strikes the ground, we experience huge impact forces and considering the size of a foot compared to the body, it’s easy to appreciate the demands placed upon them,” Marc Brown, strength & conditioning coach at PerformancePro tells Stylist.

“To prevent injury and enhance performance, developing mobility and improving strength in the feet and ankles is vital.”

Try these drills, anytime, anywhere:

Towel curling

1. Stand on a towel, scrunch your toes and pull the towel towards you. 
2. Control the movement, ensuring the ankles and knees remain straight throughout. 
3. Go for 2 sets of 20 reps.

Heel walks

1. Pull your toes up towards your shins ensuring the balls of your feet are off the floor. 
2. Walk at a steady pace for 20m.
3. Keep your knees straight and place your weight through the heels at all times.

Strength training two or three times a week can significantly reduce your risk of injury, says Amoila Cesar, Beachbody On Demand ‘super trainer’.

“There are advanced runners who can strength train and run up to six days a week, but that level of training takes years to obtain. You’ll need to be in tune with your body and know how to recover and fuel well.

“Mastering the art of hinging at the hip and knee and performing deadlifts, squats, split squats, lunges, dumbbells snatches and unilateral deadlifts are the go-to moves for increasing power and strength in runners. Three sets of 8-12 reps will ensure gains in stability and strength, making your runs feel much easier.”

Try this dumbbell circuit:

Go for eight reps of each exercise, take a 20 second rest and then move onto the next one. Aim to do three rounds. 

1. Deadlifts
2. Goblet squats
3. Forward lunges
4. Planks
5. Russian twists
6. Snatches

A lot of running injuries come from muscle imbalance so it’s important to work on unilateral movements too – i.e. single leg work. Try adding single-leg deadlifts and split squats to your routine and add balancing drills to your everyday routines. Do the washing up or brush your teeth balancing on one foot.

Many people often worry that running will ruin their knees as they get older, but this is simply not true. There are other factors that contribute to sore knees and aching joints. One of the big causes of injury is getting tired and lazy. When we get tired, we stop picking our feet up high enough or we start to lean on one side – putting pressure all the way down the chain from our hips to our ankles.  

But seeing as there’s no need to wrack up a lot of miles at the moment, stick to short and sweet outings. Take it steady on the pace if you’re new to running and just get used to enjoying moving and breathing easy. 

Remember we said that static stretching wasn’t ideal before a run? That’s because it’s best saved for when you come back.

Brown admits: “We can easily neglect stretching and recovery with a busy run training programme. Static stretching (where you hold a stationary position for a period of time) can be a really valuable tool to increase range of motion, improve posture and decrease stress levels as it’s an effective relaxation technique.”

Try these stretches at the end of your run:

Hip flexors

1. Kneel down on one leg keeping the hips and torso square. 
2. Gently push the pelvis forward until a stretch is felt on the front of the hip (of the back leg). 
3. To increase the stretch and maintain a neutral pelvis position, engage the glutes on the back leg

Calves

1. Keeping the toes on the edge of the step, drop your heel as far as possible. 
2. Keep the knee straight throughout. 
3. You should feel a stretch in the calf but if you don’t, try to drop the heel lower.

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Images: Getty, Instagram