More than just a trend, being a runner is a way of life. It is a healthy habit (when practiced in moderation) and highly rewarding through the constant challenges that the athlete – whether amateur or professional – overcomes.
And as with any sport, to reach our full potential it is essential to listen to our body and take care of it.
Running is an inherent and indispensable activity for human beings – even though today’s lifestyle hardly requires it anymore. Practicing it regularly and with intensity brings changes to the muscles, joints, bone tissue, and practically everything else in the body. And this is exactly where physiotherapy comes in: to help the runner recover, stay well, and learn how to remain well.
OSTEOFISIO lab – Osteopathy and Physiotherapy Clinic in Lisbon
What should you do before going for a run?
A lot.
Of course, anyone can put on their trainers and start running. But we all have weaknesses, more or less significant, in our neuro-musculoskeletal system, and if these are identified in advance, they can prevent you from having to “take off” your trainers because of an injury. It’s about making things safer. We all live busy lives, and being injured is a major inconvenience. This is Prevention rather than Reaction.
Your physiotherapist will therefore talk with you to understand your goals and motivation. They will review your history of previous injuries, as well as the volume and progression of physical exercise you do (whether running itself, gym training, or group classes), and assess your posture both standing and running.
In addition, coordination, balance (strangely enough, runners often have poor balance), strength imbalances, activation timing, muscle length, and the way you perform each step will be evaluated.
This way, the runner gets to know their body better and becomes aware of current limitations. At the end of the process, the goal is for you to be properly advised on what it takes to run healthily, including which footwear is best for you and even which surface is most suitable for you at that moment.
The entire assessment will culminate in an injury prevention program. And if underlying injuries exist, they will be treated.
And what should you do after running?
The injury prevention program is the foundation that should begin even before you venture into the world of running and should continue alongside it.
Maintaining flexibility will be very important from this point forward, since it tends to decrease (if proper care is not taken), as well as preventing imbalances between different muscles that are likely to appear.
And if an injury does eventually occur, the physiotherapist has the necessary resources to ensure you are sidelined no longer than strictly necessary.
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