Little bit of advice

I follow a number of running pages on Facebook and a couple blogs. Every day someone posts questions about pain which has developed since they started running. The biggest piece of advice I can ever give to anyone, have a good doctor. A general practitioner (usually your family doctor) is a great place to start for any pain.

It's not unusual to have pain when starting a new form of exercise or exercise in general. You will typically be using muscles you haven't used in a while and generally putting stress on your body. But there's a difference between this pain and an injury. Usually this type of pain will go away in a day. If there is a pain that occurs and doesn't go away or is reoccurring you should see a doctor.

Also, if the pain causes a huge disruption in your normal daily routine, it would be a good idea to see a doctor. For runners, there are a variety of injuries that could occur just from the repeated stress from your foot striking the ground with each step. And these injuries can occur just about anywhere in the body. It's always a good idea to have pain checked.

If the pain is reoccurring, even after seeing a doctor, there could be a number of solutions. The biggest "fix" to a lot of running problems is proper shoes. It's amazing the feel of new, properly fitted shoes and how they ease a run. Also, with feet in mind, changing how your foot strikes the ground at the start of each step can have a pain relieving affect. For most runners a mid foot to a more forward foot strike is best. Heel to toe, how one walks, puts more stress on your body than a mid foot strike. For minimalist and barefoot runners a high forward foot stike is best. But everyone is different so play around. Find the right strike and shoe for you.

The last thing regarding injuries is the importance of stretching. There's a ton of research out there about when to stretch but they all agree stretching after any workout is beneficial. It allows not only your heart rate to normalize but also helps lengthen and relax the muscles you just worked. It helps ease your muscles back into normal function. A good stretch at the end of a workout can be just as rewarding as the workout. It will keep you limber and keep injuries to a minimum.

I will do a more in depth post in the days to come of my favorite post workout stretches. And a later post about strengthening stretches for typical running pains.