tips to get back to running after time off
As the sunshine and warmer weather start to emerge, some of us might be craving more time outdoors. If you’ve taken some time off from running and are looking to get back into the swing of things, here are a few tips to ramping back up while minimizing risk of injury.
Screen to make sure your body is ready to run:
The first step towards running is making sure that you have the strength and impact tolerance required for running!
We shared a reel on our Instagram account (@upwardptseattle) recently with a few of the things we check to make sure you can do before getting back to running. While this is not a comprehensive list, we want to see that you can complete all of these tasks without pain (or leaking!). We also pay close attention to form when assessing these tasks, including making sure the hip on the opposite side doesn’t excessively drop with single leg activities, and the knee doesn’t cave in relative to the hip and knee, etc. Here are a few of the things you should be able to do:
Walking 45 minutes
20 single leg heel raises on each side
10 single leg squats
Single leg lateral hopping
Forward plank for 60 seconds
Side plank for 30 seconds
2. Incorporate a dynamic warm-up:
This is a movement-based warm-up to prepare you for your run, and it helps improve blood flow to prime your body for movement and to help the body keep up with the increased demand in oxygen and energy. Specificity is key here! That means working on single leg stability, and warming up the major muscle groups you’ll be using during your run (not just muscles of an injured body region).
This also means your warm-up should be movement-based, since static activities aren’t a great way to prepare for dynamic activities–so save any static stretches that you like for after your run! Instead, opt for movement-based stretching. And don’t forget to incorporate strengthening exercises! While dynamic stretching is great, we also want to make sure we activate the major muscle groups we’ll be working, so they’re ready to help provide the appropriate stability your body needs, and help with efficiency during your run. Not sure where to start? Check out our Instagram for ideas, or reach out to schedule an evaluation or run assessment for a more personalized program!
3. Start with an alternating walk/run program:
If you haven’t run recently, try starting by incorporating walking during your runs! This gives your body time to adjust to the return of impact, and gives you time to build back up your cardiovascular endurance. While the intervals depend on your tolerance, consider starting with more walking time relative to running time (ex: 3 minutes walking, 2 minutes running; repeat 4-5x) if you’re recovering from a recent injury or haven’t run in the past couple of months. Gradually decrease the time of your walking intervals and increase the time of your running intervals based on your tolerance.
4. Start EASY!
This means aiming for a relatively flat course (as much as possible in Seattle), and going at your easy, conversational pace. There is no need to set a PR for your first (or second) run back. Rate of exertion scales can be helpful to determine ‘easy;’ on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being easiest effort and 10 being your maximal effort, aim for 1-4/10 during your easy runs.
5. Incorporate cross training (especially strengthening!):
Instead of only running, incorporating other physical activity outside of running will give your body the active rest and recovery it needs from the impact with running. Strength training is an especially important mode of cross training, as muscle strength is essential to give your body the stability and motor control you need during running to support your joints/muscles/tendons/bones/etc., properly absorb force to mitigate the impact of the ground on the body, improve power and efficiency with running, and on and on! Strength training should focus on progressive overload (adding resistance or weight–as appropriate–is your friend!) vs. HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts, as runners are typically already good at high intensity work with running; it’s usually the progressive overload involved with strength training that runners tend to neglect, and is often the missing link to running pain-free.
6. Listen to your body:
While you might be eager to get back to where you were before as quickly as possible, listen to your body as you start to add running back into your routine. You should have minimal pain (or leaking), and any mild symptoms you feel should not linger much beyond your run or spill over into your daily activities. Excessive swelling or fatigue, and feelings or instability are also not a typical response. Reach out to a healthcare professional (that can include a physical therapist!) if you would like guidance personalized to your specific goals, are struggling with lingering or progressive aches/pains, are looking for a run analysis to improve your run efficiency, or are looking to prevent injury down the road.
We hope these tips give you the guidance and confidence you need to get back into running without worrying about pain or injury! And remember, we are here to help guide you on your journey to get back into the swing of things and meet your personal goals!
Happy running :)