Our Physiotherapist Claire and Podiatrist Suzanne held an injury prevention and running shoe workshop for Holywood Runners on Tuesday 24th September evening after their speed session at Seapark.

Holywood Runners are a Social group who like running and include beginners through to experienced runners. They run regular Couch to 5Km programmes which are fantastic for complete beginners who are not sure where to start. As a Physio I am a big fan of these programmes as we know that most injuries happen when people try to do too much, too soon. The couch to 5km programme gradually increases the amount of running you do over a period of time thus massively reducing the risk of developing an overuse injury.

As this was the first workshop with the group our main goal was to get to know the runners and how they train, aiming to empower and educate them on injury prevention strategies and advice on running footwear.

Claire, started the workshop with a review of the common things that lead to an injury when running, specifically, the internal (biomechanics) and external (shoes, running surface etc) factors. She then also covered the most common injuries that we see as Physiotherapists in runners and what their most likely causes. She then went over how to manage a minor injury in the acute phase as we know that very often doing the wrong thing in the early stages can elongate the recovery process.

Next up was some practical advice on running recovery and injury prevention through the use of stretching and foam rolling the runners were ready to hit Suzanne up with all their running shoe questions!

Choosing the right running shoe can be something of a minefield with the huge range that is now available for all kinds of foot types and running terrain. To keep it as simple as possible for when you start running Suzanne gave the following tips Suzanne:

• No one size fits all– each runner is incredibly unique with different running styles, running history and running injuries.  Choosing a running shoe often requires individual knowledge on what your specific requirements are in terms of your biomechanics and what you intend to use the shoe for eg. 5ks, marathons, triathlons.
• Don’t make drastic changes to your footwear. Changing footwear with significant difference in heel to toe drop without altering your running/load may cause problems
• Comfort, comfort, comfort. No matter what advice you get, if the shoe isn’t comfortable then it’s not the shoe for you
• Try your shoes on and choose from a retailer that has a good selection of different brands. Different brands have varying widths which may be more beneficial to your foot type than others.

It was a great night and we are looking forward to supporting the Holywood Runners continue to run pain and injury free!

For more information and advice on sports injuries and recovery please download our Sports Injuries E-Book Here.