Sport Injuries
Sports Injuries and pain when training is very common but can also be very difficult to overcome. I have spent the last 5yrs learing about and doing specific course on pain management and sports injury prevention and rehabilitation.
I treat many athletes at all levels. Many are competing in running, cycling, triathlon, football, rugby, and gaelic to mention just a few.
5 pieces of advice for every runner
20 things i've learned from 20yrs of running
Running is a skill and like all skills it takes time and practice to get better at it.
Running will help you build both strength and endurance. You don't need to supplement your health with further weights session. However, it will help a lot if you do.
Newbie gains are real. If you are just beginning running then you will see big time benefits over the first few weeks. However, this will plateau but when it does don't get disheartened.
Make carbohydrates your go-to food source. This will give you great energy and help maintain your health as you become a better runner.
Make sure you keep hydrated but don't overdo the water. Most people overdo the water.
The more volume you have week on week, the fitter and faster you become.
As you increase volume you should increase intensity too at a ratio of about 80:20
As you increase your intensity you should increase your time in recovery too. If you don't have time to rest and recover then skip the intensity and focus on volume.
Build a base before testing yourself. If you are new to running or coming back after a period away then spend at least 2 months where you focus on volume with no intensity.
Give yourself at least 3 months of base with some intensity work before tackling a race, even a 5k.
Focus on long term development over short term improvements. This is difficult and you probably won't realise you got it wrong until you get it wrong but don't say I didn't warn you.
The more stress you have in daily life, the more rest and recovery you need after running. Exercise can help combat stress but decrese your intensity if that is you current goal.
Improving muscle function is a good idea but how you do it is not important: you can, swim, lift weights, do cross fit, rowing or whatever you like.
Just running on its own is not enough to maintain muscle mass into old age. you should do weights to supplement your training if possible. 20mins a week is plenty.
Running is for improving health and fitness, while nutrition is for weightloss or maintaining weight. Most people confuse that.
Running (or any exercise) done daily in even small amounts improve over all health outcomes massively.
Running is a fantastic way to prevent weight regain.
Run outside whenever possible.
It's never too late to begin. Start today and thank me for years to come. You're not too old, too injured or too slow.
Running can really help with mental health issues but it's not a cure. If you are struggling with mental health issues, anxiety or depression don't just rely on running. Sometimes seeking professional help is the better option.