Your knee is one of the biggest and most important joints in your body. Much of your mobility depends on it. Runners list it as one of the most vulnerable joints given the prevalence of injuries in this area, typically from overuse. Prevent this through the following strategies:
Ramp Up Your Mileage in a Gradual Manner
The primary reason why people get injured is that they are in a hurry. They see other people going fast and they want to be just like these, not minding that their idols spent over a decade in training before they reached their level. The truth is that the body will need to adapt slowly from the stresses. Your week mileage should reflect that. Never increase the total distance by more than 10% week on week. Err on the conservative side of things just to be safe. Give yourself multiple years to achieve your goals.
Get Enough Rest Especially When You Feel Sore
We have a culture that looks up to grit and extreme behavior. It’s true that you need to have grit and persistence to get anything done but you must also temper these with rationality. For instance, you must recognize that rest is part of training and that there is no shame with having a down day. In fact, it is crucial to stop training sometimes to allow your body to recover. This is especially true when you are extremely sore after a tough workout or a massive race. You can’t just run the next day as if nothing happened. Get 8hrs or so of sleep every night to help your body recover.
Don’t Push Through Pain with Wraps and Braces
Overuse injuries don’t come out of the blue. You will usually feel it coming over a long period. It will start out as a minor pain that is easily dismissed and, indeed, a lot of people do ignore it. They try to get accessories that could reduce the pain to help them push through with training and races. While this might be acceptable late in a race when you only have a few kilometers to go, it is not as sensible to do so during workouts when you should be resting or addressing muscle imbalances.
See a Sydney Knee Specialist When You Need to
Indeed, you should talk to a physical therapist or a Sydney knee specialist when you feel joint pain. Find a solution as early as possible to cure it right away and avoid surgery. It might take out of training for two weeks but that’s better than being down with injury for many months.
