Runners' Prehab & Recovery
Why incorporate prehab and recovery self-care activities?
The best piece you can incorporate into your training routine from the beginning is prehab work - which includes: stretching, foam/myofascial rolling, and key exercises. Don't wait until the aches, pains, or injuries creep up. Adding in these simple self-care activities will give you a 'leg up' on preventing injuries and speeding up recovery between workouts. With consistent stretching, self-massage, and runner specific exercises, you'll experience: ​
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Better range of motion - a flexible body moves more freely and has fewer restrictions
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Fewer aches and pains
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Improved circulation
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Improved posture
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Reduced chance of injury - or re-injury
How do these activities help prevent injury?
A movement activity such as running requires proper and smooth form in the body. If we have tension or muscle imbalances, it throws off that smooth movement form, putting extra stress on the body. By continually relieving tension and ensuring muscles are balanced and strong you will run smoother and maintain better form during workouts, in turn reducing the stress on joints and tissues.
The second piece is that running is a repetitive movement, using the same muscles every time and creating inflammation in the tissues and joints. Unless we support those areas to help reduce the wear and tear, they can eventually break down. With good recovery habits, we'll improve our circulation in muscles and joints, reducing inflammation.
Self-Massage Tools
Integrating self massage tools into your stretching and self-care routine will help you target specific areas or muscles that have additional pent up tension. These tools and techniques focus on the fascia layers to release bound up areas, help reorganize the fascia which allows the muscle to relax.
The best self massage tools are 'tissue-friendly', meaning they are plyable allowing for some give so your muscle will conform and relax around it, making it more effective. A harder surface, such as a golf ball or lacrosse ball, doesn't allow for give and your body will brace against it which is counter to what you want to achieve.
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Good examples are:
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Hollow foam roller (allows for more give than a solid core roller)
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Rubber therapy balls in a mesh tote (TuneUpFitness version available here)
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Tennis balls (+a tube sock)
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Foam Roller vs. Therapy balls/Tennis Balls
A foam roller provides a larger surface area to cover the full muscle area or group with broader pressure area.
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One or two rubber therapy balls or tennis balls provide a smaller surface area to allow you to target specific muscles or trouble spots to get further release, particularly in the deeper and/or hard to foam roll muscles of the feet and outer hips.
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Using the Tools
You will use a sustained pressure or rolling motion on the foam roller or ball and adjust the pressure based on your body's needs by adjusting your positioning, using the wall, or adding a rug under you.
*Avoid rolling directly on the bone or directly on the spine or cervical vertebrae; also avoid rolling directly on any major arteries/veins.
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*Remember, like stretching, self massage doesn't have to hurt to work; avoid 'bad' pain that causes clenching, full body tension, or any nerve compression symptoms like burning, tingling or numbness. Simply lighten your pressure or roll to a different area.
Stretching
During movement, our muscles contract and relax in order to perform their function. However, the more contracting a muscle does the less ability it has to lengthen back out to its full relaxed state - hence the feeling of stiffness, tightness or inflexibility. This tension also affects our connective tissues surrounding our joints, causing less range of motion as well as additional friction and rubbing within the joint.
All bodies are different and many factors can affect our individual flexibility. That being said, don't force any stretch beyond where your body currently is to the point of pain or extreme discomfort. Keep in mind, we aren't pushing ourselves to be gymnasts or to do the splits, just to maintain our movement and stay healthy.
Pre-Run Dynamic Stretches
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Before your run, spend 3-5 minutes performing active (moving) dynamic stretches and simple gait exercises to warm up and prepare the body. Pieces to focus on are your posture, focus on a fixed point for balance, use controlled movements, and start slow.
*No static or holding stretches before a run since the muscles are not warmed up yet and can risk tearing or pulling.
Runner specific dynamic stretches include:
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Bent knee or straight leg lateral swings
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Bent knee or straight leg forward swings
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Skater side lunges
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Butt kicks
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High knees
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Toe jumps
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Full body twists
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Post-Run Static Stretches
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Static stretching right after a run is ideal since the muscle and connective tissue is warm. In static stretching you are taking the muscle to its optimal length and holding the position for 15 - 30 seconds while keeping the muscle relaxed. Use deep breaths while in the position to encourage the muscles to relax.
If you have only 5-7 minutes post run, focus on the big key muscles used during your run:
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Hamstrings
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Quadriceps
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Calves
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Glutes
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Hip flexors
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If you have 7-10 minutes post run, focus on the big key muscles + the additional supporting muscles used during your run:
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Hamstrings
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Quadriceps
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Calves
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Adductors (inner thigh)
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Abductors (outer hip) / IT band
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Glutes
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Hip flexors
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Feet / Ankles
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Pectorals (Chest) - interlace your fingers behind your head and open your elbows to open up across the chest, take a deep breath in here, this stretch will give you more space to breathe
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If you have more time to relax and stretch, you can integrate more standing and floor stretches to take 20-30 minutes to perform a full body stretch, and incorporate self-massage techniques using a foam roller or therapy ball.
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This is a good practice to do a couple times a week for overall life movement.
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It doesn't have to be immediately following a run, it can be done as a slow flow yoga practice or can be done in the evening to help you relax before sleep. Just be sure you do a few dynamic stretches, walk around your house or go for an easy walk, or move through a few yoga sun-salutations beforehand to warm up so you aren't go right into static stretches with cold tissues.
Runner Specific Issues & Self-Care Techniques by Area
*Note: The following are intended for educational and informational purposes only, they are not intended to diagnose or treat medical issues. If you continue experiencing pain after trying these self-care techniques, we recommend you seek a medial professional's assessment to determine if there is an underlying condition.
Foot
Video of General instructions for self-massage rolling techniques for the feet
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Common Foot Pain Areas:
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Arch pain: generalized pain along the middle portion of the arch and is usually not very pinpoint
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Plantar fasciitis: more specific arch pain, pinpointed along the edge of the heel; pain felt in the foot when getting up in the morning
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Heel pain: felt in the heel with foot strike
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From Dr. Kevin, "Regardless of the location of your pain, there are a few simple tests that you can do that will help determine the type of exercise you need to perform to help your pain. During my evaluations in the office, I try to determine if the pain you are feeling is local pain (pain arising from the tissues near the site of pain) or spinal referred pain (pain arising from the spine that is referring to your site of pain). Just because you have pain in your heel or arch does not mean that the tissues in that area is primary pain generator."
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Read Dr Kevin's full overview and watch his recommended exercises here
Lower Leg
Video of general self-massage rolling techniques for the calf / lower leg
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Common Issues:​
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Calf tension or pain
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Achilles tension or inflammation
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Shin Splints
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Shin pain is common for all runners but especially those that are new to running or starting to run again after some time off. Working on the soft tissue around your shin and your calf complex can drastically improve your pain.
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Read Dr Kevin's overview of shin splints and watch his recommended exercises for the lower leg here
Knee
If you have ever completed a training cycle, there is a good chance you felt your knees a few times during a run. It’s very common in running and sometimes only occurs randomly and never consistently sticks around to affect your run. However, if it does linger, it can significantly derail your runs.
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For our focus here, we will include the soft tissue treatment related to 'runner’s knee' - any pains related to the knee. To thoroughly treat the knee, you need to include the foot/ankle, knee and pelvis and their relationship to each other, and stability exercises are a must when treating runner’s knee.
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Note: If you are experiencing knee aches during your run, we recommend icing post-run for about 10 minutes to reduce the inflammation created with the running movement and impact.
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**For rolling techniques that support the knee, see the videos in 'Upper Leg' below.
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Read Dr Kevin's full overview for runner's knee and watch his recommended exercises here
Upper Leg
Including the quadriceps muscle group (front of thigh) and the hamstrings muscle group (back of thigh).
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Video of self-massage techniques for the hamstrings
*For the quadriceps, use same method as shown here for hamstrings, by turning onto the front of your thigh, rolling slowly from the top of quads to just above the knee.
Hip & Glutes
This area includes:
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the anterior (front) of the hip - hip flexors (ilio-psoas)
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lateral (side) to posterior - glutes, TFL (muscle portion of the IT band), and underlying lateral hip flexor muscles
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Video of self-massage techniques for the posterior and lateral hip/glutes area
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*Anterior hip pain is very common in active individuals, especially runners. Many times it feels like you can’t extend your hip due to tightness. Pain typically increases during a speed workouts or hills. It can be very debilitating and often influences your life away from running. Sitting, crossing your legs, getting out of your car are common examples. If this is something you are dealing with, we would highly recommend seeking treatment from a health professional.
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Read Dr Kevin's full anterior (front) hip overview and watch recommended exercises here
Other Areas
Don't forget about your upper body, opening up your shoulders and across the chest, as well as the mid-to-low back. ​
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You can use the foam roller on the upper back/shoulders or the individual rubber therapy balls.
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For the mid-to-back, we recommend using the rubber therapy balls to release the muscles on either side of your spine rather than the foam roller which can put direct pressure on the spine (you want to avoid that).
Questions?
We are happy to answer any questions you have regarding your self-care or issues you've been experiencing in your running or workouts. You can click on either of our logos below to reach out or schedule a session.
