The secret to healthy running: How to take every right step?

Review expert: Peng Guoqiu, deputy chief physician of the Fourth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

As the weather warms up, the grass grows and the birds fly, it’s the right time for outdoor sports! Running is not limited by age, time, or venue, and is now a national sport. Because of this, many people think running is simple, “just move your legs and run”, but little do they know that healthy and scientific running is not easy to do. Some people are also worried that running will hurt their knees, so how can we run healthily and scientifically?

1What do you need to prepare before running?

As the saying goes, there is no battle without preparation. If you want to enjoy running better, preparation is essential.

0 1Plan Ahead

Running requires persistence . Before you start running, you can make a plan based on your physical condition. Long-distance running or short-distance running? Morning running or night running? In the gym or on the playground? You can make a plan based on the actual situation and act according to the plan.

0 2 Prepare running shoes

Prepare a pair of running shoes that fit your feet. There are many benefits to running, but it is not very friendly to the knees. A pair of suitable running shoes can reduce the impact on the knees and protect them. When choosing running shoes, the shoes must fit your feet . They can be slightly larger, but not too tight. The most important thing is to fit them.

0 3 Warm up

Jumping jacks Source: Baidu

Warming up is a standard part of exercise and needs to be done before any exercise. There are many benefits to warming up before running. There are many ways to warm up, such as simulated running on the spot, jumping jacks, lunges, etc. A good warm-up can wake up the body, provide body warm-up, and also stimulate the runner's brain. This stimulation will have a positive psychological and emotional impact and motivate runners to persist.

2Start running!

The most important thing about running is to start running. If the running posture is incorrect, it may also have adverse effects on the body. Wrong running posture includes: crossing arms, hunching the chest, and knees turning inward . Wrong running posture will make runners feel strenuous during running, increase extra energy consumption, and reduce running efficiency. There is a lack of cushioning when the feet touch the ground, and the joints are subjected to greater impact force. Wrong running posture may also cause sports injuries due to uncoordinated movements and excessive local or joint loads.

So, what does the correct running posture look like?

Correct running posture Source: Healthy Chengdu

0 1Head

Keep your eyes straight ahead

0 2 Shoulder

Relax and lower yourself, don't swing your shoulders or shrug.

0 3 Arm

Bend your elbows at 90 degrees, and swing them relaxedly like a pendulum with your shoulders as the axis.

0 4 Body

Keep your chest up and abdomen in, straighten your back, lean your body forward slightly, keep your waist and hips stable, and do not twist left or right.

0 5 feet

When running, should the back of the foot or the forefoot land first? This should be discussed in different situations:

When jogging: the body's center of gravity moves slowly and needs to maintain support for a longer time, so the back of the foot will touch the ground first, the foot will roll forward quickly, and then push off the ground with the forefoot.

Speed ​​running: Landing on the forefoot first is more conducive to increasing speed, but this must be based on strong lower limb muscle strength. For ordinary runners, it is recommended to land on the heel and midfoot first, and many running shoes are designed with strong cushioning support at the heel.

What should you do if you get injured while running?

If there is obvious swelling or pain, stop running immediately. The emergency treatment of acute injuries follows the "PRICE" principle.

Schematic diagram of the "PRICE" principle Source: Chengdu Health

3. Work out after running

Stretching after running is also an important part of healthy running and should not be ignored. Stretching after running can effectively relax muscles, reduce muscle stiffness, increase blood microcirculation, speed up the elimination of metabolic waste, and reduce muscle soreness after exercise.

0 1 Calf muscle stretch

The two legs are one in front and one behind, and the steps are about 90 degrees;

Bend the front leg knee, not too much, about 90 degrees;

Push your back leg straight back, keeping your heels on the ground but not on your tiptoes;

Point your toes forward, don’t turn your feet outward or inward;

Hold each leg for 30 seconds+ and repeat 2-3 rounds.

0 2 Front thigh muscle stretch

Stand up straight or lie flat, hold the toes on the same side with your hands;

Pull your toes upward with force;

Maintain your body's center of gravity to avoid shaking or falling;

Hold each leg for 15 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.

0 3 Warm up

Keep the soles of your feet together and hold them in place with your hands;

Open your knees to the sides and feel the inner muscles stretch;

Lean your upper body forward, keeping your waist and back straight;

Hold for 30 seconds+ and repeat 2 rounds.

It’s Q&A time!

Q

How many times a week do you run? How long do you run each time?

A: Run three times a week, about 40 minutes each time.

Q

Do your calf muscles become stiff and ugly when running?

A: Did you stretch after running? If you do, you won't have this problem.

Q

Who is not suitable for running? What kind of exercise can you do?

A: People with osteoarthritis, asthma, heart disease, etc. should not just run a marathon! Stationary cycling and freestyle swimming are recommended.

Q

Can running help you lose weight?

A: If you treat yourself to fried chicken, steak, barbecue cake, and milk tea after running, the answer is probably no. Control your mouth, move your legs, and keep running for a while, and you will see the effect.

Q

What should I do if I have knee pain?

A: First you need to rest, then go to the sports medicine or rehabilitation medicine department of the hospital, follow the doctor's advice and receive corresponding treatment. At the same time, you need to undergo appropriate rehabilitation training to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint, that is, rest - treatment - rehabilitation.

Have you learned all these tips on healthy running? If you love running, please stick to the correct running method , enjoy running, and be a healthy runner who loves running and understands running.