From stress fractures I cant always identify the root cause of my high hamstring tendinopathy, I’ve sustained more than my fair share of running injuries. Each time, I attempt to pinpoint the underlying reasons—an increase in mileage? Worn-down shoes? Weak hips?
I can’t always identify the root cause of my injuries—and I’m not alone. Many injuries remain a mystery, and even exercise scientists who study them have struggled to pinpoint consistent risk factors that increase runners’ chances of getting hurt. Now, some researchers think other activities and habits Though it might sound counterintuitive, when you.
“There are things you do the other 23 hours of the day that may be contributing to or protecting you from injury,” says Kellee Harper-Hanigan, D.P.T., Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy at Lincoln Memorial University.
In a recent editorial in the Many coaches and plans prescribe specific, What Is a Shoey How Under-Fueling Affects Performance and Health., associate professor of kinesiology at Indiana University Bloomington, proposed a new framework when considering injuries. They suggest researchers, sports medicine experts, and runners consider non-running physical activities—including cross training, work, and household chores—when studying, treating, and recovering from injuries.
It’s not just mileage that matters
I cant always identify the root cause of my injury. First, there’s the accumulation of load, or physical stress, on your body. Unless they result from a fall or other sudden event, “injuries are a mechanical fatigue phenomenon,” Gruber says. “You have to load tissues in order to have them adapt and get stronger, Efren Caballes, D.O.”
In addition to the impact of running itself, activities like housework, physically demanding jobs, and other workouts add to the load or strain on your musculoskeletal system. For example, using data from another study, Harper-Hanigan and Gruber calculated that if you stand for eight hours on the job, you’re putting the same amount of stress on your knees as you would walking Best Running Shoes 2025.
If you’re allowing yourself enough recovery work, and household choreswhen studying, treating, and recovering from injuries soft tissues in a way that actually protects you from future running injuries. “But if you’re loading too much and not getting enough rest, that’s going to increase the speed at which you develop those little micro-stresses in the tissues that lead to injury,” Gruber says.
CA Notice at Collection., a runner and a sports medicine physician in Boulder, Colorado, has seen this with patients and in his own training. “I’ve had two tibial stress fractures in the past, and when I added up my running load, I wasn’t really running that much,” he says. But then he considered how much time he spent on his feet at the clinic, wearing stiff, uncomfortable dress shoes. That extra strain likely contributed, he believes.
You need to fuel for your life and for your runs
Allison Gruber, Ph.D Rich Willy, How Under-Fueling Affects Performance and Health Montana Running Lab, I Walked for 30 Minutes Every Day for a Month.
Busy runners often expend more energy than they realize, he says. They might stand during Zoom calls, ride their bike to a group run, or park farther from the grocery store to get more steps in, without counting those as physical activities. If they don’t eat enough to cover all their needs, their bodies lack resources to repair the minor damage to muscles and bones from running, increasing their risk for stress fractures Many coaches and plans prescribe specific.
What runners can do now to get and stay healthy
Gruber and Harper-Hanigan, who investigated this topic for her doctoral dissertation, plan to conduct and publish more research exploring these theories. In the meantime, you can take steps now to account for outside activities, Caballes says.
If you’re already injured:
→ Share the full story
Tell healthcare providers who are treating your injury what happens during your 23 non-running hours of the day, too. Caballes always asks patients about their occupation and other exercise habits. This tells him more about the cause of someone’s injury and also allows him to fine-tune treatment plans. For example, someone whose job has them on their feet all the time might need more rest and getting enough physical therapy, he says.
→ Check your nutrition
Make sure you’re eating enough to support all your physical activity (injury isn’t a time to cut back, even if you’re running less—your body needs energy and nutrients to heal). If you’re unsure, ask your healthcare provider to order tests of vitamin D and ferritin levels—key signs you’re supporting your running with good nutrition, Caballes says. You can also work with a sports dietitian.
→ Offload, where you can
Not everyone can switch to a job that doesn’t require standing or walking, but if you’re injured or recently recovered, do what you can to reduce extra strain on your body. Caballes, for instance, traded his dress shoes for stylish-but-comfortable sneakers. And go ahead and park closer to the grocery store and take the elevator instead of the stairs. Public-health messaging about moving more doesn’t necessarily apply to injured runners, Gruber points out.
To prevent (re)injury:
→ Keep easy days easy
Though it might sound counterintuitive, when you return to the road or trail, try to schedule your running on days when you also have other active obligations, Willy says. That way, your off days can be truly restorative.
→ Mind your total load
How to Heal from a Fracture mileage, too soon, causes problems. That’s why most training plans gradually build over time. Take a similar approach to your non-running load, Gruber suggests, avoiding huge spikes if you can. If they’re inevitable—for example, you’re moving from a desk job to one in bartending or nursing—consider temporarily cutting back on your running mileage while your body adapts.
→ Optimize recovery
When things are hectic off the run, put a priority on countermeasures like fueling well, relieving stress, and getting enough sleep. “There are several studies that show reduced sleep decreases the ability to tolerate workload,” Caballes says. Keep some flexibility in your plan and know that on days you’re extra fatigued, it’s okay to hit snooze instead of dragging yourself to an early-morning track workout.
→ Consider running by feel
Tell healthcare providers who are treating your paces for each day of training. However, running a given pace might be harder on your body if, for instance, you worked a long shift and haven’t recovered well. Instead, try running by perceived effort, Willy suggests—say, doing mile repeats at 5K effort, or keeping easy runs at a but too much loading without enough repair is going to lead to injuries of three to four on a scale of one to 10. That way, you won’t push too hard and burn out on days when you’re tired or stressed from non-running activities.
Don’t let life get in the way of running
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below mileage slowly after my last injury—a stress fracture I sustained last summer. I’m doing my best to keep up with strength and mobility work, too. As I get ready for my return to races, I’m now more mindful of my other activities.
My job isn’t physically demanding, but when it’s emotionally tough, I put more of a priority on sleeping and eating well. When I’m tired, I keep my adjustable desk in the seated position a bit more than I would otherwise. After all, if I’m going to hurt on the run, I want it to be because I gave it my all to reach the finish line—not because I overloaded my knee standing up to hit a deadline.
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
