How to Prevent Hamstring Injuries While Running

Preventing hamstring injuries while running can keep you from missing workouts and not achieving your fitness goals. Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries associated with runners. The hamstrings are the muscles on the backs of your thighs that run from the back of the knee to your buttocks. They are as important in running as your quadriceps (the frontal thigh muscle group) and more susceptible to injury.Care must be taken to strengthen and keep healthy the hamstrings. Hamstring injuries can be painful and can range in severity from mild nuisance to severe pain and the inability to walk.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Comfortable Running Shoes

Prevent Hamstring Injuries While Running

1. Resistance Training: Resistance training for your hamstrings is necessary to further strengthen your hamstrings and keep them in balance with your quadriceps. The imbalance between your quadriceps and your hamstrings is a leading cause of hamstring injuries.

2. Develop a Proper Routine: You should take the time to plan out a workout that is relative to your fitness level. If you are a beginner, you should not be attempting an advanced workout.

3. Warm-Up: Before stretching, it is necessary to do some light jogging over a short distance to get the blood pumping to your muscles. The distance can vary, all you need is enough to feel comfortably "loose" as you take your strides.

4. Stretch Your Entire Body: You should stretch not only your lower body, but your upper body as well. Running is an exercise for the entire body, so the entire body should be warmed up and stretched out.

5. Cool Down: Once your running workout is completed, you will need to take the time to allow your muscles to cool down. Going from intense exercise to relaxation is not good for your hamstrings and other muscles. A light jog or walk coupled with light stretching at the conclusion of your workout will help to keep your hamstrings healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• *Good, comfortable running shoes will help you not only prevent hamstring injuries, but other running injuries such as those to your feet, ankles and knees.
• *Weak Hamstrings can result in back pain, giving you another reason to apply resistance training for you hamstrings as a part of your regular exercise program.
• *Maintain proper running form. As you tire, this will be harder to do but you must keep it as a focus as you run.
• *Hamstring injuries can occur during almost any activity, so keeping them strong and healthy will help you in other sports and fitness exercises.
• *Hamstring injuries occur most during short, intense sprints. When you are doing this type of running, you must take special care in protecting your hamstrings.
• *If you are running outside on a cold day, you will need to do extra warm-ups and stretches for your hamstrings and other muscles.

Resources

• Learn more about hamstrings and how they are injured.
• Stretches and exercises for runners to prevent hamstring injuries.
• In-depth analysis of the cause of hamstring injuries.

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