If you are new to running or had some time out the below tips may help you get back in the groove whilst minimising the chance of injury...
Keep 80-90% of your total run volume easy. What is easy? In non scientific terms, its a pace you can hold a slightly strained conversation at. So if you run 3 x per week, every 4th / 5th run you can add something a little harder. Intensity is relative to volume.
Manage total volume carefully. Especially If new to running. I. e. start with 3 x 15min building to 3 x 15/15/20, then 15/20/20 and so on. Do not rush and do not run consecutive days. The body takes time to adapt. Take a yearly view & just focus on you!
Shoes. Find a pair of shoes you get on well with & stick. Get a couple pairs of the same shoes and rotate them to spread the wear rates. Most shoes these days have c500-700km before they wear out. If you are really unsure - consult a physio.
Mix up the surface you run on. Grass, treadmill, trail and road, the first three depress & therefore less impact / stress up the leg, un even surfaces will also help work the stabiliser muscles, core and help proprioception.
Strength train. Propensity of this does depend on age, individual, gender but as a general rule, women tend to need this more than men & as you get older the importance goes up and up. Start with activation (getting the mind to talk to the right muscles) building to body weight and then over time to a point where you are lifting heavy (high weight low rep). Work a mix of compound (deadlift / squat) and unilateral work (single leg ex like backward lunge and split squats for example)
Cross train. If you want to add some more volume to your run routine - swimming and biking are great to build aerobic capacity without the impact.
Listen to the body. The fitter you get the more in tune you will be and the more experience you have the better the intuition but as a general rule of thumb: if you experience an acute pain whilst running and this goes beyond 3/10 pain. STOP and get an appointment with a physio.
Just run. The beauty of running is you only need a pair of shoes, the rest is mostly marketing!
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