Sometimes, our running injuries don’t actually stem from running. They are triggered from things that we do in everyday life, and we don’t even realize it.
While we spend a lot of time training, watching our diet and getting stronger, what we do in our day-to-day lives takes a toll on our bodies more than we might think. You might run for 6 hours on the weekend, but you stand, sit, work, sleep and walk a lot more. Just think about it: most of us work 40-60 hours a week, and that’s way more time than we spend running (at least for most of us). Below are three areas outside of running that can contribute to injury: posture, workstation setup and shoe choice.
POSTURE
We have a saying in PT: “It’s posture, stupid!” While it seems benign, posture is actually really important. If we don’t hold ourselves correctly, this can lead to muscle imbalance that can cause injury while running. And, a lot of the time, what people think is “good” posture, isn’t actually good at all. For instance, a lot of people have been taught to stand tall, with their chest and head up. When you stand this way, there is a lot of arch in your low back and your butt is stuck out with your knees locked. This posture is actually not that great. In this position, your low back muscles get tight and overused, your abdominals are long and weak, and so are your glutes. The joints in your back, as well as your knees, are locked, which is the position that generates the highest compressive forces on those structures. By standing this way for hours and hours each day, we train our bodies to assume that position with all of our activities, including running. This can lead to low back pain, knee pain, hip issues, etc. Good posture is literally the position you want to be in if someone is going to hit you in the stomach. Activate your abdominals with your pelvis in neutral, bringing your rib cage and your pelvic bone closer together. Soften your knees and drop your chin to a 90-degree angle with your neck, and relax your shoulders in a position that’s in line with (not behind) your hips. If you practice this posture throughout the day, it will be easier to maintain when running, possibly leading to decreased injury and ensuring that you are using the right muscle groups to get up and down those hills.
WORKSTATION SETUP
These days, most of us spend way too much time behind a computer for work. It’s no secret that this isn’t great for a variety of reasons. When it comes to ultrarunning, those hours staring at a screen can affect our running if we aren’t careful.
Do you get a sore neck and shoulders when you run? I know mine can get that way if I have a lot of paperwork to do. Workstation setup is crucial for reducing strain on our neck and shoulders. We all know the posture that most people assume when at a computer: head forward, eyes down, arm extended using the mouse and shoulders hiked up into your ears. It’s not pretty. If you just worked a 60-hour week on a stressful deadline, no wonder putting on that hydration vest and pounding out thousands of feet of vert with your new poles makes your neck and shoulders hurt.
To reduce strain on those muscles during your stressful work week, make sure the top of your monitor is at eye level when your neck and chin are in neutral at a 90-degree angle. Bring your keyboard and mouse close so that your elbows are resting at your sides. If you sit, make sure that you can set your elbows on arm rests and completely relax your shoulders. All of these little tricks will reduce muscle fatigue and soreness at work, allowing for better days on the trail.
SHOE CHOICES
I have personally had experience with this one over the past couple of months. I teach people about running, training and strengthening properly for 10 hours a day, and I try to follow the advice I give with my own training. But, despite my best efforts, I had a nagging calf injury that didn’t allow me to train the way I wanted to this summer. Finally, I sat back and took a closer look at the things I was doing outside of running that could be hurting my calf. I spend about 95% of my day on my feet, so the first thing I analyzed was my footwear. What I found was that most of my work shoes were getting really old and really flat. This was keeping my calf under a lot of strain for the majority of my day, making it even angrier when I ran.
I did a little shoe shopping and found a great pair of boots with a stacked heel. I wore them for two days in a row and the next day, was able to run with almost no calf pain. By offloading my calf during my work day, it got the rest it needed and I was able to get back to running pretty quickly. Shoe choices in our everyday life can have a huge affect on our feet. Whether you have bunions, bottom of the foot pain, heel pain, Achilles issues or shin splints, the type of shoes you wear day-in and day-out can either help or exacerbate those problems. Don’t be afraid to change things up in your casual shoe department for better running experiences.
So, there you have it, making changes in three different areas can have a huge impact on our running. When things aren’t going according to plan, look at your posture, workstation setup and footwear choices, and by making some changes in those areas, you might find that your running injuries resolve easier. See you on the trails!
Medical Disclaimer: What I write here in no way substitutes for an in-person, thorough evaluation by a licensed Physical Therapist. As with many body issues, there can be multiple factors involved with your aches and pains, and, in some cases, more serious underlying conditions that can be manifesting as physical symptoms. It is always best to have a PT that you can see when you have concerns, so that you can make sure your personal situation is being addressed appropriately and safely. This column should, in no way, serve as a substitute for seeing a licensed medical practitioner.