Top Tips to Keep You Running Fit During an Injury

Ask most runners what they consider to be the downside to our great sport and i'll bet most of them will use one word - INJURIES!

Whether we are young, senior athletes or seasoned veterans we nearly all follow the same cycle of running. We train, see an improvement. So we train a little harder and see more improvement. We convince ourselves that we need to train even harder and eventually we break down and get injured.

It seems that just like taxes and death, injuries are an inevitable part of running. I train with a group of five athletes, all of different age groups on most Tuesday evenings. Of the group there always seems to be one of us either carrying an injury or unable to train due to being injured.

When you do get injured it is important to go and see a sports injury specialist and agree on a plan of action to get you back running again. There are a number of options available to help keep you running fit without aggravating your injury.

Yoga and/or Pilates classes. Although these two are not going to do a great deal for your cardiovascular fitness they will greatly enhance two areas often overlooked by runners. Core strength and flexibility are two key areas. Improved posture and flexibility will make you a more efficient and less injury-prone runner.

Aqua-running. Using a flotation belt to enable you to run in deep water. Although a little tedious and somewhat boring it is a tremendous way to keep you running fit without incurring any impact on the injury.

Find a gym. Another alternative is to find a gym. After an assessment you will be put on a training programme aimed to get you running fit. One particular piece of equipment that you can use is the elliptical cross trainer. This can give you a hard workout without the stress of impact that occurs with running.

For an extra tip to help keep you running fit during an injury please visit running-fit.blogspot.com http:running-fit.blogspot.com

Derek Donaghy has been a runner for over 30 years. He has decided to share his running expertise with other likeminded runners or anyone who has an interest in this great sport. Further information can be found at his blog running-fit.blogspot.com running-fit.blogspot.com