Did you know that stress fractures account for 10% of all injuries to athletes? Runners coming in with stress fractures often cannot understand how it happens. The cause of stress fractures in the lower limbs creates muscle fatigue, which reduces shock absorption and allows redistribution of forces to specific points in the bone.
Four simple ways to prevent muscle fatigue and avoid injury.
Most sports require the athlete to run.
1. Rest/recovery- stretching for 10 seconds before working out or running is not enough. Intentional Stretching before and after running or working out is important and essential if you want to keep working out or running until your 100.
2. Nutrition – water intake is critical even if you think you don’t sweat you do! The body needs to take in 1.5 liters of fluid during an hour of exercise to replace the water and nutrients used, if you are at altitude, high temperatures or dry climate, you may need more. Electrolytes need to be consumed before and often during exercise; each person is unique. Cramping you may need to increase both water and electrolytes. Best to use packs instead of chemical drinks that contain mostly sugar. Diet is crucial, the right amount of protein, vegetable, fruits, and carbohydrates help with repair of tissues.
Key to Longevity and Anit-aging
3. Proper body mechanics – Get your fascia assessed! If your body is out of alignment or you have lines of tension in your fascia, it could be an injury waiting to happen for example if you have forward head positioning (most computer and smartphone users) this can compromise your body position while you are running putting additional force on your feet.
4 Self Care – Daily rolling of a ball on the bottom of your foot helps release the fascia and muscle tension.
