Running is an excellent way to stay in shape and burn some calories, but it’s also a pretty significant physical undertaking. Most of the attention gets paid to your feet and lower body, but running can also be very strenuous on your spine. Your spine helps to disperse the impact that is felt with every step you take, and if you’re not careful, that can serve to cause some immediate and long-term issues for your spine. With that in mind, we wanted to share some tips for protecting your spine while running.
Running And Your Spine Health
Whether you are looking to start a running routine, run a faster mile or train for that half marathon, you’ll want to be mindful of how you approach your runs so that you can help to keep your spine healthy and strong. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Wear The Right Shoes – Your shoes do more than just protect your feet. A cushioned running shoe will also help to lower the landing impact that your spine absorbs with each step. Make sure you invest in a quality running shoe if you plan to run more frequently, as they can help you avoid back and foot injuries that can keep you on the sidelines.
- Land Lightly – Be mindful of how you land on your feet when you’re running. A cushioned running shoe can help to protect your feet, but if you’re landing harder with each step because you believe that your shoes will handle the repetitive impact, you can still cause problems for your spine. We tend to land harder on our feet when we’re tired, so avoid pushing your run to the point that your form suffers.
- Cross Train – Another helpful way to protect your spine when you run is to ensure that running isn’t the only exercise you’re doing for your body. Doing the same activities again and again will work the same muscle groups and ignore others. The repetitive strain can contribute to overuse injuries, while muscle groups can also become imbalanced if you’re only always working the same muscles. Give your spine some time off from running and work to make it stronger by doing some cross training exercises that build and develop muscles that aren’t as active when running.
- Slowly Increase Your Distance Or Duration – Odds are you’re going to want to start running further or for longer stretches, but you need to slowly work up to these milestones. Overstress injuries are common when you try to up your activity too soon in too short a window of time, and your back is going to be the area that feels this sharp increase in stress. Take things slow and listen to your body as you work to set new personal bests for time or distance.
- Run On Soft Surfaces – You can also help to lessen the strain that is felt on your spine during impact by running on softer surfaces. A high school track or even a well-groomed natural trail may be softer than running on the sidewalk, and all of those steps on harder surfaces will add up. If your back or feet are bothering you when running, consider switching to a softer surface.
- Stretch – Finally, make sure that you take time to stretch and cool down before you run. You’ll have better form and your body will be better able to disperse stress in a healthy manner if all your muscles are working optimally. Your muscles will function better if you gently help them prepare for the activity to come. Cooling down with some stretches can also help you take some built up tension off of key areas in your spine, hips and hamstrings.
If you do all of these things, and you reach out to a spine specialist like Dr. Sinicopi at the first sign of a spinal issue, we’re confident that you’ll be able to protect your spine when running. For more information, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
