Running Injury Prevention

Hip flexors are one of those things runners love to blame. Tight hips. Short strides. Low back pain. That nagging feeling that something just isn’t working right. And while hip flexors are rarely the only issue, they play a meaningful role in how we run and how problems can start to show up. The hip flexors are a group of muscles that help advance the leg during running. After your foot leaves the ground, they help bring the thigh forward so you can take your next step. They

Hip pain can sneak up on runners after miles of pounding the pavement, especially when they’re pushing mileage or intensity. Sometimes, it starts as a dull ache and becomes a sharp pain with hip flexion, uphill running, or sprinting. If this sounds familiar, hip impingement might be to blame. Also known as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip impingement happens when there’s abnormal contact between the bones of the hip joint during movement. If left unchecked, hip impinge

Rotational stability might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about running performance, but it’s one of the most important—and most overlooked—elements of staying fast, efficient, and injury-free. Simply put, rotational stability is your core’s ability to control and resist twisting forces while you’re running. Without it, energy leaks happen, mechanics break down, and your risk of injury shoots up. When you run, your upper and lower body naturally rotat

As runners, we spend a lot of time thinking about muscles, shoes, and pace. But if there’s one part of your body that quietly takes a beating with every step, it’s your tendons—and they deserve more attention, especially as we get older. Tendons are the tough connective tissues that link muscle to bone. They store and release energy with every stride, acting like springs. But with age, they become less forgiving. They stiffen, heal more slowly, and lose some of their bounce.

With the Boston Marathon just around the corner on April 21, it’s time to talk about the hills — and more importantly, the downhills. Everyone knows Boston has “Heartbreak Hill,” but what really wrecks runners on race day? It’s the long, pounding descents that show up early and often. If you’re not specifically trained for the eccentric load of downhill running, your quads will be screaming by mile 16 — and your form might fall apart by the Newton hills. Here’s what makes dow

Life isn’t always predictable. Whether you're balancing parenting, deadlines, or recovering from poor sleep, maintaining a running routine can feel overwhelming. But running doesn't have to be all or nothing. Building a lasting habit comes down to setting realistic expectations and anchoring your training to the rhythms of your current life not an ideal version of it. Habit Stacking Works When time is short and stress is high, the best approach is to attach your run to a task

Runners hear a lot of advice. I get to hear all about it in clinic every week. Some of it is helpful. A lot of it sounds right. And some of it sticks around long after it should. Most of the time the advice is meant to help and not hurt from training partners, friends, people who have been in your shoes (okay their shoes, but you know what I mean) BUT general advice doesn’t usually address what you have going on. It might feel like a good idea, but it might also make things

You’ve followed your plan. Your mileage looks right. Your strength sessions are dialed in. So why does your body still feel off, or worse, why are you getting injured? Here’s the honest answer: it might not be your running. As runners, we love control. We obsess over pace, cadence, and shoe stack height. But the biggest threat to your training isn’t always in your programming, it’s in everything outside of it. Life stress, sleep, nutrition, and recovery all shape how your bod

It’s a scenario most runners know well: you add miles to your long run, switch from treadmill to pavement, or start pushing paces and suddenly, something hurts. Sometimes the pain is a dull, nagging discomfort that fades as you warm up. Other times, it sharpens into a pinpoint spot in your shin that makes every step miserable. That’s when the questions start: Is this just shin splints, or is it something more serious—like a bone stress injury? Both conditions sit on the same

Fatigue is part of running. If you’ve ever finished a long run with heavy legs or felt that lingering soreness after hill repeats, you know what I'm talking about. The question isn’t whether fatigue is good or bad it’s what kind of fatigue you’re dealing with. Because there’s a big difference between the stress that helps you adapt and the stress that slowly breaks you down. One builds stronger muscles, tendons, and a more efficient cardiovascular system. The other leads to s

When a runner walks into the clinic with knee pain, we must look at the knee and the surrounding structures and tissues. What seems like a knee issue often started higher up—or lower down—the chain. And if you’re only chasing the pain, you’ll probably miss the real problem. Running injuries don’t come out of nowhere. They almost always stem from a combination of factors: a training change made 4–6 weeks ago, a sleep deficit, nutritional gaps, higher stress, or simply movement

Every runner has asked it: “Is this just normal soreness… or am I about to get injured?” It’s a fine line—and knowing how to read your body can be the difference between a breakthrough and a breakdown. Here’s the truth: pain doesn’t always mean stop—but it also doesn’t mean “keep grinding.” The key is knowing what type of pain you're dealing with, where it’s coming from, and how it behaves. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): The “Good” Kind of Pain DOMS is that familiar mu

There’s no such thing as perfect running form. That’s not just a catchphrase, it’s backed by both research and clinical experience. Your form isn’t fixed. Your stride, foot strike and posture all shifts depending on your pace, terrain, level of fatigue, and even how well you slept last night. And that’s not a problem. In fact, it’s how the body distributes stress and adapts to different demands. Understanding how your stride changes can help you train smarter, reduce injury r

Runners are creatures of habit. Whether it’s a standing sunrise loop or a late-day stress reliever, your training schedule likely follows a rhythm. But have you ever wondered if that rhythm actually matters for performance or injury risk? Turns out, it does. When you run affects more than just your calendar it influences energy metabolism, sleep quality, tissue stiffness, and even injury risk. So let’s break down what the science says, and what you can do with it. The Science

Hip flexors are one of those things runners love to blame. Tight hips. Short strides. Low back pain. Fexors are rarely the only issue, they play a meaningful role in how we run and how problems can start to show up. The hip flexors are a group of muscles that help advance the leg during running. After your foot leaves the ground, they help bring the thigh forward so you can take your next step. They also assist with pelvic and trunk control, helping manage the forces that tra

Every time one of my athletes or friends say they do clamshells to help with their glute strength I want to scream. Clamshells have a place in rehab, especially post-surgery or for individuals who are just beginning to engage in exercise. But for runners, clamshells are not enough. Running demands dynamic, upright, and single-leg control. Clamshells are performed lying on your side, in a non-weight bearing position, and they do not train the glutes the way they're used during

Most runners don’t realize they’re overstriding. It often shows up when you are trying to run faster, increase mileage, or push through fatigue. But when your foot lands too far out in front of your body, you increase braking forces and slow yourself down. You also increase the risk of common overuse injuries. Overstriding happens when your foot strikes the ground ahead of your center of mass, typically with a more extended knee and a heel-first contact. This position increas

If you have been told to "just stop running" because of an injury then you may have been given poor advice. Rest may calm symptoms, but it doesn’t solve your injury. Pain relief is simply a reduction in irritation, but it does not mean your tissues aren't ready to handle the demands of running. Some injuries do better if you continue to load them in a modified way, such as tendinopathies. You do have to stop running with a bone stress injury, but you can do things like core s

Photo by Alan Lam I love running. I hate telling people they can't run. Running is great exercise and it is so beneficial for both mental and physical health. But if you run long enough, chances are you will deal with pain or injury at some point. As a physical therapist who works with runners every day, these are the five most common questions runners ask about running injuries and answers that can help you to stay healthy and keep running. 1. "Why do my knees hurt when I ru

Sometimes the first few minutes of a run feel stiff or painful, but after a mile or two the discomfort settles down and the run actually feels better. What does this mean? As a running physical therapist working with runners in Atlanta, this is something I hear fairly often: “If the pain goes away during the run, is it okay to keep running?” In many cases, the answer is yes, but with the right modifications. It depends on the type of tissue involved and how the pain behaves d