(410) 721-4505
2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25
Crofton, MD 21114
Whether it’s to fundraise for a good cause or to challenge yourself with a new activity, running (or walking) a 5K race can be a lot of fun! This is especially true if you join in with friends or family as you cross the finish line.
While 5Ks and other running events are healthy physical activities, they come with risks if you are not careful. The following are tips on how to get started with preparing for a 5K (or longer) running event:
Running a 5K without preparing for it can lead to injuries, so it’s important to start with the above tips. If you have pain from running, come to see us at Crofton Podiatry for an assessment. Make an appointment by calling (410) 721-4505 to see our board-certified foot doctor, Dr. Brad Toll. Our team is ready to assist you and your family at our Crofton office, which also serves the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.
Running is a great exercise for the whole body. The simple but multi-beneficial cardiovascular routine has become one of the most popular forms of exercise for folks in the United States.
In order to have a productive and injury-free fitness session, it’s important to include warming up, stretching, and conditioning into your routine. Proper foot care, well-fitting shoes, and building up strength in foot, leg, back, and abs muscles are necessary to prevent common injuries or muscle strains, including:
Hygiene is an important part of foot care for runners. Make sure you cut your toenails straight across to prevent ingrown toenails. If you have Athelete’s foot or warts, make sure to be careful not to spread it to others at the gym. Wear clean socks each time you run, and change into a fresh pair after your run.
Shoes are also important for properly supporting your feet and ankles while you run. Any pain during a run can cause a strain that can become worse later. Make sure you have adequate arch support and heel cupping, as well as a snug fit, but with room in the toe box to wiggle your toes. If your feet are sliding around in the shoes, you can end up with blisters, corns, or calluses.
Got recurring or increasing pains from running? Come see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll at Crofton Podiatry. Make an appointment by calling (410) 721-4505 to receive a thorough assessment of your running feet. Our team is ready to assist you at our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie areas.
Like millions around the nation, you’ve probably made a few New Year’s resolutions for 2014. If your new year’s resolution involves a new fitness goal, it is important that you understand that not all fitness is good fitness. It is very easy to hurt yourself trying to improve your health, and whether your goals range from something like the Walk to Cure Arthritis in Annapolis on May 3rd, or the more adventuresome EnduraFit EagleMan Triathlon hosted in Cambridge in October, it is always important to listen to your body, and know your boundaries.
All too often we see patients here at Crofton Podiatry who simply didn’t seek help, and who weren’t listening to their bodies injure their feet or ankles trying to push themselves too hard too quickly. Unfortunately, these injuries almost always end up pushing people further behind in their fitness goals and can cause a vicious cycle of injury as they later try to catch up from ‘lost time’.
For your personal health, it is always important to talk to experts in your area to create an effective plan for safely attaining your goals. Running and other high-impact sports place the foot and ankle under very high levels of repeated stress. It is no wonder why the majority of the top 10 most common running injuries are directly related to our feet. Take a look at them below so you can be on the lookout for these cumbersome problems.
The 10 most common running injuries:
Fortunately, most of these problems can be prevented with just a little extra time for planning and precaution. Dressing appropriately (especially being ‘shoe-smart’), warming up with stretches, running wisely, and listening to your body all go great distances in preventing personal damage.
If you’re concerned about any of these injuries above, or would like to know more ways to help prevent these common fitness injuries so that you can stay on top of your New Year’s resolution, feel free to visit us here at Crofton Podiatry in Crofton, MD or any other specialist local to your area. It’s all about getting you well on your way to completing your goals for 2014.
By Brad Toll
2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25
Crofton, MD 21114