I LOVE working with runners. Runners are usually a PT’s dream client – they are active, self-motivated, and are usually willing to do just about anything to get back to the sport that they love without pain or injury. Often, I have to be careful when giving a runner an exercise program, because they’ll not only do exactly what I asked them to do, but they’ll do it MORE in hopes of getting better faster. This can be detrimental at times, but is a far better alternative to the patient that is not doing their prescribed exercises and wonders why they are not getting better. The other thing that can be detrimental for some runners is that fact that often they just want to run – it does not come naturally to many of them to complete cross-training or do a consistent stretching program.
My number one piece of advise for all runners is to complete a consistent stretching program, especially after each run. And I’m not talking about doing 5-10 second standing stretches for a couple of minutes, I’m talking about at least 15 minutes of stretching for at least 30-60 seconds in each pose. Yes, I said pose. And why did I use the word pose? Because I think that yoga is the number one way to get in a wonderful stretching program that changes each time (whether you go to a class or stream You Tube videos), affects so many different aspects of flexibility, balance, coordination and agility throughout the entire body, not just one specific body part. Yoga can be fluid, such as in a flow, but you will stretch things that you never knew needed stretching. It can also be static stretching, like in Yin Yoga, and believe me, if you allow yourself to really dive into a Yin Yoga class, you will feel better afterwards than any runners high that you’ve ever had before! It is pure, zenned out bliss! In Yin, the stretches are held for 3-5 minutes in supported positions – so by using bolsters, blankets and modifications, you work into a stretch over a longer period of time, which leads to much more permanent changes and actually gets into the fascia and other connective tissues, rather than just muscle.
I used to be a runner, so I totally get the need to just strap on a pair of running shoes, get your heart rate up and try to find that runner’s high. Yoga CHANGED MY LIFE! One day at 27 years old, after running hill sprints I came home and it was time to cook dinner. Instead of stretching (which I never did) I made dinner and sat down to eat. When I tried to get up I felt something let go in my back and I was immediately in 9/10 pain – I could barely breath, I couldn’t move in any direction and absolutely nothing made it feel better. I am a physical therapist – I should know how to make my back feel better, right? That night was pure torture – I tried to get onto the ground and attempt a few stretches, or to even lay flat but it just sent my pain through the roof. Then, as I was trying to get up, I couldn’t even get my legs underneath me and the pain was so bad that I actually started to cry. I’m not much of a crier, so this was a big deal. I made it through the night on IBprofen and ice, but even after seeing a PT I worked with twice a day for the entire week, I finally had to break down and get steroids in order to decrease the inflammation and allow me to move. After that, I knew that I needed to increase my stretching program and HOLY COW, I WAS SOOOOOOOOO TIGHT! As a PT I was always telling people to stretch, but I had no idea that I had become so tight that I couldn’t even sit on the floor with my back straight. Yoga was frustrating in the beginning because it was slow and I was so tight that it was difficult to get into many of the poses, but within a few months I was feeling so much better in general! I didn’t know how bad I was feeling until I knew how much better I could feel! Over the years, it’s continued to improve and even though I’m not able to be as consistent with my yoga program (I have a 1-year-old now) I still feel amazing afterwards. I can definitely tell when I’ve gone for more than a week without doing some form of yoga. So believe me runners, you may think that stretching is boring and a waste of time, but injuries are much more boring and much bigger time wasters! I can assure you that within a couple of months of consistent stretching and/or yoga, you will start to crave it just as much as you crave your running routine.
The other reason that I love working with runners is that we often see people that have had chronic issues like plantar fasciitis, knee pain or hip pain and they have tried many other routes of treatment with minimal results. Then they come to us and we treat their entire body and 99% of the time have great results. Plantar fasciitis is never only related to their foot, or their shoes, or their poor stretching program – it’s usually all of that plus much more! Every person that I have ever seen with plantar fasciitis also had pelvic and hip issues. They might not be aware of the issues, as their only pain is in their foot, but they are almost always jammed up on that side – through their fibula, knee, hip, pelvis and into their low back. Once we treat the entire body and find the actual source of the pain, the plantar fasciitis is relieved. This is true for many nagging running injuries and I LOVE being able to get people back to their activities without limitation and pain.
So if you are a runner and are not doing a consistent stretching or yoga program – start today, before it’s too late and something gives way. Also, if you have a running injury or nagging pain, please come and see us at Solstice Physical Therapy. We love working with runners and will not just treat your symptoms, we will find and treat the source of your pain so that you can get rid of it for good! Call us at (720) 369-7738 or visit our website at www.SolsticePhysicalTherapy.com.
**This is not to be considered medical advice, please contact a physical therapist or other healthcare professional for more information. All content on lisawilcoxpt.com is created for informational purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.
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