As the spotlight shifts to Track & Field this week, we can watch some of the world’s fastest runners and marvel at their speed.   Dr. Julia Kao is a hip and knee surgeon at Resurgens Orthopaedics and in Day 6’s sports injury tip she is sharing ideas to help runners prevent injuries. 

Common Injuries for runners include:

• Tendinitis – in runners experiencing foot or knee pain, inflammation to the Achilles tendon or Patellar tendon can be one of the causes.
• Stress Fracture – is a small crack in the bone or severe bruising within the bone and can be caused by the repetitive activity in running.
• Sprains – muscle sprains in runners can occur to any of the muscles in the lower extremity including hamstring, calf and ankle.

So whether you’re preparing for tonight’s jog around the neighborhood, your next 5K, or your first marathon, keep these injury prevention tips in mind so you can go further and get stronger! 

Ways to avoid injuries in runners include:

• Maintain adequate hydration - Begin hydration before you exercise.  Drink 16 ounces of water or sports drink one hour before your run.  Continue to drink 4-8 ounces of fluid every 15-20 minutes as you continue running. 
• Warm up and stretch before you run – To avoid an injury, start off with 5-10 minutes of an easy walk/jog to warm up. Then focus on stretching the major muscle groups you will use during your run – quads, hamstrings, gluteals and hip flexors.  Also remember to warm up your abdominal, back and calf muscles.
• Maintain proper running technique – a smooth running form requires less energy and delays muscle fatigue and can help lead to less injuries. 

For more sports tips, check out our daily updates during the Summer Games.  Follow us live on Facebook and Twitter!!