Have you started running during COVID? Are you having pain now?

Maybe it’s your shoes! If your shoes have too many miles on them, then the shock from the ground goes directly into your joints, tendons and ligaments. You could also have the wrong type of shoes on. Everyone is built a little differently. I’m sure you’ve heard of flat feet (pes planus) or high arches (pes cavus), but not just your feet affect what are the best shoes for you.

How your knees and hips are structurally built, can also drastically change what are the best shoes for your body and joints.

Maybe you need to start warming up better. Dynamic and moving warmups are much better for muscles than static stretching. Our muscles don’t like to be stretched or used when they’re cold, so make sure your body feels warm before you start that run. Make sure to warm up in all directions so your muscles are ready and warm for anything your run might throw at you. Some dynamic warmups include side shuffles, carioca, high knees, butt kicks, A-skips and B-skips.

Maybe you need to start foam rolling and using heat to help reduce muscular pain. Foam rolling and heat are great tools to reduce normal muscular tightness when doing a new sport. Make sure to use the foam roller with a moderate amount of pressure to work out the tissue, but also not too much that you’re bruising yourself. Heat will help the muscle relax while also letting it heal. Ice can stop that healing process as it stops inflammation or swelling. A little inflammation is needed to heal, but a lot of swelling should be reduced with ice.

Maybe it’s your running form! Running takes more than just putting on a pair of shoes and going out. Yes, it can be that easy. But it can also be that easy to start hurting. No one specifically taught you how to run. Therefore, you might have a variety of problems in your running gait that you had no idea about.

Dr. Verity Stow offers chiropractic care and rehabilitation in North Vancouver for a wide range of injuries and conditions. To book an appointment click the “Book Now” button on the upper right.