How do I return to running or sport without getting hurt?

This is a question that we often hear after someone has been inactive due to an injury or after a long time away due to life getting in the way. I think this deserves a two-part answer.

Part 1: I am going to use running as an example, but this can be applied to lifting, sports, or whatever else someone wants to do. First and most importantly it is important to ease back in to running. Depending on the severity of injury or duration of time away this can vary quite a bit. If you were someone that could run 3-5 miles without much difficulty, but it has been months or years then it is important to consider a few things. Comparing yourself to what you were doing previously at your peak is the fastest way to get discouraged and potentially re-injure yourself. Resume your running gradually, start with half a mile, if that feels easy work up to a mile. Allow your body time to adjust to the movement again. Use a slower pace or do a walk run combination, like running a quarter mile then walking a quarter mile and so on. The point is to ease into it. You want your initial effort to feel challenging but not grueling. You will be able to get back to intense workouts eventually but diving right back in is one of the most common causes of overuse injuries. I often have to remind myself and clients/patients that if you complete something that feels difficult today, that means you pushed yourself, and putting a value judgement on yourself and what you think you should be able to do doesn’t help and doesn’t change the fact that you completed something that was hard. We tend to be harshest on ourselves and aren’t happy with where we are at, so we get dismissive of the effort we are putting in because it is not living up to a previously held standard in our heads. Try and allow yourself to just exist where you are with your activity tolerance and when you push yourself a bit let that be enough. You will get much farther with medium intensity and consistency than you will with going over the top and then being forced to stop because of extreme soreness or re-injury.

Part 2: I am not sure that many people will want to hear this, but you can never fully guarantee you won’t get hurt. You can reduce your chances of getting injured or re-injured by responsibly scaling up difficulty and frequency, but sometimes injuries happen. Here is the part that I think some people need to hear: some injuries are preventable, but often times they are just bad luck, and it does not mean you did something wrong! I hear people carrying guilt about injuries and punishing themselves for getting hurt. It often isn’t your fault, which means you should get rid of the guilt and even more importantly the fear and just make a plan that progresses you slowly and consistently and stick to it. Easier said than done, but we are here to help with that if you need! Also, if you are not dealing with coming back from an injury and you are just deconditioned because life got in the way, try and leave the guilt at the door and just focus on slow consistent steps.

Good luck out there!