Colac Podiatrist, Danny Hegarty, gives his advice on staying injury free this preseason. Follow these simple steps to take the best care of your feet and reduce your risk of injury this preseason.
- Make sure you’re entering pre-season with new running shoes. Most running shoes are usually good for around 600kms or 12 months. Much sooner if worn in a gym environment. Try and have a pair of running shoes just for walking and running along with an older pair for weight sessions.
- Your work shoes are also really important! We see this in the clinic constantly, people spend good money on their runners which are being worn around 5-10 hours per week. But then spend 40 plus hours a week in work shoes that are offering nothing in the way of support or cushioning. Their feet and legs are fatigued before they even get to training when you consider the accumulated load during the average working day.
- Build up your load progressively. This is even more important if you’re coming back from injury. Our body needs time to adapt to the new exercise load. Too much, too soon is a recipe for injury. The general rule of thumb is to add 10% total load week on week.
- Early treatment for niggles is key. If you have a niggle that is lasting over 48 hours then try and get it seen professionally. Early assessment and management will save you in the big picture.
If you need any further advice on whether you’ve got the correct footwear setup for your activity or want to discuss your training load further get in contact with us today! We’re always here to help.
