The race against injury / How to avoid injuries

 

(English follows)

The human being is a wonderful machine. In fact, as I said before, the human body is much better built than a machine. When your car has a part that wears out, you have to change it, right? The body, if it is worn out and you give it time, it will repair itself.

How does it work?

Here is an extremely concrete example:

You go to the gym, watch the free weights, imagine your full chest, and then get down to business. You do "bench", biceps, a little more bench and hop, in the shower. The next day, your muscles ache, you have the impression that a truck has rolled over you on your chest. Fortunately, this is not the case.

What happened is that during training you broke your body, you created little tears. The good news is, you don't have to change the part, your body will be busy repairing the broken tissue, including inflammation. It is this process that will allow your muscle to regain its original strength and even surpass it. It's this process, repeated several times, that will give you the tone you are (maybe) looking for.

How does it work on the run?

It's much the same process at the muscular level, you create small tears, your muscle recovers and gets stronger. The same is also done with oxygen. When you run fast, your muscles get really thirsty for a good dose of oxygen because it is a little lacking. The body then says to itself `` I don't want to run out of it anymore, so I will create more small blood vessels to supply the muscle cells well. ''

And there you have it, you've become a better runner.

The only problem is if your body is not providing it. Your body has a certain speed at which it can repair itself. If you break it faster than it can repair itself, you will become injured or exhausted. This is why it is sometimes said that rest is as important as training. In fact, it is a question of balance.

  • Be progressive in the change of shoes. For example, do not hesitate to intersperse your outings with your old sneakers, even if you have just bought yourself some nice new shoes. After a few weeks, you can get rid of your old espadrilles and start completely new.
  • Be progressive in changing the running surface. If you are used to running on a treadmill in the winter, it is best to start the run with intervals of walking and then running before setting off for long, continuous distances outdoors.
  •  Be progressive in increasing your training volume. It is recommended not to increase your training volume by more than 10% per week. So if you did 120 minutes of running in week 1, to avoid injury you shouldn't run more than 132 minutes in week 2.
  •  Be progressive if you add speed to your workout.
  •  Be progressive in what attracts your long outings. Your long weekend outing shouldn't be more than 33% of what you do per week. So to run 3 km, you should theoretically have accumulated around 10 km during the week.

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The human body is an amazing machine. In fact, like I've said before, the human body is built a lot better than a machine. When a piece of your car gets worn out, you have to replace it, right? However, when the body is worn out, if you give it enough time it will repair itself.

How does it work?

Here's a specific example:

You go to the gym, you see the weights, you imagine your chest all pumped and you begin. You do some bench presses, work on your biceps, some more bench presses and then straight to the shower. The next day, you muscles are sore, you feel like a truck ran over you. Luckily, that's not the case.

What happened was that while you were working out, you strained your body and you created a few tears. Good news though, you don't need to replace anything because your body will take care of it, mostly through inflammation to heal tissue damage. This process will help your body find its strength again, and become even stronger. This process, repeated several times, is what will help you get toned the way you want (maybe.)

How does it work when running?

The process is pretty much the same when it comes to muscles, you create a few tears and your muscles then repair themselves and get stronger. Your body will also slowly adapt to make sure you get enough oxygen. You'll notice more capillaries, mitochondria, certain enzymes and other body mechanisms.

And there you go, you've become a better runner.

The only problem is when your body doesn't provide that. Your body repairs itself at a set speed. If you break it faster than it can repair itself, you can injure or seriously wear yourself out. That's why we sometimes say that rest is just as important as training. In fact, it's a matter of balance.

Many runners insult themselves every year. One of the secrets to preventing injuries is that when you make any changes to your training, you do so gradually.

  • Gradually change your shoes. For example, (even if you're very happy with your new shoes 🙂 and want to proudly wear them), don't hesitate to wear your older ones when it comes to working out. After a few weeks, you can finally say goodbye to your old espadrilles and start with fresh new ones.
  • Gradually get used to new terrain. If you're used to running on a treadmill during the winter, it would be better to switch between running and walking outside before running long distances.
  • Gradually increase how much you train. It is recommended that you increase your training time by no more than 10% per week. If you've been running 120 minutes one week, don't go over 132 minutes the next week to avoid injuring yourself.
  • Gradually increase your speed.
  • Gradually get used to longer runs. Your long weekend run shouldn't cover more than 33% of how much you train throughout the week. So if you want to run 3k, you should in theory have run 10k throughout the week.
author avatar
Daniel Riou General director
Managing Director of Challenge Group, Founder of Corporate Challenge and co-founder ofAltterre. I love anything related to physical activity and overall health. Holder of a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from'Laval University Various trainings by The Runner's Clinic Emergence ProgramBeauce School of Entrepreneurship National Coaching Certification Program Level 2 in Badminton National Coaching Certification Program Level 1 in Weightlifting

9 thoughts on “The race against injury / How to avoid injuries”

  1. Hello, I cycle and following an accident (on a bicycle) the upper lobe of my left lung had to be removed and therefore my question is: will I recover (at the level of breath) the capacity before?
    For the record I had on 29/06/2017:
    1 fractured rib on the left, 10 fractured ribs on the right, 3 vertebrae, clavicle & scapula + both lungs perforated.
    Thanks for your advice, Claude

    .

    Reply
  2. A gem of popularization! Congratulations Daniel for always explaining things so well. Your tickets are short and to the point. You get straight to the point.

    Reply
  3. I haven't run for 2 months now because of plantar fasciitis. My doctor says full rest, no exercise, minimal walking and it can take 6 months to heal. My job is to walk 8-10 km a day. I feel that the healing will be very, very long. What do you think???

    Reply
  4. We must underline the importance of listening carefully to our body even if it is sometimes frustrating, not to skip the steps and if necessary start running again as at the very beginning, alternating running and walking. I had a spiral fibula fracture last November 19, lucky I avoided surgery. With the help of a great physiotherapist I did my first 30 minutes continuously yesterday! I'm doing it every other day for a while now and obviously my best clue is the pain and inflammation. Thank you for your articles and your blog, very informative.

    Reply

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