How to resume the running season without harming your health? Advice from a running coach

Warm summer mornings seem to invite you to take your running shoes out of the wardrobe and go for a run around the neighbourhood, but ill-considered training and excessive strain can lead to health problems.

According to data compiled by Swedbank Life Insurance*, almost one in ten cases in the first months of this year involved sudden injuries sustained while exercising, resulting in various types of fractures and dislocations, as well as sprains of ligaments, muscles and tendons. It should be emphasised that these are not sports injuries sustained by professional athletes, but rather misfortunes affecting people who engage in various sports activities in their everyday lives. We cannot always avoid unexpected injuries covered by insurance, but a well-planned training process can protect you from health problems caused by overexertion.

Together with running coach and one of Latvia’s leading trail runners Andris Ronimoiss we have compiled the most important information you should know to make your running season not only healthy and active, but also safe and free from unnecessary worries.

“When resuming regular running, athletes most often encounter injuries caused by overexertion. The most common areas of pain are the knee joints, the Achilles tendon, the feet and the lower legs, usually as a result of various inflammations caused by excessive strain and muscle imbalance. However, pain can have many different causes, so it should never be ignored. In more complex cases, overexertion can even result in stress fractures. To avoid this, you need to ensure that the strain is appropriate for your abilities, that your body receives all the necessary nutrients and that your muscle strength is balanced,” explains running coach and trail runner Andris Ronimoiss.

Gradual increases in strain and additional exercises for the body

When resuming training after a longer break, the running coach emphasises moderate strain as the most important factor. “If you are starting running from scratch, it is recommended that you do no more than three 30-minute workouts in the first week. After that, you can run for longer each week, but increase the strain and duration gradually—by no more than 10% per week.”

However, running alone is not enough to make running healthy. “In addition to running, it is important to exercise and strengthen other muscle groups. In an ideal situation, you should initially perform the exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist, in order to understand your body’s weak points and what requires special attention. Later, you can replace individual physiotherapy sessions with group workouts or exercise at home,” says Andris Ronimoiss, also recommending a massage roller, massage gun or regular massages from a specialist to support muscle wellbeing.

To ensure that running does not have a negative impact on your health, special attention should also be paid to warm-up exercises: “Before you start running, first do a few minutes of dynamic warm-up exercises. These can include various exercises, such as squats, lunges, calf raises, leg swings, ankle circles, etc. Once you have warmed up, begin with a few minutes of brisk walking or slower running before settling into your running rhythm.”

Sleep and a healthy diet without fasting

Andris advises against extreme diets. “Running and sport in general do not go together with starvation. If you do not consume enough calories and ensure that your diet contains the necessary amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates, it will be much more difficult to make progress and you will be more likely to get injured. For your body to have energy to draw on and not have to use its reserves, nutrition is a very important part of the training process. Within 30 minutes after training, you should eat a small meal containing sufficient carbohydrates and protein, which is usually recommended in a 3:1 ratio,” the coach explains the importance of nutrition in the training process.

As the best way to recover as efficiently as possible, the experienced runner and coach emphasises quality sleep. “There is no better recovery tool than sleep. The minimum amount of sleep is at least seven hours a day. You should also not forget about rest—that is, moments when you do nothing at all.”

Listen to your body and consult a professional

Although muscle soreness after training is normal, especially during the first 24–48 hours, Andris nevertheless urges people to be attentive. “If the pain is sharp or persistent, it is definitely a sign that we are harming ourselves. You should not continue running with this kind of pain until you understand its cause. Persistent fatigue, stagnation in results, sleep disturbances and many more serious symptoms can also indicate overexertion. However, it takes an extremely high amount of training to reach such a state. Experience shows that overexertion usually develops when the strain from all areas of life—work, everyday life and sport—is combined.”

At the same time, the running coach advises against resuming running if you are still treating an injury or experiencing chronic pain. “Before resuming training, it would be best to consult specialists—ideally a sports physician, who will assess the situation and provide recommendations. Often, after examinations, sports physicians allow patients to resume running under the supervision of a physiotherapist and coach. As a coach, I also do not deal directly with injury-related issues and urge people to consult a sports physician and physiotherapist. They have the knowledge, experience and equipment to ensure the best solution for each patient’s complaints.”

Andris also urges people not to search for answers about painful areas and injuries in podcasts and the depths of the internet: “The same applies to proper running technique. I always recommend finding a certified running coach who can initially explain and demonstrate the basics. After that, it is important to continue analysing your stride and running technique—for example, by filming your runs—to understand your mistakes and correct them properly without sustaining new injuries.”

Even if you have taken all the necessary precautions to avoid health problems caused by overexertion, you cannot always avoid sudden injuries from slipping, falling or otherwise hurting yourself. To reduce financial concerns in the event of such injuries, when taking out life insurance, you can choose additional injury insurance. It provides a sense of security—if something unexpected happens to me, the family budget will not be affected. For example, information compiled by Swedbank Life Insurance shows that the average insurance benefit in injury cases last year exceeded 700 euros, while in one individual case the benefit reached as much as 8000 euros**.* Data from the Latvian branch of Swedbank Life insurance SE on benefits paid in the first quarter of 2023.

** Data from the Latvian branch of Swedbank Life insurance SE on benefits paid in 2022.