So, you have been injured and now you are finally able to start running again what’s next?

The first few weeks of the return are often the most challenging as it will take time for your body to adjust.

Learn more about what you need to know before taking on your first run again and how long you should wait until expecting some results!

6 Tips For Rapidly Returning to Running After Injury

If you’re like me running is more than just a great way to stay in shape and get some fresh air. It’s life and being forced to take a break because of injury can be hell. But returning to running after an injury can be difficult.

Primarily, there’s the risk of getting hurt again.

Luckily for you, I’ve been where you are right now and I have some tips on how returning to running after an injury can go easier.

Hi! I’m Craig Williams and these are my tips for returning to running after injury so you can run again without pain and with a reduced risk of your injury recurring.

My injury… It was Friday lunchtime back in July when I turned my ankle on a tiny little curb less than a mile from my home. I was just 1 week away from a 100-mile race that had already been postponed twice due to covid.

An hour later, as I waited for an x-ray in A & E, it felt like someone had just jammed an ice pick into my ankle joint. It hurt so bad that I thought it was broken for sure! The x-ray was really positive, the joint looked fine which meant soft tissue damage and a severe strain to the ligaments and a minimum of 3 months from running freely once again.

How to know you’re ready to return to running?

So for the last month and a half, I have been nursing my ankle injury

• Address any weak links

Once you’re ready to return to running

✅ Tip 1 – Have zero expectations! Having expectations when you first get back to returning can be the most destructive thing you can do. If you push yourself too hard, too fast it will set you back and likely cause re-injury to your already injured foot. To prevent this from happening, my advice is to go slow! Take your time returning and stick to a very low volume of running at first.

Tip 2 – Warm-up thoroughly Common knowledge, but not always common practice! Make sure you warm up your mind and body properly before you start.

✅ Tip 3 – Start Slowly Take it easy when returning to running after injury. Don’t drive yourself into the ground and expect progress to happen overnight.

Tip 4 – Listen to your body Be aware of all the aches and pains. Pain is a signal in the body that we should take note. Once again, patience is key.

✅ Tip 5 – Be prepared to walk Walking is not an embarrassment when you first get back to running. It’s a necessity in order to reduce the risk of re-injury. I walk every run when returning from an injury and it has helped me return to full fitness quicker.

✅ Tip 6 – Cool-down and stretch Often overlooked, but cooling down and even more so, stretching after your run is really important. Stay tuned for part 2 of this video where I explain some of the weird things I have been doing to speed up recovery from this injury.