Runners tend to be super fit and healthy, but the high-impact sport can test your joints. We asked professional runner Matt Abel for some tips on how to minimise the risk of injury.
Have you ever tried this new fad called ‘jogging’? Apparently, you just run for an extended period of time. It’s great for your aerobic fitness, your muscles, mental and heart health, but it can also be tough on your joints.
Performance coach and endurance athlete Matt Abel has been running for as long as he can remember, but he really fell in love with it in 2011 when he discovered trail running.
“There’s just something different about running out in nature and discovering new places most people will never see,” he says.
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He’s achieved an impressive list of accolades, too. Taking out the Big Red Run 250km in 2013, winning the Northburn 100km and breaking the 2011 record by two hours and 20 seconds, and represented Australia and New Zealand at the Sky Running World Championships in 2016.
Suffice it to say, Abel is fully aware of the benefits of running but is also conscious of the toll it can take on your body—though, contrary to popular belief, running itself doesn’t increase your risk of osteoarthritis or injury, but poor form could.
“Listening to your body is so important, as well as managing your training load and the things you’re doing around your running like strength and mobility,” he says.
“I always recommend people speak to a professional, be it a coach for training structure and guidance to avoid issues or the relevant medical expert to understand what’s causing pain or discomfort.”
Abel says supplements designed specifically for runners can also help with joint issues, like PILLAR Performance’s Motion Armour, which has been formulated to reduce stiffness and maintain cartilage health.
A common mistake Abel sees in runners is not implementing strength training to their regime, as well as periodisation—that is, reducing your intensity or amount of runs every four or five weeks—to allow the body to repair and fortify.
“Most people will just run and it’s having a strong body to support the running load that not only improves performance but also decreases injuries,” he says.
“Periodisation is another factor most don’t know about and that’s giving your fourth or fifth week of training a de-load in volume and/or intensity, this allows bone, tendon and muscles stress to adapt and get stronger but also a time for you to mentally recharge.”
Abel says the mental benefits of running are regularly unspoken, but for him, it’s a vital ingredient to destressing and self-discovery.
“Running is generally a time for me, I find it’s when I discover more about myself,” he says.
“I love to run without my phone and just be in flow without any life stresses bothering me. It’s just me and my two feet.”
Matt Abel is the founder of DBA Runners and Vipers. He is also a PILLAR Performance athlete.
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