Injury is still one of the biggest problems faced by runners. Injury not only brings a bad experience, but also seriously affects normal running training. How to train more scientifically and prevent injuries more effectively is something that all runners should take seriously. T

Pay attention to Smart Running to help you run as light as a feather and without injuries

Injury is still one of the biggest problems faced by the public runners. Injury not only brings a bad experience, but also seriously affects normal running training. How to do it more scientifically Training to more effectively prevent injuries is a topic that all runners should take seriously.

Many people think that injuries are caused by running too much. Injuries are indeed an important cause of injuries, but how to explain that elite athletes often run hundreds of kilometers every month, but their injuries seem to be higher than those of the general public. What about fewer runners?

You would say that elite athletes have lighter bodies, better strength, and better running posture, so they have less injuries. You are right. This just shows that the occurrence of running injuries is not only determined by the amount of running. Quantity seems to be just an external trigger and the root cause is internal in the body.

Running volume is only an inducement

Internal factors in the body are the source of pain

Elite athletes have a lower body fat percentage and lighter weight, so their body burden is lighter;

Secondly, they have graceful and elegant running posture, that is, good posture. Running technique can minimize the impact load on the body;

Third, they have good body strength and flexibility, which can share and resolve the load on the joints to the greatest extent.

In other words, their bodies have adapted to high running volume. However, for ordinary runners, some have relatively high body fat content, running techniques that need to be improved, and poor muscle strength. In terms of factors, mass runners are more likely to have various basic skill deficiencies;

Therefore, injuries are to a large extent the result of the interaction between internal factors and external load factors.

Methods for assessing body function and injury risk

FMS

Good body flexibility and stability as basic skills are the basis for engaging in any sports. They lay the foundation for good movement techniques and specific sports performance. For running, this is athletic ability. Pyramid model.

Runner's Athletic Ability Pyramid

Body flexibility and stability are independent of sports, which means that no matter what sport you are engaged in, you should have good body flexibility and stability;

Unfortunately, a considerable proportion of The ability of runners is not that of pyramid structure . Their joint flexibility, stability and core control are not good enough, and their running techniques are not reasonable enough. Because they run more, they have better endurance, but such a pyramid is prone to overturning. Because their physical abilities and running skills cannot provide a solid foundation for endurance improvement, they are prone to injuries.

The composition of unsatisfactory runner ability

In fact, internationally, a complete set of methods for assessing body flexibility and stability has already been formed. This is the famous FMS (Functional Movement Screen), which is translated as Functional Movement Screen Check ;

FMS was proposed by American physical therapists Gray Cook and Lee Burton in 1995, and has since been widely used. It is simple and easy to do, consisting of only 7 movements, and can be widely used for the basic movement abilities of various people ( flexibility and stability) evaluation.

FMS is a set of testing methods used to detect the overall movement control stability, body balance, flexibility, proprioception and other abilities of the human body. Through FMS testing, individual functional limitations and asymmetric development can be easily identified.

FMS mainly scores the completion quality of 7 basic movements. If the movements can be completed with high quality, it means that the subject does not have much limitation in the basic flexibility and stability of the body, and the risk of injury is reasonable when the movement itself is reasonable. Smaller;

If the subject does not have appropriate stability and flexibility, his weak links and imbalances will be fully manifested in special sports, which will ultimately lead to poor biomechanical characteristics of the movement.

FMS score is divided into four levels, from 0 to 3, with 3 being the highest score.

points: Pain occurred in any part of the test

points: The subject was unable to complete the entire movement or unable to maintain the starting posture

points: The subject was able to complete the entire movement, but the quality of the completion was not high

points: The subject was able to perform high Quality completion of movements

This means that if the quality of completion of the 7 movements is very high, then the full score is 21 points, and if the score is below 14 points, you'd better find a physical therapist to help you correct your body imbalance, and Defects in flexibility and stability;

If the score is between 14-21, it means that on the one hand, you can continue to engage in the special sports you like, on the other hand, you should also pay attention to strengthening basic skills training and strengthening body flexibility and stability. Let’s seize the time to take a look at how the 7 actions are evaluated.

. Overhead squat squat

You need to find a stick to perform the overhead squat test.

Action analysis

. Preparatory actions: Hold a stick (props such as brooms and clothes drying poles can be used) with both hands. The stick is required to be directly above the head. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees naturally straight and straight. Chest and abdomen;

. Squat slowly until the thighs and thighs are completely folded ( Asian squat ), while still maintaining the chest and abdomen position. The stick is still basically directly above the head. At the same time, the knees do not exceed the toes excessively, and the soles of the feet are firmly planted on the ground. noodle.

looks very simple, right? Do you look at it in the mirror?

If the hands are not raised, I believe most people can squat to the end. However, when the hands are raised, various movement defects appear. This action comprehensively reflects the flexibility and stability of all joints of the upper limbs, trunk and lower limbs of the human body. , running exactly requires the coordinated movement of the upper limbs, trunk and lower limbs.

Overhead lift and squat, the correct action from the front

Overhead lift and squat, the correct action from the side

Common wrong actions and warning tips

Mistake 1: Can squat to the end, but the heels cannot fall The ground seems to be the only way to squat down when your feet are on a high place.

Tips: The Achilles tendon has poor elasticity, the calf muscles are too tight, and the ankle is not flexible enough. Running can easily lead to Achilles tendonitis , plantar fasciitis , calf tibial stress syndrome, patellar strain .

Mistake 2: Unable to squat until the upper and lower legs are folded

Tips: The gluteal muscles and thigh muscles are too tight, and the strength of the lower limbs is poor. When running, it can easily lead to calf tibial stress syndrome, patellar strain, patellar tendonitis.

Mistake 3: Can squat to the end, but the chest and back are obviously arched, and the stick cannot be kept directly above the head

Tips: Poor waist and abdominal strength, stiff upper back and poor strength, poor shoulder flexibility, which can easily lead to trunk instability when running. Greatly reduces running efficiency and affects breathing.

Mistake 4: Unable to squat to the end, the stick cannot be kept directly above the head, and even the stick is twisted;

Tips: Poor core strength, lower limb strength and flexibility are very poor, and they are a high-risk group for running injuries

Mistake 5: Lower Knees are buckled in when squatting;

Tips: Poor gluteal muscle strength and wrong action patterns may easily cause iliotibial band friction syndrome, patellar strain, etc. when running.

The above incorrect actions either indicate insufficient flexibility, poor strength, or both. If anything, these will greatly increase the likelihood of injury.

There is an additional test, which requires you to stand on both front and rear feet, with the toes of the back foot close to the heel of the front foot, then squat with your knees bent, and observe where a vertical line drawn by the knee of the back foot falls on the ankle of the front foot;

● If the vertical line If it can fall in front of the knee of the front foot, it means the ankle flexibility is good;

● If it falls just above the knee of the front foot, it means the flexibility is average;

● If it falls behind the knee of the front foot, it means poor flexibility. Poor ankle flexibility is related to the heel. Tendon pain, calf pain, and plantar pain are all associated with the occurrence.

. Hurdle step

This action requires you to cross an obstacle that is about the same height as your calf. It actually doesn’t matter if the runner does not have this set of FMS tools. You can pull a rope to solve it.

The standard action is as follows:

Hold a stick on your shoulders, stand with your feet together, flex your hips and knees, dorsiflex your ankles to cross the obstacle, and then hit the ground with your heels. Note that at this time, the center of gravity is on the rear leg instead of moving to the front leg, and then restore , repeat 2-3 times, and then test the other leg, so that both the left and right sides are tested. The side with the lower score for this item will be used as the score for this item.

The standard actions for this test are: the body remains upright without arching the chest or side, the pelvis is upright, the hips, knees and ankles present a straight line across the obstacle, and the single-leg support can always maintain body balance.

This test reflects hip, knee, and ankle flexibility, single-leg balance, and pelvic control.

Hurdle steps correct movements

Common wrong movements in this test include arching the chest and back, failing to keep the body upright, or leaning to the side in order to cross the obstacle, losing balance, etc.

There are also some people who show that although they can basically keep the pelvis upright, due to insufficient ability to flex the hips, raise the legs and hook the feet, the thighs and lower legs rotate internally and externally in order to cross obstacles, and cannot keep the hips, knees and ankles in a straight line.

. Straight-line lunge

Straight-line lunge requires grabbing a stick with both hands behind the body, the head and waist should be close to the stick, and the feet should stand in a line, rather than standing with legs separated left and right. The distance between the two feet is such that when squatting in a lunge until the knee of the back leg touches the ground, the knee is just close to the heel of the front leg. When the left foot is in front, the right hand is on top, and the right foot is in front and the left hand is on top.

The standard action of this test is that when completing the lunge squat, the knees can touch the ground lightly, the body remains upright, and the stick is always close to the head and waist, and the balance can be maintained. Repeat 2-3 times without losing the center of gravity. The left leg and right leg are tested separately, and the one with the lower score is the score for that test.

This test reflects lunge stability, torso control, and more.

Correct action of straight lunge

Common wrong actions in this test include leaning forward, excessively moving the center of gravity forward, being unable to squat until the knees touch the ground, and losing balance.

. Shoulder flexibility test

This test is relatively simple, that is, the hands are close to each other on the back to see how close the two punches are. Under normal circumstances, the distance between the two punches is within the width of a palm, and 3 points are scored. .

This test reflects shoulder flexibility as well as upper thoracic spine mobility.

If the distance between the two fists is one and a half palms, 2 points will be awarded.

The distance between the fists is two palms width and 1 point is awarded.

There is an additional test, which is to put your hand on the opposite shoulder, lift the shoulder, and observe whether it induces shoulder pain.

. Thigh flexibility test

This test mainly reflects the flexibility of the back of the thigh and the flexibility of the hip. Lie on your back on the yoga mat. With the knee joint straight, lift the thigh to the highest level and lift the ankle along the leg. Make a vertical line everywhere. If the vertical line can fall above the middle of the thigh of the other leg, you will get 3 points.

Many runners, especially male runners, have poor hamstring and hip flexibility, which increases the risk of injury.

If this vertical line can only fall from the knee to the mid-thigh of the other thigh, it will score 2 points.

The flexibility of the back of the thigh is relatively poor and can only fall below the knee, scoring 1 point.

. Push-up test

This test is slightly different from the standard push-ups we understand. For men, the hands are required to be opened at the height of the brow, not the shoulder position. If it cannot be completed, it can be completed by lowering it to the height of the chin, but it can only be completed. 2 points are awarded, and women are required to complete the exercise at chin height. If they cannot complete the exercise down to shoulder height, they can only score 2 points at this time.

This test reflects upper body strength and trunk stability.

Male test position

Female test position

Common wrong actions include slumping the waist and sticking out the buttocks, which means poor strength and trunk stability.

This test also has an additional test. Lie prone on a yoga mat and prop up your upper body with your hands to see if it causes waist pain.

. Trunk test

This action is also called Superman Pose. It requires the feet, knees, and hands to be supported on the yoga mat. The full score of 3 points is to extend the hands and feet on the same side and maintain stability.

5% of people cannot complete 3 points. action.

can extend the arms and legs on the opposite side to 2 points and keep the trunk stable.

The opposite side’s arms and legs are stretched out, but the trunk is still unable to be stable, and a score of 1 is given, indicating that the core strength is relatively poor and the trunk is unstable. Many runners have low efficiency when running, and their trunks shake, which is a sign of core instability. As a result, their upper limbs swing their arms and lower limbs swing their legs without a good fulcrum, which greatly reduces running efficiency.

The above are 7 test actions. During the actual test process, how do we evaluate 3 points, 2 points or 1 point?

It is generally easy to judge high-quality actions with 3 points, but the judgment of 2 points and 1 points depends on personal experience. According to the definition, if the action can basically be completed but the quality is not high, it is 2 points. If the action cannot be completed and the balance is not high, it is 1 point. But in actual tests, sometimes the 2-point and 1-point standards are indeed difficult to judge.

We recommend that runners score in this way. If you do not finish well, it will be 1 point. Then based on subsequent corrections and improvements, you will decide whether to give 2 points or 1 point based on the extent of improvement.

Summary

In order for mass runners to achieve healthy, injury-free and long-lasting running, it is necessary to establish a new running model, that is, to train according to the model of physical function training - technical training - running training, but we often put the last Putting one step at the forefront, running as soon as possible, and bearing a large external load within the body's ability, it is naturally prone to injuries.

The FMS test discussed in this article allows you to evaluate whether you have physical shortcomings and make targeted corrections. This will make up for your physical shortcomings and your risk of injury will be greatly reduced when you perform endurance training.

Injury-free running method Recommended running mode to the public

Public runners may ask about physical function training and technical training first. When can we start running?

For example, in the early days of summer training, your physical function training and technical training may need to take up a larger proportion. After you have laid a solid foundation for your body's basic athletic abilities, you can then increase your running volume and strengthen your endurance training. Not only will you improve faster, but it will also not be easy. Injuries occur, so correct training logic determines your progress speed and risk of injury.

During the running process, first-time runners will gradually come into contact with a lot of running knowledge and understand some professional terms. Gradually, they also learn to enrich their understanding of running through searches. However, these fragmented knowledge often only allow beginners to The runner knows a thing or two.

For example, when you hear others say that your running form is wrong, you start to imitate the so-called "correct running form". When you see that the cadence and stride length on the running app are insufficient, you subconsciously start to increase the frequency. But the real situation is Without the guidance of professionals, novice runners cannot digest all the running knowledge floating around in the sky.

In view of these situations, we recommend "Zero Basic Injury-Free Running Development Plan" to the majority of first-time runners.

This course is jointly presented by Professor Dai Jiansong, the author of the domestic best-selling running book "Injury-Free Running Method", and Coach Zheng Jiaxuan. The Injury-Free Running Method has helped millions of runners start running correctly from scratch!

uses careful course design to transform the originally scattered and obscure professional knowledge into an introductory running plan that mass runners can easily learn.

learns through , sessions running posture correction audio lessons and sessions physical training video lessons, systematically allowing novice runners to master it correctly from the beginning Running.

Click on the card below to listen and learn