*Please note that individual injuries can be different so either seek medical advice where appropriate or give us a call and we can help*
Knees (runner’s knee)
Caused by an irritation of cartilage underneath the kneecap.
Solution & exercises
Strengthen hips, glutes and quads - try squats, lunges, dynamic moves (squat jumps, lunge jumps), bridging. Also try shortening your running / walking stride.
Plantar fasciitis
Pain under your heel or at the base of your toes.
Solution & exercises
The pain in feet can often be traced back to tight calf muscles so try stretching these multiple times each day.
Achilles tendinitis
Overuse of the Achilles tendon presents itself as pain in the back of the leg or above the heel.
Solution & exercises
Regular stretching and strengthening of the calf muscle can minimise the risk / impact of this injury. It's also a good idea to regularly stretch your hamstrings and glutes.
Back pain
Can occur in the upper, middle or lower back. Can be muscular or can be disc related so it’s important to consult a medical professional if symptoms persist in order that you embark on the appropriate rehab programme.
Solution & exercises
Think about each exercise / movement you do. Where is the load going and where is the effort coming from? If you can divert some of the load / effort from the back, try to do so and ideally lift or move from the legs.
Lower back injuries are most common so try to keep shoulders back and down and share the load across lower, middle and upper back where possible. Strengthen your back, move with good posture and regularly stretch your hamstrings, hip flexors and quads.
Shoulders
The shoulder joint is relatively unstable. While the hip joint which has similar mobility is a tight ball and socket joint, the shoulder is often referred to as a looser ‘tennis ball in a saucer’ situation.
Solution & exercises
The shoulder has a huge range of motion and we often add heavy loads to our movements so it’s crucial to build up strength and stability around this joint. This can be achieved by using a resistance band to practice specific stability exercises and favouring dumbbell / band strength training over fixed position gym machines.
Hamstrings
When we sit a lot our hamstrings can get become short and tight which can lead to pain in the back of the legs when moving around or can create knee pain or back pain.
Solution & exercises
Less sitting and more moving can help to keep hamstrings supple. It also helps to strengthen the glutes to encourage them to work harder and relieve the hamstrings of some of their workload as well as stretching hamstrings as often as possible.
Shin splints
Pain in the front (or slightly to either side of the front) of the lower leg, which is often triggered by a sudden increase in activity or training load.
Solution & exercises
Stretching the calves is recommended as is stretching the front of the lower leg. This can be done if you kneel, sitting on your heels with your toes tucked under your bottom and pointing backwards.
Hip pain
Often due to too much sitting which can cause the hip flexor muscles (roughly where your jeans pockets are) to tighten and shorten.
Solution & exercises
Try not to sit in one position for too long and stretch your hip flexors regularly throughout the day.
ACL / PCL
Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Posterior Cruciate Ligament. These ligaments, which stabilise the knee joint allowing it to bend and flex without moving sideways, are often damaged by sudden or cumulative overload when playing dynamic / impact sports. If the ligaments tear you experience a loss of stability and / or swelling.
Solution & exercises
If you experience a ‘popping’ sound in your knee joint or instability or swelling persists, consult a physio or similar to ensure any diagnosis is accurate and rehab appropriate.
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