Video / Fitness and Exercise / Running / To Prevent Running Injuries, Start With Your Big Toe

To Prevent Running Injuries, Start With Your Big Toe

To Prevent Running Injuries, Start With Your Big Toe (1:18)

Don't let an injury get in the way of your running program. In this Health Smarts video, fitness expert Vonda Wright, MD, reveals a surprising way to avoid Achilles tendonitis, hip bursitis, shin splints, knee pain, and other common running injuries.

Read Transcript

What's the biggest danger lurking for runners? Hi, I'm Dr. Wright. The answer, is injury. The most common running injuries are bronchitis over your hip bone, knee pain, achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis which causes sharp heel pain. How can you avoid these? Start with your big toe.

It's true, something simple like having a stiff big toe that won't flex when you roll through a stride can change your balance which changes the forces across your knee. That can lead to much pressure on the kneecap cartilage, and cause it to become irritated. So, what can you do to stay injury free? Flex your big toe up and down, and move it all around in a circle. Next, make sure your cabs, hamstrings, and clad are well stretched.

Your muscles are most effecient and most supple at their optimum length. So make sure you're good and stressed from toe to core before heading out for a run. Fore more ways to stay fit and injury free, check out all our smart tips.