How Injury Prone Are Runners?

Running is safe right? Lifting weights is less safe right? You might be surprised.

Ok, I'm sure you all know I'm a little biased in that I don't care much for running, but let's look at the facts about running and injuries.

Am J Sports Med. 1978;6(2):40-50.

A questionnaire of 451 10k participants showed 47% had suffered an injury in the past 2 years that was contributed to running more miles per day, more days per week, faster pace, and more races per year.

Am J Sports Med. 1987;15(2):168-71.

This study followed 60 runners over the course of a year finding that 39 of the 60 participants suffered injuries. Even more interesting was that the 39 who suffered injuries suffered multiple injuries over the year. This study also looked at injury rates and injuries among sprinters, middle distance runners, and marathoners. The highest rate of injuries was among the middle distance group, who suffered hip and back problems as the most common injury. By the way this group is very similar to the average fitness runner who uses running to get into shape.

So why is does running have such a high incidence of injury? Well let's look at how many repetitive stresses are placed on the joints in one mile of running. If you run with a 3 foot stride each step, that means you will cover six feet every time each leg hits the ground, this equals 880 impacts on the joints of the body in a mile. That's a lot of repetitive stress on the body. Now most people who run don't just run a mile though, they do 5 or 6 right? So now that 880 is 5,280 impacts in a single run. Times that by 3 days a week (being conservative) and it's 15,840 impacts a week on the same joints in the same motion. Couple that with excess body weight and you have a recipe for disaster.

This why anyone who recommends running as an activity for those looking to lose weight/get in shape because it's safer than lifting weights and less stressful to the joints just doesn't understand what's going with the body in those two activities. For example, if a person is doing squats 3x per week for 3 sets of 10 that is only 90 repetitions per week compared to the 15,840 that running would have placed on the body.

Yes, weight lifting can be done inappropriately and result in injuries. But, when done correctly is a much safer option and places less stress on the joints.

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

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