Avoiding Sickness and Other Health-Related Issues

Key points to remember to attempt to fend off – or recover from – illness while in a regular running or training cycle:

• Get plenty of rest and sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours per day, and even more after intense workout days.
• Eat a proper diet with limited added sugar; that is high in natural (non-processed) fruits and vegetables, proteins, good fats, complex carbohydrates.
• Consume other foods and drinks that contain natural anti-oxidants and vitamins (green tea, V8, acai berries, blueberries, etc.).
• Avoid excessive alcohol or sugar intake, or stress-inducing activities, or lack of sleep. All these items attack and wear down your immune system and make you more susceptible to illness.
• Wash hands regularly, and be conscious of (avoid) excessive germ situations.
• Consider placing an air cleaner/purifier and filter system in your home. It is amazing (and gross) how many airborne items a good air purifier removes from the air you breathe in your home.

Avoiding – and Recovering From – Injury

There are so many types of injuries that runners might incur over time, that it would be difficult to cover them all sufficiently here. Following training and nutrition, stretching and other tips described in this site will help prevent or recover from injuries.

The best option is to get a referral to a local doctor or physical therapist specializing in runners, to diagnose the type of injury you have, and what to do to recover from the injury and prevent it in the future.

A person can find a lot of information via the internet on injury recovery, but be careful that what you read and follow is from a legitimate, knowledgeable, reliable source. Avoid any device or substance gimmicks that profess to magically make your injury go away in a short period of time. Recovery from injuries usually take several weeks or months, depending on the injury.

One specific injury I have experienced that is very painful and persistent, is plantar fasciitis. Here are tips on recovering from it, and avoiding it in the future:

• Follow running method described in Chi Running
• Roll frozen water bottle or golf ball or other massage ball under impacted foot / heel area
• Wear a Strausberg sock or hard boot at night in bed to keep impacted foot bent at heel at a 90 degree angle
• Discuss with local shoe store expert what shoes might help avoid this type of injury
• Perform stretches prescribed by a reliable source to eliminate the injury and to avoid it in the future