How to return to running after injury
Physiotherapist and runner Dr Kathleen Walker tells how and when to return to running after a period away.
This piece is written by Dr Kathleen Walker. Kathleen has been a physiotherapist for 20 years working in the NHS and private practice. She has worked at major athletics championships and has been team physiotherapist for Wales women's cricket. Her PhD looked at interventions to help runners prevent and manage running injuries.
Returning to running after an injury or following enforced break due to illness or changes in your life circumstances can be incredibly daunting and sometimes be a source of distress. This is completely understandable because you will have all sorts of worries and concerns about lacing back up and getting out again: will the injury return? Will the pain come back? Will my fitness have disappeared completely? Will running ever feel the same again? Is it even safe for me to start running again? These are worries that I’ve explored with many recreational runners and as a runner myself I have had many of these thoughts cross my mind. I think these feelings are inevitable and it’s important to acknowledge them as you return. However there are some things you can do to help your return to running and hopefully this blog will help in some way to put your mind at ease.