Running myths and realities – How to start running without getting injured?

You want to start running, but you’re afraid of getting injured in the first few weeks. Maybe you’ve already tried and given up because of knee or shin pain. That fear is legitimate. In a six-week supervised program involving 1,696 beginners, about 11% reported an injury that limited their running for at least three consecutive sessions. Injuries were more common among older participants, those with a higher weight-to-height ratio, those who had never run before, and those who had previously experienced muscle or joint pain unrelated to exercise. These associations do not allow us to predict with certainty who will get injured ¹. This factor raises a common question among older new runners: Is there an ideal age to start running? The answer depends mainly on your physical condition and a suitable training progression, not on a specific number.

One study also followed nearly 75,000 runners for about seven years. People who ran more reported fewer diagnoses of osteoarthritis and fewer hip replacements than those who ran less. Part of this association was linked to their lower body weight. ² However, this association with fewer cases of osteoarthritis does not prove that running alone protects the joints. ²

Note: Research does not show that a gradual increase in training volume alone is sufficient to prevent injuries. A review of studies on runners identified only two strong risk factors: having previously suffered an injury and, among men, running long distances each week. ³

You can adjust the duration, frequency, and intensity of your runs. None of these adjustments alone eliminates all risk of injury. The 2007 review focused on long-distance runners. Its conclusions therefore do not accurately describe the risk for someone who is just starting to run ³.

• Une progression trop rapide de la charge peut augmenter le risque de blessure dans le sport. Le groupe d’experts considère les changements rapides de quantité d’entraînement comme un facteur important. Cet avis concerne des sportifs et ne vise pas précisément les personnes qui commencent la course⁴.
• Alternating between walking and running helps spread out the effort. We recommend this approach: start with short periods of running and gradually increase them as your tolerance allows.
• We recommend several short workouts spread out over the week. Adjust the frequency if you start to feel tired or experience pain, and make sure to set aside time to recover.
• Tendons and bones adapt to repeated stress over time. Your ability to tolerate this stress also depends on your overall health and ^{recovery5, 6}

To choose your shoes, check out our guide to running shoes.

How can I start running without getting injured?

A gradual start with short runs and alternating between walking and running allows you to adjust the intensity to your abilities. This gradual approach makes the first few sessions less difficult, but it does not guarantee that you will avoid injury. The risk of injury does not depend solely on the amount of training. Stress, fatigue, and recovery also play a role. ⁴

How do you adjust the difficulty level at the beginning?

Your progress depends on your experience, the duration of your runs, and how you feel after exercising. Avoid suddenly increasing several factors at once, such as duration and speed. Progressing too quickly may exceed what you can currently handle.

We recommend starting with short runs that alternate between walking and running. Gradually increase the total duration once you’re comfortable with the sessions. If pain increases as you run, changes your running form, or persists after exercise, cut your run short and have the situation evaluated if necessary.

Running shoes and running form can also be examined:

• Choisissez une chaussure dans laquelle vous êtes à l’aise. Une revue Cochrane a trouvé peu ou pas de différence dans le risque de blessure entre plusieurs types de souliers de course, avec des données de faible à très faible certitude. Le confort reste un critère pratique pour choisir des souliers, mais il ne garantit pas qu’ils préviennent les blessures⁷. (voir l’article de Blog sur la chaussure, Lien vers Blog #13)
• La façon de courir peut changer la charge sur certaines structures. Deux essais suggèrent qu'une rééducation de la foulée pourrait réduire les blessures, mais ce résultat reste trop limité pour conclure qu'une technique protège de façon fiable. C'est un ajustement à explorer avec un physiothérapeute, pas une garantie⁸. (voir l’article de Blog sur la technique de course, Lien vers Blog #12).

For more information on this topic, see our guide to the best running technique.

Les programmes de La Clinique Du Coureur peuvent servir de point de départ⁹. Choisissez le programme correspondant à votre objectif, puis adaptez-le à votre capacité, à votre récupération et aux douleurs éventuelles.

Where can I learn more about running?

Le balado « Parle-moi de santé », animé par notre physiothérapeute Alexis Gougeon, aborde la course à pied dans son premier épisode, avec Blaise Dubois.

Episode #1: Prevention and treatment of running injuries.

• Écouter l'épisode 1 de Parle-moi de santé sur la course à pied, sur YouTube
• Écouter l'épisode 1 de Parle-moi de santé sur la course à pied, sur Apple Podcasts

Source:

1. Kluitenberg B, van Middelkoop M, Smits DW, Verhagen E, Hartgens F, Diercks R, et al. The NLstart2run study: Incidence and risk factors of running-related injuries in novice runners. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2015;25(5):e515-23.↩ Back to text
2. Williams PT. Effects of running and walking on osteoarthritis and hip replacement risk. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(7):1292-7.↩ Back to text: 1st, 2nd mentions
3. van Gent RN, Siem D, van Middelkoop M, van Os AG, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Koes BW. Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41(8):469-80; discussion 480.↩ Back to text: 1st, 2nd mentions
4. Soligard T, Schwellnus M, Alonso JM, Bahr R, Clarsen B, Dijkstra HP, et al. How much is too much? (Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(17):1030-41.↩ Back to text: 1st, 2nd mentions
5. Bohm S, Mersmann F, Arampatzis A. Human tendon adaptation in response to mechanical loading: a systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise intervention studies on healthy adults. Sports Med Open. 2015;1(1):7.↩ Back to text
6. Hamstra-Wright KL, Huxel Bliven KC, Napier C. Training Load Capacity, Cumulative Risk, and Bone Stress Injuries: A Narrative Review of a Holistic Approach. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 2021;3:665683.↩ Back to text
7. Relph N, Greaves H, Armstrong R, Prior TD, Spencer S, Griffiths IB, et al. Running shoes for preventing lower limb running injuries in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;8(8):CD013368.↩ Back to text
8. Doyle E, Doyle TLA, Bonacci J, Fuller JT. The Effectiveness of Gait Retraining on Running Kinematics, Kinetics, Performance, Pain, and Injury in Distance Runners: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022;52(4):192-A5.↩ Back to text
9. La Clinique du Coureur. Programmes de course.↩ Back to text

Nos physiothérapeutes ont défini la stratégie de recherche, le plan et le contenu clinique de cet article. Un outil d’IA a soutenu la recherche documentaire et la révision du texte pour assurer une cohérence du contenu et du style d’écriture.