How to Stay Injury Free During Marathon Training

Now the festivities are over for another year, if you’re running the London marathon in 2023, you will likely be starting your training plan. The London marathon is one of the most popular in the world and every year thousands of runners take to the streets of the capital. Typically, most marathon training plans will be anywhere from 12 weeks to 20 weeks long and with the big race at the end of April this year, the next few months will be very physically demanding.

People tend to run multiple times a week when they’re training for a marathon and regardless of what your fitness levels are, there is a risk you will get injured on one of your training runs. If an injury is bad enough, you may have to put your marathon dreams on hold and this is something every runner wants to avoid. So, to help you stay fit, healthy and injury-free during your training, below we have put together a list of useful tips.

Stick to your training plan

This is crucially important and whenever you have a training plan, you should ensure you’re sticking to it as overtraining is one of the most common reasons why people get injured. Your plan has been created to build up your mileage safely, so don’t jump ahead to runs that are longer than what you’re ready for. The importance of tapering at the end of a plan shouldn’t be underestimated too and you need to give your body a chance to recover ready for the big day.

Visit a chiropractor

Lots of people think that chiropractic care is only for people who have running injuries, but this isn’t the case. Booking an appointment with a sports chiropractor at the start of your training can be useful, they can highlight any underlying problems and create a plan that will help you to get through your training running injury free. Chiropractic adjustments will help to align your spine and joints, and optimise body function and performance. Seeing a chiropractor throughout your training can help to relieve muscle tension too and keep you running all the way to the finish line.

Fuel your body correctly

It isn’t uncommon for people to get nutrition plans whilst cross training and eating well is just as important as training properly. If you don’t have a food plan, ensure you eat a healthy balanced diet and increase your calorie intake, you’ll be surprised by how many calories you burn whilst running. The foods you eat will give you the energy to run and it can be useful to try out some different snacks and drinks mid-run as well, to keep you fueled up.

Book some sports massages

In addition to regular chiropractic treatment, it can be useful to have frequent sports massages. Combining chiropractic care, physical therapists and massage therapy can help to reduce muscle stiffness, and it’s hugely beneficial during marathon training. Sports massages can also help to prevent problems caused by repetitive, strenuous physical activity and speed up recovery time in between long runs when your body is aching. Taking good care of yourself is key during the months leading up to a half marathon and this will help to prevent injuries.

Get enough sleep

Rest and sleep are key parts of any training plan, and if you don’t get enough sleep, your cognitive function can be impaired which will increase the risk of injuries. Your body recovers whilst you’re sleeping too and although you might still ache after a long run, a good night’s sleep will help your body to bounce back. On average, adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, but you may find that as your mileage increases, you’re more tired and need to sleep for longer.

Mix up your training

It can be useful to mix up your exercise routine when you’re training for a marathon and when you’re not running, you should try some different exercises like strength training and HIIT training. Adding some versatility to your fitness routine can help to strengthen your muscles and improve your stamina, both of which will aid your running. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, but some alternative training can be very useful.

An extra tip is to add some core training into your exercise routine. Running is hugely to do with core strength because of the cross-diagonal movement of the arms and legs. Having a strong core will put less strain on the rest of your body when you’re running and help you to staying injury free during the lead-up to your marathon.

Booking a chiropractic appointment or a sports massage in Chertsey

Hopefully, the tips above will be beneficial if you’re training for the London marathon this year and they can help with injury prevention. If you’re interested in visiting a chiropractor or booking a sports massage in Chertsey, get in touch with us at ChiroCulture.

Our specialist team can support you during your marathon training and help you to avoid minor sports injuries during your training plan by optimising your body’s neuromuscular control and performance. We have lots of experience working with a variety of athletes and we can assure you that you will be in very capable hands with our experts.