When Can I Run or Walk?

The Physical Component of Dealing with Injury

Chelsea Hall, P.T.

So, when can I go for a Run or Walk?  When can I get back on the road, trail, or treadmill after my injury or illness?  When can I move again?

Following an injury, this is the burning question that Fit For Life Physical Therapy is often asked when treating a runner or walker.  There is no simple answer as every patient, every athlete, each body, and all injuries are different.  There are four key steps to consider in the return to running or walking process.

  1. Subjective and objective measures give us an indication of a patient’s “readiness to run or walk.” The goal is for the following activities to be pain free but having a pain level of 2 out of 10 or less can be acceptable:

    1. Perform usual daily activities.

    2. Walking 20-30 minutes

    3. Single leg squat or moving from sitting to standing.

    4. Jog in spot for 1 minute

    5. Jump squats 10 repetitions.

    6. Hop in place for 30 seconds.

  1. A patient’s “run tolerance” forms the basis of a training program. Your run tolerance is a distance you can run with minimal to no pain.  Assuming the “readiness to run or walk” tests are comfortable, then you are ready to try a short easy run or walk of about 5 minutes.  If this is tolerated well, you would gradually run or walk more and see if/when any symptoms develop

  1. Plan a graded return with the following suggestions:

    1. Increase mileage no more than 10% per week

    2. Plan recovery time into your schedule and consider recovery weeks with less volume. Remember Columbus Marathon Race Director and fellow MITer, Darris Blackford, is fond of suggesting one day per week easy activity, one week per month easier, and one month per year really easy.

    3. Change one thing, one variable at a time.

    4. Include longer recovery after a harder

    5. Allow flexibility if you need to repeat a step. Give yourself a break.

 

  1. To monitor your response to returning to running or walking there are three things to consider:

    1. Pain during exercise: 0-3 out of 10 is an acceptable level.

    2. Symptoms settle back to baseline the next morning or within 24 hours.

    3. Symptoms are improving as the weeks go by.

Please let us know if you have any questions about your personal return to running or walking plans.  As always, please work with Fit For Life Physical Therapy for a solid return to running or walking program.

Fit For Life Physical Therapy cares for people of all activity levels - to help prevent, recover from, or rehabilitate sports & orthopedic injuries.  We are proud to move people every day.

Please visit our website https://www.fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com/, email us at info@fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com, or call or text us at any of the phone numbers for our three convenient locations inside Fleet Feet stores:

Polaris:  1270 East Powell Road Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 ~ 614-981-2065

Upper Arlington:  1344 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43221 ~ 614-981-1979

New Albany:  5792 North Hamilton Road, Columbus, Ohio 43230 ~ 614-581-7441