Injuries to the hamstring muscle are common in athletes, especially runners. If you hurt this muscle, it’ll require a long rehabilitation and leave you more susceptible to another injury after your hamstring treatment. No matter which type of running you’re doing, be proactive about preventing these injuries.

How to Protect the Hamstring While Running

1. Warm Up

Cold muscles are tight and more likely to tear when pushed. Take the time to do a proper warmup and stretch before running. Do five to ten minutes of light aerobic exercise, such as walking or boxer shuffling. Then use some dynamic stretching, like toe touches and quadricep stretches, to round out the warmup.

2. Listen to Your Body

Running can be uncomfortable when you’re pushing yourself, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you feel pain in the back of your thigh where the hamstring muscle is located, immediately stop running to avoid worsening the discomfort. Walk for a while to safely bring down your heart rate and gently stretch the muscle.

3. Use Strength Training

An excellent way to prevent injury is by strengthening the hamstring and the surrounding muscle network that supports it. Pair your cardiovascular exercise with a strength training regimen to improve your running performance and prevent injury. Target the leg muscles with leg curls, hip extensions, squats, and deadlifts.

4. Rest

Running is a high-impact exercise, and over-training will quickly lead to injury. Everyone is unique, so talk with your trainer about how far to push your body. Beginners should always take a rest day after every run, while advanced runners can take one rest day a week. Mix a variety of exercises into your training regimen, such as doing strength training a couple of days instead of running. This will prevent you from putting too much strain on one part of the body.

If you do strain your hamstring, contact the team at Aisen Chiryo Doin, in Honolulu, HI. This shiatsu massage center offers hamstring treatments and rehabilitation, and it has been providing them to professional and novice athletes for over 40 years, including a booth at the finish line of The Honolulu Marathon. Their shiatsu treatments aim to restore flexibility, promote healing, and relieve pain. View their full list of services online, or call (808) 596-7354 to schedule a shiatsu treatment for your hamstring.