Get back to running, safely!
If you want to start running for the first time ever, for the first time in a while, or for the first time following an injury then listen up! It’s amazing how quickly our bodies can fall out of ‘running shape’ and how difficult it can be to get back into it, especially if you are recovering from an injury. I’m going to walk you through one of my favorite protocols for safely returning to running after an injury, and this can definitely be useful for someone wanting to ease back into recreational running too.
This protocol was developed by Dr. Bryan Heiderscheit and his team at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and it consists of walk/run intervals with a systematic progression based on symptoms and tolerance during and following the runs.
Before beginning this program, you should be able to walk for 30 consecutive minutes without pain. The program will have you training 3x/week for 4 weeks, and each session is 30 minutes. During the first 1.5 weeks, you’ll be spending more time walking than running, but by the end of week 2 the running portion will be greater than the walking. You may experience some aches and pains, but the general rule of thumb is to advance to the next step in the protocol as long as 1) the pain is relatively mild… ideally no worse than 3/10 on the pain scale 2) the pain doesn’t get worse as the session continues 3) the pain doesn’t force you to alter the way you walk or run or cause a limp. If you aren’t ready to progress at this pace, you can always repeat a step in the protocol or even go back a step if you need to. For best results, you should include a good warm up and cool down before/after your runs, incorporate strength training into your routine, and give yourself recovery days. A physical therapist can help you create an effective routine that contains all of these elements.
Week 1
Day 1: walk for 4.5 minutes/run for 0.5 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 2: walk for 4 minutes/run for 1 minute… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 3: walk for 3.5 minutes/run for 1.5 minutes…. repeat for 6 cycles
Week 2
Day 1: walk for 3 minutes/run for 2 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 2: walk for 2.5 minutes/run for 2.5 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 3: walk for 2 minutes/run for 3 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Week 3
Day 1: walk for 1.5 minutes/run for 3.5 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 2: walk for 1 minute/run for 4 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Day 3: walk for 0.5 minutes/run for 4.5 minutes… repeat for 6 cycles
Week 4
Day 1: run 30 consecutive minutes
Day 2: run 30 consecutive minutes
Day 3: run 30 consecutive minutes
If you have questions about your running mechanics, our physical therapists at Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago can perform gait analysis and provide recommendations for injury prevention. Please call (312) 643-1555 or email [email protected] with any questions or to schedule your consultation today.
