Global Running Day: A Launching Pad for a Healthier Lifestyle
It’s celebrated all over the world – from Chiapas, Mexico to Florence, Italy, and from Southern California to our backyard here in Fairfax County. It’s Global Running Day! On June 1, 2022, we encourage people of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and backgrounds to lace up their running shoes and get moving. Run a 5K with your spouse. Take a brisk walk in the park with your coworkers at lunchtime. Run or walk around your local track with a couple of friends.
After the excitement of Global Running Day, keep going! Running is a great way to stay fit physically, mentally, and emotionally:
- Physical fitness – running strengthens your entire body, keeps your heart and lungs healthy, and helps control weight gain.
- Mental fitness – running requires training, discipline, and a certain determination to keep going.
- Emotional fitness – running is a vehicle for freeing our minds and bodies from sadness, anger, or stress.
Running without injury
Now that you’re excited to use Global Running Day as your launchpad for physical, mental, and emotional fitness, the last thing you want to do is get sidelined by an injury. You can avoid many running pitfalls, such as blisters, heel pain, stress fractures, tendonitis, and shin splints by following this advice from board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm:
- Prepare your body: stretch before you run and make sure you’re properly fueled for a workout. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water.
- Start slowly: gradually build up your running speed and distance.
- Wear good running shoes: running is very hard on your feet. No other athletic shoes offer the kind of support and cushioning a runner needs. To get the right fit, visit a store that specializes in running gear, or make an appointment at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center for a foot analysis and shoe recommendations. For example, Dr. Wilhelm might discover that you have a tendency to overpronate or that you have high arches. That information will inform the type of running shoe you should wear and also tell you if you’d benefit from custom orthotics.
As you continue in the sport of running, let Dr. Wilhelm be your partner in keeping your feet as healthy as possible. Contact our office in Centreville, Virginia, or call (703) 996-3000 with your questions about running-related foot problems.
