When shouldn’t you run?

Many runners have been there – you’ve set a goal, found a training plan that you are working your way through and started to run further and faster. Then, you catch a cold or start to feel the niggling of an injury. What should you do? Holt all training, or push on through? Vlad Shatrov, Runlab founder and trainer gives you three reasons for when you shouldn’t run:

You are sick

The general rule for training when it comes to illness is if you are sick from the neck down you shouldn’t exercise. This means things like an upset stomach, chesty cough or a fever rules out exercise until you are fully recovered.

By recording your resting heart rate whilst lying in bed each morning you can identify if you are becoming sick. Once you see your heart rate rise by 10% it indicates that you might be starting to come down with something.

You have an injury

If you have sharp muscular or joint pain whilst running, then stop immediately and have it assessed by a healthcare professional. If you keep running when in pain the injury can become worse, which can prevent you from running altogether. The best thing to do is initially take a small amount of time off from training so you can recover and prevent risking further injury.

If you are injured and a healthcare professional has advised you not to run, ask for a training alternative until they give you the all clear to run again.

Unsafe weather

If the Bureau of Meteorology issues a severe weather warning, take their advice and skip your session for that day. Don’t put yourself in unsafe conditions for the sake of a run!

However, if it’s just raining or warmer than normal you can still go for a run as long as you prepare for the conditions. Run in a rain jacket if it is wet or carry some water with you if it is warm. You don’t need to miss out on your run just because the weather isn’t perfect, although it is recommended that you plan for the conditions to keep you safe and well.

Running is a great activity to keep you fit and healthy and by keeping some basic guidelines in mind you’ll be prepared and can get the most out of your training.