The city falls asleep, and night runners wake up. It turns out that running at night has many benefits – it’s not for nothing that Mike Tyson ran until dawn every day. This run gives you a lot of cool bonuses.
Why do they run at night, and what is the use of it?
Just imagine: there is silence around, there is only you and the open sky. Agree; there is some adventurism in this? But, no matter how romantic it may sound, hopelessness pushes many to run at night. Some cannot get up early in the morning, others come home late from work, and still, others wait until it gets cooler. For example, some people like to run at night because this is an excellent opportunity to relax after a hard day, be alone with yourself, and think about the events.
Towards evening, the body is already in “working” mode – and this is the plus of night jogging. This means that the body warms up during the day, the joints and muscles become more flexible, and blood circulation accelerates. The trick of night running is that it is more difficult to assess your speed in the dark, so running long distances will be easier.
Plus, running raises body temperature and lowers blood pressure, which is calming – sleep will be better in this case.
Night jogging relieves the stress accumulated during the day, helps to warm up after sedentary work. In the evening, the body uses oxygen better, so you can run more. But in general, running is best when you are comfortable. If you are a morning person, then run in the morning and don’t forget to visit National Casino Canada.
What are the senses involved when running in the dark?
Eyes work less in the dark, and this increases hearing and touch. We feel more strongly the movement of the wind, the ground under our feet. Also, we are not distracted and are more focused on our sensations.
But running in pitch darkness is still not worth it – if possible, choose lighted places and flat paths. Indeed, in the night, inadequate personalities or dangerous animals can meet.
Tips for those planning to run at night:
- First of all, even if you are running around the city,we recommend taking a flashlight with you. Not all paths are lit. Night runners run in headlamps – they free their hands and do not interfere with running.
- It gets cold at night, so dress for the weather and bring a sweatshirt and raincoat just in case.
- To not blend in with the darkness, wear reflective clothing to protect you from collisions with cars, cyclists, and other runners.
- Another important thing is a shoe with good cushioning. Visibility in the dark is limited, so it will be straightforward to miss the hole and stumble.
- It is better to refuse headphones – the absence of environmental sounds will be confusing. Indeed, in the event of barking dogs, signals from cars and bicycles, you need to be on the alert.
- If possible, run in a group – the chances of getting lost or getting lost in this case will be less.
- Before jogging, be sure to do an excellent joint warm-up – in the dark, the risk of stumbling or twisting your leg increases.
You still need to learn how to run correctly.It happens that beginners, when they start jogging, face unpleasant consequences – various leg injuries.
The five most popular injuries
The leg “turned up.”
What happened?
Perhaps it is a sprain or a tear in the ligaments.
If the place quickly swells and there is sharp pain when moving – most likely, this is a rupture, you need to go to the hospital and do an MRI.
If the leg is not swollen, but there is discomfort, it is stretching. Apply a cooling bandage. You can use ointments. If the pain persists after a day, see your doctor.
How to avoid it?
At the initial stage, try to choose smooth tracks without prominent uneven terrain. Treadmills with a soft rubber coating for good cushioning are ideal.
Remember to lace up your shoes well from the bottom up to keep your foot from dangling.
Add ankle stabilizer exercises to your training plan for balance workouts on an unstable surface. A competent coach will help you with this.
Knee hurts during/after running.
What happened?
Knee pain can often occur if there is inflammation in the ligamentous apparatus or if the menisci are damaged. It can also be an exacerbated old injury or a new one, provoked by a shock load on the legs.
How to avoid it?
The reasons can be many, one of them is the wrong running shoes. Sneakers should be lightweight, aerodynamic, and breathe well. The outsole should be thick and absorb shock well. Therefore, choose the right shoes for your runs.
Flat feet and excess weight can also lead to knee pain. Because of them, the load on the joint is distributed unevenly. And can lead to wear and tear on its parts.
Pay attention to your running technique. If you run incorrectly, the load on the joints will be unevenly distributed, which will lead to injuries.
“Dull” pain in the area of the foot
It can appear in those who have not run for a long time. Most often, pain is localized between the heel and the base of the foot. It will pass after a while – most likely, your ligaments were not ready for such a load and were overtired.
How to avoid it?
If the pain persists, the arch of the foot hurts. Most likely, there is inflammation there. The main reasons are choosing a surface that is too hard and insufficient shock absorption of the shoe. The foot cannot withstand the load.
The main symptoms of inflammation are pain along the edge of the foot or in the heel area (worse in the morning), sometimes swelling in the foot.
Rest your ligaments and joints by choosing the proper footwear and running surface.
Lower back discomfort
Probably, the shock load provoked an injury associated with compression damage to the intervertebral discs. There could also be an old injury, protrusion, or hernia that worsened, or a new load provoked another injury.
How to avoid it?
To prevent such problems, if you suspect a protrusion or hernia, do an MRI and talk to your doctor about whether you should run. Be sure to wear shoes with good cushioning.
Periosteum hurts
The periosteum is the connective tissue that surrounds the bones on the outside. Typically, in runners, pain occurs due to overload and is localized in the lower leg.
Early symptoms:
- The pain is insignificant, concentrated in the inner part of the lower leg, more often on the border of the lower leg and calf muscles.
- The pain occurs at the beginning and the end of the workout. It is felt with pressure.
Symptoms in a neglected state:
- Feeling of pain and burning when walking and at rest.
- The pain can spread throughout the lower leg and radiate to the foot or thigh.
- The lower leg swells and turns red.
- The temperature rises.
How to avoid it?
Run in moderation! If you exercise too much, the muscles become “clogged” and become less elastic. In this state, they cannot absorb the shock load. It is transmitted to the ligaments and periosteum, which leads to microtrauma and inflammation.
Pay attention to your running technique. When running, the most common mistake from which the periosteum hurts is running on “toes.”
Injuries are caused by the inadequacy of your current physical form and the load that you are putting yourself on.
