Ankle pain running is very common. Your ankles take the brunt of your weight as you run. On top of that, it takes a lot of pressure as you push off the ground to keep going. Your bones and tendons jamming every step of the way as you push yourself to complete your targets.

While this is a common injury, it doesn’t mean you have to learn to live with it. In order to prevent ankle pain running, whether during or after, the first thing to acknowledge are the causes.

Causes of Aching Ankles

Why do ankles hurt when running? There can be several factors that lead to the pain. This includes:

You don’t Stretch

Ankle pain after running, or even during, happens a lot if you don’t stretch. Stretching is the process of preparing your muscles and tendons for the upcoming physical exercise. It adds mobility, flexibility, and durability which is why it’s important to keep doing this before and even after your run.

Wrong Foot Landing

Every person runs a bit differently depending on their body and proportions. But generally speaking, you would want your foot to land close to a flat as possible.

Try to notice how your foot lands when you run. If your toes point upwards and your heel strikes hard, this can lead to your ankle pain running. This can potentially lead to other injuries as well.

You Run Too Much

Love doing a marathon? Or even just a half-marathon every now and then? This could be the cause of your ankle pain.

Running too much without letting your body rest can easily lead to injuries. Too much running and exercise is actually the most common reason for injuries and pain in your body.

Wrong Shoes

Another culprit for ankle pain is not having the right support as you run. If you wear the wrong running shoes, this can easily injure and hurt your ankles. Make sure you get a pair that is specifically designed for running and is exactly your size.

Preventing Ankle Pain Running

As they say, prevention is always better than the cure; this is true with ankle pain running as well. In order to prevent this, you’ll have to avoid the causes mentioned above and remember these.

Stretching

As mentioned earlier, if you don’t stretch, you will be running on stiff muscles and this can lead to pain and injuries. You should ideally do stretches before and after your run to keep the muscles and tendons strong.

Quadriceps Stretch

This stretch covers the majority of the muscles at the front and even sides of your thighs.

To do this:

1. Stand straight
2. Bend one of your knees as you stand straight so your heel goes to your buttocks
3. Use your hand to pull the shin closer to your thighs
4. Hold this for at least 30 seconds and repeat for the other leg

Remember to keep your bended knee pointing down when doing this stretch.

Calf Stretch

This is a key stretch for your lower legs, especially after a run.

To do this:

1. Stand with one foot behind your other foot
2. Now start to bend the front leg while keeping the back leg straight
3. You should feel the stretch close to the calf of the back leg
4. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat for the other leg

When doing this, remember to keep both feet flat on the ground. At the same time, be mindful not to bend the back leg’s knee.

Hamstring Stretch

This stretches the muscle at the back of your thigh.

To do this:

1. Sit on the ground with one leg outstretched forward
2. Bend your other leg so that its foot touches the inner thigh of the outstretched leg
3. Slowly lean forward and reach for the toes of your outstretched leg
4. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat for the other leg

You should feel the stretch at the back of your leg during this. Remember not to pull on your toes though.

Proper Running Form

The proper running form is ideal to avoid ankle pain running. The correct form allows you to run more efficiently and get the most out of your energy. But most of all, this allows you to avoid injuries.

Rest and Recover

When it comes to running and exercising as a whole, a huge part of that is to allow your body to recover. Whenever we train, the muscles take some beating and can get swollen. If you continue pushing yourself with swollen muscles, this can lead to injuries.

The goal of training and exercising is to get in better shape, become healthier. However, if you overexert yourself and forget to rest, you can get injured. If you get injured, you won’t be able to train. If you’re not able to train, your progress will be set back.

Another point to consider is to train with what you can and don’ overexert yourself. If you’ve just begun running 3 to 5KMs, don’t suddenly get up and run a marathon. Take your time and make sure your body adapts to your training.

So for next week, when planning your workout routine, remember to put in at least one day for recovery. Your body will thank you for it.