Let’s be honest — running injury prevention in Pewaukee isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about. Most runners come see us after they’ve already gotten hurt. But once they do, they often keep working with us — even after the injury is gone.
Why? Because preventing injuries also helps you run better. Performance and injury prevention go hand in hand. If you improve one, the other gets better too.
In this blog, we’ll talk about the two main reasons runners around Pewaukee get hurt in the foot or lower leg. We’ll also bring up a topic that can spark debate — heel strike vs. midfoot vs. forefoot. And yes, sometimes a heel strike is actually the better choice for running injury prevention in Pewaukee.
Let’s dive in!
Develop Adequate Strength In Your Lower Leg
One big reason runners get hurt is that their legs aren’t strong enough — especially for how much running they do. Running is a sport where you do the same thing over and over again. That repetition can wear things down if your muscles can’t keep up.
Mobility is important, sure. But strength and endurance matter more when it comes to running injury prevention in Pewaukee.
Achilles Strength
Your Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel. It’s one of the most important spots to build strength — but many runners ignore it.
Here’s a simple test we use:
Stand on a step with your heel hanging off. Can you do 20 single-leg heel raises without your calf burning too much? If you run 10–20 miles per week, that’s the goal. If you run marathons or long races, shoot for 30.
Achilles Strength for Running Injury Prevention
We test your heel raises two ways:
- With your knee straight
- With your knee bent
Why both? Because your calf has two main muscles: the soleus and the gastrocnemius. One crosses the knee (gastroc) and one doesn’t (soleus).
- Your soleus helps during long, easy runs.
- Your gastroc kicks in when you run fast, go uphill, or do sprints.
If you’re running for fun around Pewaukee, you need soleus strength. If you’re training for a marathon or more, train both for the best running injury prevention results.
Tibialis Posterior Strength
If you’ve ever had shin splints, this muscle might be the reason. The tibialis posterior helps control how much your foot flattens when it hits the ground.
If this muscle isn’t strong enough, it gets pulled on — over and over again — until it gets sore and inflamed. If your Achilles is fine but your shin or arch hurts, this muscle is often the problem.
You can test this at home using a resistance band:
This small exercise can make a big difference in your running injury prevention in Pewaukee.
Utilizing a Heel Strike for Running Injury Prevention in Pewaukee
We know this might sound surprising — but a heel strike can actually help prevent injuries.
There’s a lot of advice online saying you should switch to a midfoot or forefoot strike to avoid injuries. That’s part of the whole barefoot running trend.
But, research tells us something different.
Changing your strike style doesn’t stop injuries. It just changes where the injury shows up.
- If you land on your midfoot or forefoot, you’re more likely to have foot or lower leg injuries.
- If you land on your heel, you’re more likely to have knee or hip injuries.
So, if you keep getting hurt in your foot or lower leg, switching to a heel strike might help. It’s not better or worse — it’s just a different way to spread out the impact.
Work with Us in Pewaukee for Running Injury Prevention
Struggling with a foot or lower leg injury during your runs around Pewaukee?
Let’s fix that. At Resilience RX, we help runners at all levels — from couch-to-5Ks to ultra-marathons. And we love working with people who want to run strong and stay injury-free!
The first step is a simple 15 minute phone call. We’ll talk through your symptoms and let you know if we can help. If we can’t, we’ll point you to someone who can.
Managing running injuries doesn’t have to be confusing — and you don’t have to figure it out alone!
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