Run Well by Juliet McGrattan (reading books for 5 year olds .TXT) 📕

– you never know when you might need to call for help. There are apps that allow friends and family to find your location, and even those that will send an alert to someone you nominate if you have been still for a certain period of time or you activate the call for help function. If you’re running alone, tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to get back.

• Remember to carry any medication that you might need during your run. Inhalers for asthma or glucose tablets for low blood sugars can usually fit into running kit pockets. Take your everyday medications regularly, as prescribed.

• Be aware that a change in dose of medication can sometimes affect the control of your medical condition. For example, a higher dose of blood pressure tablet can initially make you feel dizzy. Check with your doctor whether there are any likely side-effects and how these may affect your running. It may simply be a case of leaving a few days for things to settle before you run and then taking it slowly.

• Be prepared to be flexible and adapt your running plans to account for your medical condition. Cut back if you don’t feel on top form and see your nurse or doctor if you are unsure about any symptoms or side-effects.

Q Will running reduce my risk of cancer?

A While there’s no guarantee that if you run regularly you won’t get cancer, it’s important to know that it can reduce your risk of many types of cancer. To gain health benefits it’s recommended that people do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise – that’s exercise that makes you feel a bit out of breath. Running is classed as vigorous intensity exercise and the target for that is 75 minutes, which most runners fulfil easily in an average week. There may be increased benefits for exceeding that target for some cancers, but there are no clear guidelines yet. The type of risk reductions you can expect from running regularly throughout your life (not just a one-off 5km run) include: breast cancer – 20 to 30 per cent; colorectal cancer – 20 per cent; and bladder cancer – 20 per cent. Exercise is a powerful medicine. While we can’t change our genetics and other factors which determine our cancer risk, we can alter our lifestyles, and running fits the bill perfectly for an accessible and effective form of exercise. Exercise can also reduce the risk of certain cancers returning after treatment has been completed.

Did you know?

Exercise helps people with cancer tolerate the side-effects of cancer treatment, including fatigue, nausea and low mood. If they aren’t feeling up to running, then even a short walk can give benefits, so why not ask your friend with cancer if they fancy a stroll rather than a coffee?

Real-life runners

Exercise is a really effective tool to help maintain your strength, fitness and wellbeing, and to boost your confidence both during and after cancer treatment. At a time when you might feel that your medical team has more control over your life than you do, running and exercise is something you can control. The power of that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Helen Murray, cancer rehabilitation specialist, coach and podcaster

Running and injuries

Q How long should you have off running when you have an injury?

A The body has an amazing ability to repair itself. Everyone will heal at their own rate and recovery times vary from person to person. They also depend on which body tissues have been injured and how severely. The most frequent everyday injuries in runners are those that include muscles and ligaments. Pulled and torn muscles are called strains and overstretched ligaments are called sprains. As a very rough guide, you can expect to be off running for a week with a mild muscle strain and a month for a more severe one. Sprains take longer, so expect a month for a mild sprain and three to four months for a severe one. It’s incredibly frustrating to be injured and tempting to just carry on and run as soon as you can, but it’s vital to respect injuries and allow the body time to repair and strengthen the injured area. This will minimise the risk of re-injury.

When the acute pain has eased, start gently stretching and moving the injured area. If you’ve had a sprain, particularly a severe one, then you would benefit from seeing a physiotherapist to give you specific exercises to help strengthen the area and guide you back to running. You shouldn’t even consider running until you are pain free and can walk normally without discomfort. When you do restart then build up very gradually and be guided by how the injury feels. Any aching, twinges or increased swelling suggests you might need to cut back a bit or rest for a while longer. Patience is key!

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AT HOME

Using PRICE

Serious injuries where you’re unable to weight-bear, clearly have a broken bone or are in a lot of pain obviously need urgent medical assessment. Sometimes, however, you aren’t too sure of the severity or you’re confident that it’s a more minor injury and you want to treat it yourself. In this situation, follow PRICE for strains and sprains to reduce pain and help healing:

Protect Prevent any further injury to the area. Don’t try to carry on running. Phone for a lift or get assistance from a fellow runner.

Rest Don’t use the injured area. Use pain as your guide. If it’s hurting then don’t do it!

Ice Apply cold packs or ice to the area. Don’t put ice directly against the skin. Always wrap it in fabric such as a tea towel to prevent skin damage. Apply it for 15 minutes every two hours. Avoid applying heat to the area for 72 hours.

Compress Gently squeeze the injured area with a bandage. You can buy tubular elasticated bandages from the pharmacy. They’ll advise you as to which size and compression