Most runners feel a small ache now and then. The hard part is knowing what to do about it.
Listen before you run
Check in with your body before the session, for example with an easy movement you know well. If it feels worse than usual, make the session shorter and easier, or take a rest day.
When to hold back and get it checked
If the pain is strong, changes your stride, keeps getting worse while you run, or comes with swelling, stop for the day. The same goes for pain you do not know the cause of. Then it is time to have it checked by a health professional before you keep running.
Small steps back
Holding back one day is rarely a loss. A shorter, easier week often gets you going again faster than pushing through.
Apps that help
PFU Running Coach lets you log how your body feels after each run, and ease off the day's session. Runna has a mode for easing off, and Toga lets you log niggles.
Apps in the comparison
Read next
- Return to running after injury: start smallComing back after an injury or a break? How to build up again without starting over, and which apps can help.
- What to look for in a running app when you are injury-proneNot all running apps care about your body. Five things to look for if you often get niggles or injuries.