The best way to treat injuries is to avoid getting them in the first place. A few simple, preventative measures will ensure you are able to run consistently without getting injured.

A good warm-up improves your performance and reduces the risk of injury. When preparing for exercise, the aim is to elevate your body temperature, increase your heart rate and improve the blood flow to the muscles. The most efficient way to do this is with 5-10mins of gentle jogging followed by gentle stretching of your body’s major muscles, prior to your run.

Make sure you are training in the right kind of shoes for your running style. Visit a specialised running shop to get your running technique analysed. Your biomechanical running style will dictate the amount of support and cushioning that you need in a running shoe and running in the right shoe with the correct support should prevent injury.

Try and run on different surfaces to experience a mixture of soft and hard grounds. By running both off and on road your muscles get a chance to adapt to various terrains, making them more resilient.

Get enough rest from training because without it, your body can’t adapt to the training loads you place upon it. Increase your mileage gradually to avoid overloading your muscles and to prevent injury.

Make sure you stretch again after your run. Stretch slowly and gently to the point of tension and hold each stretch for at least 30secs.

Get regular massage. Prevention is better than cure so get the muscles loosened off with a deep tissue massage every 4-6 weeks and take the heaviness and tiredness out of your legs.