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As most of you will know I love to exercise! In the past I have been a committed runner and now I enjoy more strength training and yoga. Unfortunately a love of exercise does come with the risk of injury which I have experienced while training for half marathons. I found this frustrating but I think this was an important learning experience for me. These tips are primarily relevant for running, but can be applied to most forms of exercise:

• Make sure you have the right footwear – if you are training for a race or running more than a couple of miles a week make sure you get your gait checked!
• Stretch – properly stretching after any form of exercise is really essential but even more important after running. Try adding a foam roller to your routine for a ‘home sports massage’
• Make sure that you give yourself time to recover between workouts and be honest with yourself about overtraining. Are you constantly aching or feeling exhausted? Then perhaps it’s time to ease off.
• Listen to your body! –We all have different bodies and for some people they can run 40 miles a week and be fine, but for others that just isn’t right for their body. My body simply cannot run at a certain intensity without risking injury.

If you do get injured, rest! In the past I’d continued to try and push through injuries and it was only when I gave my body the rest it needed that it finally healed.

AXA PPP healthcare are hosting a live web chat on sports injuries on Thursday 23rd August between 3 and 5pm which you can find here. The chat is being hosted by Dr Alasdair Wright, a health expert and GP.

You can access the chat live on the day or forward your questions through Facebook or Twitter. If you miss the chat you can still access information on the be healthy section of the AXA PPP healthcare website, including warm up guides and exercises – the guide on sports injuries is brilliant!

This is a fantastic opportunity to discuss any injury worries with an expert. My question to Dr Wright is:

‘How can I still work my legs in strength training without aggravating my knees and IT band?’

What has been your experience of injuries? Are you very good at listening to your body?

*Post sponsored by AXA PPP healthcare, all content and opinions are my own