We’ve looked at why people run, what motivated them to start, and what goes through their mind whilst running. But what about their bodies? Mental rewards, fun, and stress-relief may well be highly motivating factors, but for the most part, it’s all about the body: getting fit, losing weight, doctor’s orders, and improving performance for other sports. These are the advantages of running. But there are disadvantages too: physical ones. So what do European runners do to prevent injuries that come with running? What do they blame these injuries on? And where do they hurt?
One-fifth of British runners never take precautions against injuries, and yet they are the second lowest amount of runners with a current injury (33%). The British runner is the second most serious nation about warming up as a method of injury-prevention (with 72% practicing this precaution) and cooling down (51%). More than any other nation, British runners blame their injures on their running style (21%) and the wrong type of clothing/socks (16%).