12 Running Mistakes That Could Be Hurting Your Progress (or Your Body)

Every runner hopes to avoid injuries, boost their fitness and improve their overall health, but whether newbie or pro, all runners are vulnerable to missteps that can dash those goals. Don't fall prey to hubris.

"Any runner who reads the list of mistakes will agree with every tip the experts offer," says Matt Fitzgerald, sports nutritionist and author of The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition. "But there will be those who believe, with every fiber of their being, that they don't need to follow [the advice] because it just couldn't possibly apply to them."

Read on to make sure you're not sabotaging yourself with some of these common running mistakes.

Whether you're ramping up mileage or speed, doing too much too soon is one of the biggest causes of injury. Running statistics show that at least 50% of regular runners get injured each year, according to Yale Medicine.

While you may think that more always equals better, Jamie Glick, director of Glick Physical Therapy and a marathon runner, warns that increasing more than 10-percent each week puts you at a higher risk for injury and burnout.

A proper warm-up is essential to staying injury free, Mosier says. Before your run, perform dynamic warm-up drills (ones that involve movement), not static stretches (ones that you hold in place).

A 2013 review in the ‌Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports‌ found that static stretches can reduce muscle strength by nearly 5.5 percent (or more when a stretch is held longer), cut muscle power by two percent and reduce power by nearly three percent.

Just like anything else you use frequently, your running shoes get worn down over time, meaning they're not as supportive as they were when you first bought them. "Running in old shoes can lead to unnecessary pain or even injury," says Jamie Walker, the CEO and co-founder of SweatGuru.

Walker says that running shoes have a 300- to 500-mile lifespan at the most. "If you start to feel a difference in your tread, it's probably time to replace the shoes," she says.

If you're a runner, you run, right? But that shouldn't be all you do day after day. You need to mix up your workout routine to ensure that you're not neglecting any muscles. An unbalanced regimen can lead to muscle imbalances, and thus, injury.

"Runners are incredibly strong in one direction but are often weak and immobile in lateral movements and dorsiflexion, leading to problems with ankle stability, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, Achilles problems and more," says Matt Ferguson, co-inventor and CEO of AFX (Ankle Foot maXimizer).

Think of your body as a finely tuned machine. If you don't give it the proper fuel — or not fuel at all — your machine won't operate optimally. You either won't be able to run as fast, hit a wall halfway through or injure yourself.

"Eating a balanced diet will help ensure that you're able to meet your running and fitness goals," says Lora Mays, a Road Runners Club of America certified running coach.

Trainer Carl Ewald, race director for the ODDyssey Half Marathon, trained one runner who simply refused to stick to the training plan, instead running seven days a week and sometimes doubling the plan's mileage.

"Two years in a row he ended up injured and missed every race he trained for," he says. This year, however, he followed the plan and did amazingly well on his first half marathon, then went on to do great on the full marathon, Ewald says. "Overtraining is clearly one of the biggest things folks do to sabotage their training plans," he says.

It's true what they say about the comfort zone — nothing grows there. The same goes for your running. If you run the same 3-mile loop day after day, you're not going to see progress. "While it's good to have a favorite route, don't get stuck on it," Walker says.

Eventually, your body will adapt to your usual routine and you'll plateau. "Many runners like to get in the comfortable aerobic zone and cruise, causing the body to get more efficient and burn less calories," says personal trainer Andrew Chaddick of The Houstonian Club.

It may feel like contracting your shoulders and biceps as you pump your arms faster and faster will help you set a PR, but it's actually counterproductive. "Carrying tension in your shoulders and upper body wastes energy and slows runners down," Mosier says, urging runners to relax.

That's because, if you're expending energy keeping your upper-body muscles flexed, that's taking up energy that could be going to your legs, glutes and core.

Pounding the pavement may be runner speak for going for a run, but all that pounding isn't doing your body any favors. "Concrete, like that in sidewalks, is the least forgiving surface," Mosier says.

Chaddick agrees, adding, "Running on pavement is often repetitive and jarring." That can make you prone to shin splints or aches and pains in your ankles, knees or hips.

Watch how your foot hits the pavement as you land. Often, if your heel hits first, it's a sign that your hips are behind your feet and your foot is flexed too far. "It's essentially like putting on the brakes every time you move forward," Mosier says. "And it takes more effort to get your hips over your feet so you can properly push off."

Runners are often willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on the latest high-quality, high-tech equipment, Ferguson says, "but if you suggest they hire a running coach or go to a physical therapist to address biomechanical issues, the response is often that it's too expensive."

He compares it to a golfer who purchases the very best golf clubs available but spends nothing on lessons, then wonders why his game remains poor.

"It's important to set realistic goals for yourself," Walker says. "Don't overdo it, listen to your body and be kind to yourself."

Mays agrees, saying people often set unrealistic goals when they first start running. "They go from couch potato to hoping they can run a marathon in three months." And just like with adding too many miles too quickly (see #1 on this list), that's a recipe for injury and overtraining.