A data-backed guide to staying injury-free this season
Spring is officially here in Princeton and Somerville, which means one thing for many people: it’s running season again. But every year, our team at Progression Physical Therapy of Princeton and Progression Physical Therapy of Somerville sees the same preventable spike in spring injuries.
Below are the top mistakes backed by real research — plus easy fixes to help you stay healthy and active all spring.
🌱 1. Increasing Mileage Too Quickly
Sudden spikes in training load are the #1 risk factor for running injuries.
The data:
- Up to 70–79% of runners are injured each year (van Gent et al., 2007).
- A study of 874 runners found that increasing weekly mileage by >30% nearly tripled injury risk compared to a <10% increase (Nielsen et al., 2014).
- Tibial stress fractures spike in spring months as training load rises (Warden et al., 2014).
What to do:
Follow the 10% rule and schedule recovery weeks every 3–4 weeks.
🌤️ 2. Ignoring Mobility After a Winter of Sitting
Most people move less in winter — and the research supports it.
The data:
- Americans sit an average of 6.5 hours per day, but winter activity levels drop by up to 30% (Togo et al., 2005).
- Sedentary time reduces ankle dorsiflexion, increasing Achilles and knee injury risk (Hoch et al., 2012).
- Calf muscle weakness has been linked to 4x higher odds of Achilles tendinopathy (Van der Plas et al., 2012).
What to do:
Perform a quick 5–8 minute mobility warmup:
- Hip openers
- Ankle mobility
- Calf activation
- Light jogging or jump rope
🌼 3. Skipping Strength Training (the Most Common Mistake)
Weather gets nicer → people run more → strength training disappears.
But strength is your injury-prevention superpower.
The data:
- Strength training reduces sports injuries by up to 66% (Lauersen et al., 2014).
- Runners who strength train improve running economy by 2–8% (Beattie et al., 2017).
- Hip and knee weakness is linked to patellofemoral pain, one of the most common spring injuries (Powers, 2010).
What to do:
Commit to 2 strength sessions/week, focusing on:
- Deadlifts
- Split squats
- Step-downs
- Lateral hip strength
🌬️ 4. Training Through Early Spring Allergies
New Jersey’s early-spring pollen can significantly impact performance.
The data:
- Seasonal allergies can reduce lung function by up to 20% (NACA, 2020).
- People with uncontrolled allergies have a 2x higher rate of exercise-related respiratory symptoms (Timmreck et al., 1990).
- Pollen counts in NJ spike as early as late February through April (NJDEP Air Quality Reports, 2023).
Why does this matter?
When breathing becomes harder, your mechanics change — which increases injury risk.
What to do:
Check pollen levels, warm up longer, and avoid peak pollen mornings when possible.
🌸 5. Forgetting to Recover
With warmer weather, runners get excited and train too often.
But recovery is where the adaptations actually happen.
The data:
- Inadequate recovery increases soft-tissue injury risk by 31–40% (Clarsen et al., 2015).
- Sleep under 7 hours/night increases injury risk by 1.7x in athletes (Milewski et al., 2014).
- Hydration deficits as small as 2% of body weight reduce performance and increase fatigue (Casa et al., 2010).
What to do:
Weekly recovery day
Daily walking & stretching
Fuel with adequate calories
Hydrate early and often
⭐ Want a Strong, Pain-Free Spring?
If you’re feeling tight, overworked, or unsure how to train safely this season, our team at both Progression Physical Therapy locations can help.
We offer spring-specific:
- Injury prevention programs
- Running gait assessments
- Mobility and strength evaluations
- Customized performance plans
Find us at:
- Progression Physical Therapy of Princeton
- Progression Physical Therapy of Somerville
📞 Call to Action
Don’t let spring injuries slow you down.
Schedule your appointment today at www.progressionpt.com and start the season strong, confident, and pain-free.
📚 References
Beattie, K., Carson, B. P., Lyons, M., & Kenny, I. C. (2017). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine.
Casa, D. J., et al. (2010). National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes. Journal of Athletic Training.
Clarsen, B., et al. (2015). The prevalence and impact of overuse injuries in five Norwegian sports. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
Hoch, M. C., et al. (2012). Ankle dorsiflexion affects movement patterns and injury risk. Journal of Athletic Training.
Lauersen, J. B., et al. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Milewski, M. D., et al. (2014). Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased injury in adolescent athletes. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.
Nielsen, R. O., et al. (2014). Excessive progression in weekly running distance increases injury risk. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
Togo, F., et al. (2005). Seasonal variation in daily physical activity. Journal of Epidemiology.
Van der Plas, A., et al. (2012). Calf weakness and Achilles tendinopathy. American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Warden, S. J., et al. (2014). Stress fractures: Epidemiology and risk factors. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
