Running is one of the easiest forms of exercise, requiring only work-out wear and commitment. These days running is the preferred method of staying healthy and engaging in sports for millions of people around the world. Before you start running regularly, however, you should test your fitness level. Just like from time to time we must take the car to the garage to check how the suspension, braking or steering system works, we should do the same with our body, whether or not we are engaged in sports, says Dr Remigiusz Rzepka, specialist in physiotherapy and rehabilitation at enel-sport, and a member of the medical staff of the Polish national football team for many years. Checking your musculoskeletal system is absolutely essential for running.

What tests are recommended for runners?

Before beginning regular running sessions it is important to check your range of motion, coordination and range of strength. – When it comes to runners, in addition to assessing the fitness level, i.e. determining the basic threshold parameters and level of fitness, we also want to check the strength and coordination of the lower and upper extremities to ensure optimal training results, says the enel-sport specialist. The test results are used to create a training plan that will allow the runner to train efficiently and safely.

Tests for runners: what to do to avoid injury?

Beginner runners who, in good faith, set off on cross-country paths without preparation and appropriate tests are exposed to strains and injuries. Bad motor habits, even minor unhealed injuries, or an overly ambitious training plan can be dangerous. – Often, neglect in terms of movement, coordination or strength combined with intense training can lead to strains, which we want to counteract through tests that allows you to safely progress to a more intense workout, regardless of your goal, stresses Dr Rzepka. Exercise gives you a lot of pleasure and satisfaction and ensures good physical health, but you want make sure that it results in progress and better health, not in painful injuries. Start with tests.