Contents
Injury Prevention Checklist
A comprehensive prehab and injury prevention protocol for runners. Track your strength work, mobility, and recovery habits to stay healthy.
Running Injury Prevention Checklist
Week of: ___
Daily Habits
Pre-Run
☐ Adequate sleep (7+ hours) last night? ☐ Well-hydrated before running? ☐ No acute pain or concerning soreness? ☐ Dynamic warm-up if doing quality work? ☐ Appropriate shoes for today's run?
Post-Run
☐ Proper cool-down (walking, easy movement)? ☐ Rehydrated adequately? ☐ Ate within 60 minutes of hard/long runs? ☐ Noted any new aches or concerns?
Weekly Strength Routine
Complete 2-3 sessions per week. Check off exercises as completed.
Lower Body Strength (Choose 3-4 per session)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squats | 3 × 8-10 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 3 × 8-10 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Single-Leg Deadlifts | 3 × 8 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Lunges (forward or reverse) | 3 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Step-Ups | 3 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Calf Raises (eccentric) | 3 × 15 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Hip Thrusts | 3 × 12 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Single-Leg Squats | 3 × 8 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Core Stability (Choose 3-4 per session)
| Exercise | Sets × Duration | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plank | 3 × 30-60 sec | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Side Plank | 3 × 30 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Dead Bug | 3 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Bird Dog | 3 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Pallof Press | 3 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Mountain Climbers | 3 × 20 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Bicycle Crunches | 3 × 20 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Glute Bridge (single leg) | 3 × 12 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Hip Strength (Critical for runners)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clamshells | 3 × 15 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Side-Lying Leg Raises | 3 × 15 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Monster Walks | 3 × 20 steps | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Fire Hydrants | 3 × 12 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Hip Circles | 2 × 10 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Standing Hip Abduction | 3 × 12 each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Weekly Mobility Routine
Complete daily or at minimum 4-5 times per week.
Hip Mobility
| Exercise | Duration | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hip flexor stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Pigeon pose | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Figure-4 stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 90/90 hip stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Leg Mobility
| Exercise | Duration | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamstring stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Quad stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Calf stretch | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| IT band foam roll | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Ankle/Foot
| Exercise | Duration | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ankle circles | 10 each direction | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Toe spreads | 10 × 5 sec hold | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Arch massage (ball) | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Weekly Foam Rolling / Self-Massage
| Area | Duration | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quads | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Hamstrings | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Calves | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| IT Band | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Glutes | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Hip flexors | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Adductors | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Plantar fascia | 60 sec each | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Training Load Monitoring
Weekly Check-In
Current weekly mileage: **__** miles
% change from last week: **__**% (Keep under 10% increase)
Long run this week: **__** miles (Should be 25-35% of weekly total)
Quality sessions this week: **__** (1-2 max for most runners)
Overall fatigue (1-10): **__**
Muscle soreness (1-10): **__**
Sleep quality this week (1-10): **__**
Red Flags (Check if present)
☐ Mileage increased > 10% from last week ☐ Two hard workouts in a row ☐ Less than 6 hours sleep multiple nights ☐ Running through pain that worsens during run ☐ Ignoring persistent niggles (> 3 days) ☐ Racing when not recovered from training ☐ Skipping strength work for 2+ weeks
If 2+ red flags checked: Consider scaling back training this week.
Common Problem Areas
Track any recurring issues:
| Area | Last flare-up | Current status (1-10) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knees | |||
| Shins | |||
| Calves | |||
| Achilles | |||
| Plantar fascia | |||
| Hamstrings | |||
| Hip flexors | |||
| IT band | |||
| Lower back | |||
| Other: |
When to Take Action
Mild (1-3): Continue training, extra foam rolling/stretching Moderate (4-6): Reduce volume, skip quality work, address daily Significant (7-8): Take 2-3 days off running, cross-train if pain-free Severe (9-10): Stop running, see a professional
Recovery Habits Tracker
| Habit | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ hours sleep | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Adequate hydration | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Post-run nutrition | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Foam rolling | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Stretching | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Strength work | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Shoe Rotation
| Shoe | Purchase Date | Approximate Miles | Replace At |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400-500 mi | |||
| 400-500 mi | |||
| 400-500 mi |
Rotate shoes daily to vary stress on feet and legs.
Weekly Summary
What went well this week:
Areas needing attention:
Plan for next week:
Template from trainingplan.dev