Calf, Achilles, knee, shin and hip trouble, back to running with a plan
Runners' injury rehab
For runners with an assessed injury: the strength work that running needs and rarely gets (calves, hips, single-leg control), a walk-run return built on time not pace, and the Saturday return-to-run group on the Bridgend recreation ground track.
Most running injuries are a load problem: too much, too soon, on tissue that was not strong enough. Rest settles the symptoms; strength and a sensible return stop them coming back. Ffion has been the injured runner and runs this side of the studio.
After the first session we know what your physio found, what your running looked like before it went wrong, and what you want to get back to. Then the strength work: calf raises until you can do plenty on one leg, step-downs, split squats, hip work and hops, progressed every week. Running comes back as walk-run on flat ground, built on minutes rather than pace, with a simple pain-monitoring rule so you know when to hold and when to move on.
The Saturday return-to-run group meets at 9am for runners in the last stage: forty minutes of drills and gentle intervals with Ffion, ending with a run you can manage. This is not a medical gait analysis; if your physio thinks you need one, they will refer you.
What it includes
- Strength for calves, hips and single-leg control
- Walk-run return built on time, not pace
- A simple pain-monitoring rule
- The Saturday return-to-run group
- Footwear and training-load advice
- Referral back if it is not settling
What it costs
£55 first session, then £45, eight for £320. The Saturday return-to-run group £12 a session. The stage checker gives a rough idea where you would start; the first session confirms it.
Questions about runners
Can I keep running while I rehab?
Sometimes, at a reduced amount, if your physio agrees and the pain rule allows. We will tell you what is sensible.
Do you do gait analysis?
Not a medical one. We watch you run and coach simple changes; a physio or podiatrist does clinical gait assessment.
After the physio, the long middle. We do that bit.
Book a first session: an hour, £55, with your physio's or GP's notes, simple tests, your stage and a written plan. If nobody has assessed the injury yet, we will tell you who can, and the referrals page lists practices we work with.