Ration your passion to reduce injuries

A love of running is great, but when that love tips over into obsession, one of the results is often injury. Now, a new study1 has revealed the price runners pay when their hobby becomes an obsession.

The researchers looked at 246 recreational runners to discover how a person’s mental outlook affects their risk of running-related injuries. They found runners who were ‘obsessively passionate’ (eg the sport controlled their life to the detriment of partners and friends) reported far more running-related injuries than those who were more ‘harmoniously passionate’ and laid-back in their approach to running. In short: keep your running in perspective and you’re more likely to avoid a lengthy stretch on the sidelines.