Q I’m just about to return to running after three months out with a lower-back injury (disc and sacro-iliac joint problems). What sort of training should I do to return to running fitness without risking more injury?A When returning to training

will be drenched with sweat. More important, several studies suggest that if you do these aerobic alternatives properly and with enough intensity, they can maintain and even increase your fitness level.Even so, it's mindless, boring stuff, so treat your cross-training

health and as a substitute for running during injury phases. It's a rare runner today who doesn't employ some cross-training.Participating in another sport a couple of times a week gives your feet and legs a welcome respite from the constant pounding

in perspective. It's probably not terminal. By all means get angry and fed up - and if it was overtraining that led to the injury, learn the lesson! But there are other things in life. Do them for a while.Cross-train. It's unlikely that your running injury

to cope better with the abnormal forces running places on your body.ImpactAvoid hard-soled shoes and concrete as these will throw upwards any difference in leg length, tilting your pelvis. Instead, try to run on grass or a treadmill. Cross-train with low

. The quadriceps, on the front of the thigh, comprises four muscles that extend and stabilise the knee and decelerate the forces of impact when the foot lands.Unlike most muscles, the hamstrings and the quadriceps cross two joints – the hip and knee – which means

. The quadriceps, on the front of the thigh, comprises four muscles that extend and stabilise the knee and decelerate the forces of impact when the foot lands.Unlike most muscles, the hamstrings and the quadriceps cross two joints – the hip and knee – which means

all lead to bursitis.Seeing a pattern? Yes, for these issues, the root is usually the same: too much, too soon. But if you’ve trained by the book and haven’t broken any injury-prevention rules, it would be worth seeing a podiatrist who’s clued up

and perhaps a dose of cross-training. But some injuries prove stubborn. They don’t clear up; or if they do, they swiftly recur. If this happens you may start to think about seeing a medical specialist. But which one? There’s an array of specialists around

of an impediment than a virtue. When you are building up to a longer race or coming back from injury, the temptation is to do it too rapidly.Prevention: Increase your mileage by no more than 10 per cent per week. 9. Not allowing yourself enough recovery timeTraining