. Avoid bed rest. Movement, even crawling on hands and knees, is better than inactivity. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain

with the results: “I’m training to run a marathon and have been increasing my weekly mileage to about 40 miles with no leg pain,” she says. Case Study TwoRob Watts had been running for more than 12 years before an old back injury he’d sustained playing cricket as a

is called the passenger unit and includes the spine, upper body, arms and head. These two units meet in the lower lumbar spine. Most injuries that are referred to as "simple back pain" are caused by strains and sprains. In our working lives, as well as our

Drugs don't workResist the reflex to reach for a bottle of ibuprofen to reduce swelling. "Killing pain is fine," says Andrew Pruitt, author of Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide for Cyclists, "but deflating inflammation during the initial stages of injury

) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain-free Curls and superheroes : back-strengthening exercises

that the only way is up.Stronger For LongerHill running offers a great total-body workout that will protect against stresses and strains. "I pick up fewer injuries when I train on hills," says Angela Mudge, Buff Skyrunner World Champion in 2006 and 2007. "The

then relax and repeat 10 times."Stress fractures A stress fracture is an overuse injury caused when muscles become tired and lose the ability to absorb the shock of your foot strike. "Foot pain that becomes worse and worse the further you run is a stress

. These will also help to reduce your risk of injury by fortifying your joints and protecting your legs from the repetitive pounding of training. If you are looking for a non-weight-based programme to build leg strength, head for the hills. Hill intervals are also

to create a more fluid, relaxed running style. Chi running is one technique that advocates smooth, relaxed and efficient running as the only way to become faster. Danny Dreyer, the author of Chi Running: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury

into racing, stay injury free and get my self-confidence back.How are other athletes dealing with the pressure of Olympic year?There’s a lot more pressure on British athletes this year. I know some swimmers who didn’t make the squad, which is so tough if you