Return to run
Come back from injury without re-injuring
Most re-injuries happen in the first 6 weeks back. The single biggest cause is ramping volume too fast — ignoring the ACWR safe zone of 0.8–1.3. Pick your injury for an evidence-based return plan, or use the calculator below for a generic safe ramp.
Stress fracture
Bone needs to remodel. Walking → walk-run → easy run progression with pain-free criteria at each stage. The most unforgiving running injury for athletes who rush.
Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain)
Most common running injury. Usually no full layoff needed — load reduction plus quad and glute medius strength. Return-to-run criteria: pain-free walking + squat.
Plantar fasciitis
Foot heel pain, worst in the morning. Eccentric calf raises, plantar fascia stretching, supportive shoes. Most don't need full layoff — pain-monitored running can continue.
IT band syndrome
Sharp pain on the outside of the knee, worst on downhills. Stop running until pain-free, then return. Glute medius strength is the long-term fix.
ACWR safe-return calculator
If you don't know your injury or you're returning from a non-specific layoff (illness, travel, life), this is the generic safe ramp. It respects the ACWR ≤ 1.3 ceiling and ramps 10% per week.
Tornare a correre dopo uno stop è il momento in cui gli atleti si infortunano di nuovo più spesso. Il modello ACWR (rapporto carico acuto:cronico) tiene il carico settimanale sotto la soglia di rischio di 1,3. Inserisci i tuoi dati — genereremo una progressione conservativa di 8 settimane.
Quanto correvi a settimana prima di fermarti.
Compresa la settimana in cui ti sei fermato. 0 se hai corso questa settimana.
La tua progressione di rientro in 8 settimane
Corri solo a ritmo facile. Ogni uscita inizia e finisce con 5 minuti di cammino. Se il dolore aumenta durante o dopo la corsa, ripeti la settimana precedente — non avanzare.
| Settimana | Km totali | Per uscita | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 km | 2 km/uscita | Intervalli cammino-corsa; molto conservativo. |
| 2 | 9 km | 2 km/uscita | Intervalli cammino-corsa; molto conservativo. |
| 3 | 10 km | 2 km/uscita | Corsa continua a ritmo facile. |
| 4 | 11 km | 3 km/uscita | Corsa continua a ritmo facile. |
| 5 | 12 km | 3 km/uscita | Ti stai avvicinando al carico pre-infortunio. |
| 6 | 13 km | 3 km/uscita | Ti stai avvicinando al carico pre-infortunio. |
| 7 | 14 km | 4 km/uscita | Ti stai avvicinando al carico pre-infortunio. |
| 8 | 16 km | 4 km/uscita | Ti stai avvicinando al carico pre-infortunio. |
Questo piano rispetta il tetto ACWR ≤ 1,3. Se progredisci più in fretta, il rischio di ricaduta raddoppia secondo la letteratura pubblicata.
Related tools and reading
Want your return ramp adjusted to your real data?
SportPlan reads your HRV and prior load history — and adjusts the ramp when you're not recovering as expected. See your first week before you pay. €9.99/month, cancel anytime.
Educational content based on peer-reviewed sports-medicine literature. Not a substitute for in-person evaluation by a sports physician or physiotherapist. If pain persists, worsens, or shows red flags, seek professional care.
Methodology designed by Ramon Curto, MSc Exercise Physiology
Ramon Curto designed SportPlan's endurance-training methodology from exercise-physiology principles. SportPlan applies it autonomously to the information you enter and the data you choose to connect; it is not ongoing one-to-one coaching or medical care.
Last revised July 2026
- MSc Exercise Physiology
- Endurance-training methodology
- Connected training-data analysis
- Block periodization · Polarized training