The Most Overrated Running Advice & What to do Instead

Runners hear a lot of advice. I get to hear all about it in clinic every week.

Some of it is helpful.

A lot of it sounds right.

And some of it sticks around long after it should.

Most of the time the advice is meant to help and not hurt from training partners, friends, people who have been in your shoes (okay their shoes, but you know what I mean) BUT general advice doesn’t usually address what you have going on. It might feel like a good idea, but it might also make things worse or do absolutely nothing.

Here are some common things I here patients say that are neccessarily wrong, but the advice could be better...

“You need to stretch more.”

This is usually the first recommendation people get when they feel tightness. Logically it makes sese, if something feels tight then you stretch it.

But a lot of the time, that “tightness” isn’t coming from a muscle that’s too short. It’s coming from a muscle that’s working harder than it should be—often because something else isn’t doing its job.

Stretching can change how it feels for a short period of time. It doesn’t change why it showed up in the first place.

That’s why a lot of runners stretch consistently and still deal with the same issue.

What to do instead: Stretching can be a great starting place and part of the program but it shouldn't end there. Look at why that area of your body is working so hard. Build strength and control through that region and the areas around it. If something keeps feeling tight, it usually needs support not more pulling.

“Just run more miles.”

Mileage builds fitness. That part is true.

But there’s a tipping point where more volume stops helping and just adds stress.

Running is only one piece of the load your body is dealing with. Sleep, stress, nutrition, strength training, work/lif balance, all of it counts as load. The body doesn’t separate those things the way a training plan does.

You might be doing enough, but are running into issues because the load you're applying doesn’t match what your body can currently handle.

What to do instead: Progress mileage with intent. Pay attention to how your body is responding, not just what the plan says. Consistency across weeks matters more than pushing volume in any single one.

“180 cadence is the goal.”

This one has been around for a long time.

The 180 number came from elite runners during races, not from a standard that applies to everyone. Most runners naturally fall below that, and forcing it tends to feel unnatural pretty quickly.

There is research showing that a small increase in cadence, around 3-5% can reduce load on certain areas like the knee. That’s very different from chasing a fixed number .

When cadence changes are useful, they’re small and specific not a universal rule.

What to do instead: Use cadence as a tool to make adjustments, not a target. If something feels off or you’re dealing with pain, small adjustments can helpbut they should feel natural and be tied to a reason, not a number. Also don't increase your cadence too much or too quickly. 3-5% is plenty.

“If it hurts, stop running.”

This sounds simple. It just doesn’t hold up in practice.

As I talked about in my last blog, pain doesn’t automatically mean injury. Pain is an output of the nervous system—it’s influenced by load, fatigue, stress, and previous experience, not just tissue damage (Moseley, 2007; Butler & Moseley, 2013).

If runners stopped every time something felt off, consistency would be almost impossible.

At the same time, ignoring pain completely doesn’t work either.

What matters is how it behaves. Pain that builds, lingers, or changes how you move carries a very different meaning than general soreness or fatigue.

What to do instead: Pay attention to the patterns and signals your body is giving you. If pain is worsening, changing your stride, or sticking around, adjust your training early, don’t wait until it forces you to stop.

“Rest will fix it.”

Rest changes symptoms.

It doesn’t change the reason those symptoms showed up.

Things often feel better after a few days off. Then running starts again, the same stress is applied, and the same issue comes back.

That cycle is common.

Nothing actually changed except a short break.

What to do instead: First, make sure you have enough rest built in your schedule to recover. Then address the root cause at the same time. Strength, mobility, and load management are what keep issues from coming back.

A lot of running advice focuses on one variable at a time stretch more, run more, rest more, change your cadence.

Running doesn’t work in isolation like that.

The body is always responding to the combination of load, movement, and recovery. When something starts to feel off, it’s usually not just because one piece is missing it is a combination of factors. So when you need advice its okay to ask your training partners and friends, but be aware that the advice they give you is based on their body and their experience. You are different and your needs are too. Find experts that get running (just like our experts on the RUNsource app) so you can get what you actually need.

#runningapp #runningmedicine #runninginjury #runningadvice