9 Of Life's Most Important Questions Answered By Science

5. How Do You Cure A Stitch?

You've limbered up, double-bowed your sneakers and set out for a run - you're doing everything right - and how does the universe repay you for trying to get healthy? BAM, crippling pain in the ribs.

Perhaps it's a sign that you should go home and eat some ice cream, but if you're really committed to the whole running thing, then you'll need a way to overcome the dreaded runner's stitch.

We're not super-certain what causes stitches, or Transient Abdominal Pain if you wanna get fancy. It's thought that the repeated strain on internal ligaments causes the pain, but which ligament differs from person to person.

The main culprit is thought to be when your breathing synchronises with your pace, meaning that you might always breathe out when your right foot strikes the ground and this puts unequal force on your internal structures. Changing your pace and your breathing should help ease the pain, and keeping your abdominals engaged while your run should prevent it occurring in the first place.

Either that or just take it as a sign from the universe and get an Uber.