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Running and Injuries
Whether you are training for your first or your tenth marathon, or just starting to run, you need to incorporate a specific strengthening and stretching program into your fitness regime. 50% of runners are injured every year, 80% or injuries are from overuse- too much too soon.
The knee is injured most often. Muscle imbalances are often the culprit, as your core strength, hip musculature strength and length and thigh muscles all influence what occurs at the knee.
If your core is strong it enables you to transfer energy from your body to the pavement, optimizing your energy expenditure. It limits excessive movement going through the low back and the pelvis reducing extraneous movement.
Your hip muscles must have adequate strength to stabilize your pelvis each time your foot strikes the ground, preventing your pelvis from rocking side to side. If the muscles on the front of your hip are not flexible enough they will limit the amount of hip extension occurring, resulting in a short stride length and greater stress going through the back. This also can lead to IT Band Syndrome. A tight TFL muscle increases tension through the IT band, creating a friction syndrome on the outside of the knee which causes severe pain when bending and straightening the knee. This also pulls the knee cap to the outside creating pain under the knee.
If your gluteal muscles are weak and tight they don’t assist in propelling you forward and your hamstrings may have to pick up the slack. This causes chronic tightness and repetitive tears in the muscle. The hamstrings continue to overwork and the gluts get weaker.
Your VMO is a smaller quad muscle above your knee on the inside of your leg. It is responsible for the final ROM of straightening your knee. It must have sufficient strength to counterbalance your big strong quad muscles on the outside of your leg, otherwise your end up with pain on the inside and underneath the knee cap.
To rip it up on the hills, both your calf muscles need to be strong and flexible. They support your Achilles tendon, the strongest tendon in your body and permit adequate ankle range of motion to allow your foot to adapt to change in surfaces smoothly.
Whether you run for fun, or to win, it is important to analyze the whole picture. Specific strengthening and stretching is required to keep you running injury free. If you are neglecting this aspect of your training regime, not only are you reducing your efficiency, you are putting yourself at risk of an injury.
We do gait assessments and can provide you with stretches and strengthening exercises specific to your needs to make you a better runner.
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