Physics...Physiology...Physical Therapy

Hip flexibility and core efficiency

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We all want a strong core right? We can all agree that having a strong core is necessary for running efficiently. So does this mean that simply strengthening our abs will accomplish a finely tuned core? Or is it possible that other factors are involved in affecting your core’s function while running?

This brings us to Jacob. He is a superstar high school runner looking to make his form better and eliminate shin pain. In watching him run, his calves and shins do not jump out as the area needing the most improvement. Let’s see what he looks like initially.

What stands out most is the forward lean and side to side swagger of his upper body. What this indicates is that he is not using his hips and hamstrings properly during the loading phase of running. This is causing his core to work differently to absorb and rebound that load. Essentially his core is not able to function properly, and no amount of crunches or planks can overcome this pattern. In order to correct this pattern, he needs to have improved hamstring flexibility and improved loading through his gluts. Only then, will his core muscles be able to fire properly and work as it should to make him a better runner.

So, here’s what we did about it. First, a simple dynamic hamstring stretch. This could easily be done on a stair or bench if one’s available. A key component to this also (which Jacob is demonstrating so nicely!) is to keep the low back straight instead of rounding, this helps ensure that the movement comes from the hamstrings instead of the low back.

Next, a hip strengthening exercise to develop stability in a lengthened range. This element is critical for teaching the gluts to be strong while they’re being loaded. This exercise looks a little goofy, but it’s intended to be a modified version of a deadlift with a twist.

Next we did a few simple drills for his running form. First, he ran holding bricks out in front of him. What this does is increase the forward load, which forces the hamstrings and gluts to kick in more quickly and brings his upper body into a more upright position.

Next, he ran with the same bricks with his hands overhead. This forces his gluts to load more quickly while running in order to keep his core in a neutral position, essentially decreasing the side to side movement of his upper body.

So after all this, here’s the new and improved Jacob!

Unfortunately the video cut out a little too quickly, but there are improvements with his upper body. The side to side swagger is decreased which indicates that he is using his hips more effectively. He is also leaning forward less which indicates that his hamstrings are doing a better job of controlling the loading phase.

Again, at first glance it would be easy to conclude that he needs to do more core work, but if he’s not using his hips appropriately, his core will always be off balance. With constant attention to gaining flexibility in his hips and teaching them how to work correctly, this will make life happier for his core and translate into more efficiency with running. Great job Jacob!

Is your upper body necessary for running?

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We all want to run as efficiently as possible. In order to do this, we need to cut down on any movement that doesn’t contribute to our feet moving forward. Does this mean that arms and upper body movements should be minimal, or nil? Or does activity of our upper body contribute to the lower body?

This brings us to Tyler’s story. He is a high school runner looking to make a splash this fall in cross country. His coaches had been in touch with me about his form, more specifically that he seemed to have a lot of excess arm motion. By the time he and I were able to meet up, his form has improved a lot with utilizing some of the drills covered here, but appreciate the change would likely have been more dramatic if we were starting from scratch!

Here is footage of him initially.

Again, it’s not too dramatic at this point, but he has excessive upper body movement side to side (frontal plane), as well as an asymmetric arm swing. Is this affecting his efficiency? Or deeper still, are his arms tattling on issues further below? With excessive upper body movement, it’s usually a sign of core or hip weakness, so we need to sort that out more.

Here is a simple drill for testing hip stability with side to side movements. Notice that with landing on the right side, his hip stays more rigid, and doesn’t load as gracefully, than the left.

Here is a simple exercise to build strength in the hips during the loading phase of gait. As strength improves, it will make it easier to keep the upper body more efficient. He is holding bricks, but any object with a little weight will work!

We also used the bricks for form drills to increase the lever arm of his upper body. This forces his hips and core to dial in more effectively.

After all this, here is the new and improved Tyler!

Again, the change isn’t as dramatic as it would be, but there is still improvement. By teaching the hips to load properly and using the drills to force his core to stay more centered, his form is more efficient. The best way to tell is watching his arms, as well as hips and shoulders to contrast how much side to side movement is taking place.

In ideal running, there should be brief but minimal side to side movements. These should be taken care of in the hips and lower core. If the upper body has swaying side to side, it’s a good bet the hips are misbehaving. On the flip side, if we can use our upper bodies effectively, it can act as a lever to help propel our lower bodies, which will make as more efficient runners.

With further constant attention to these things, Tyler will continue to make excellent gains. Great job Tyler!

Hamstring tightness due to imbalance

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Tight hamstrings are a societal epidemic. Many people complain about this, especially as it affects low back pain. But what about running? Is hamstring flexibility needed for distance running? And what about those that regularly stretch their hamstrings, but still feel tight, what’s up with that? What are the underlying issues that contribute to tight hamstrings?

This brings us to Grant’s story. He is a former collegiate runner who is currently lighting up the 5k – half marathon scene. His left hamstring has been problematic for several years, mostly with the sensation of being tight, which seems to affect other areas as well. Let’s check out his running form initially. Please forgive the finger obstruction on many of the videos!

Overall, his form is pretty decent. Perhaps he’s been coached before, or perhaps he has good genes (not that a brother would be biased about that!). However, there are still improvements to be made. It’s subtle, but there is a slight wobble of his left knee and overall slowness to fully load the left leg during the landing/loading phase. This indicates that his gluts and hamstrings aren’t on the same page during the loading phase. It should be a team effort between the gluts and hamstrings, a synergy, and if it’s not perfectly graceful, this would be an example of an imbalance. Also, his hips and core generally appear rather tight and apprehensive. When considering movements of the hips and core, too much movement is not a good thing, but not enough can also be detrimental.

So, how do we tease that out. First, a single leg squat, but with a twist. Positioning his arms in these ways takes the gluts out of the picture, which places more emphasis on the quads and hamstrings. I assumed that we would see a big asymmetry with this, but his was definitely subtle. Doing squats this way helps to strengthen the quads and hamstrings in order to protect the knee when the gluts are distracted by something else (take note team sport athletes!)

Here’s a stretch for the gluts to get his hips more open.

Next, a high end hamstring strengthening activity. See my previous post on hamstring function for a more thorough dissertation. The important thing to consider is that the hamstrings need to stabilize the knee as well as help put the brakes on the upper body during the loading phase. So, here’s a way to emphasize that. He’s holding about 15 pounds, which is likely higher than most people will need!

Next, he did simple power skips to develop quickness of the load-to-push-off transition and get his arm swing more forward/backward.

Now we’re really having fun! Next he ran with the weight overhead. This places a huge load on the hips, forcing them to respond quickly to the landing phase.

But we can’t stop there, we also had him run with the weight overhead and to the side. When the weight is to the right, as in this video, it gives the left gluts an advantage and the right side a disadvantage. Essentially, this places more effort on the right hamstrings.

On the flip side, running with hands to the left places more effort on the left hamstrings. In this next video, his left knee looks more wobbly. So again, this helps confirm that imbalance between the gluts and hamstrings is an area he could improve on. Doing this as a drill helps teach the gluts and hamstrings to be comfortable working, even as the terrain or demands change.

So, after all this, here’s the new and improved Grant!

His left leg looks more stable and quick during the loading phase, which indicates that his hamstrings are working much better. His hips and core also look open and powerful which will help him use his abs and hips more efficiently. With constant attention to keeping the hamstring/glut relationship happy, this will make him more efficient and less injury prone. Great job Grant!

Use your core efficiently while running

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We all want to run as efficiently as possible. Regardless of your age, experience, or pace, increasing efficiency is beneficial for everyone. But what does that look like and how can it be done? It would be easy to conclude that minimizing all upper body movements would make for more efficient running. But the issue is a lot deeper than that. Simply put, all the muscles in your body will help with running. In order to most efficiently use all your muscles, they need to be loaded (lengthened) first in order to get the most out of them. Picture a slingshot, to get the most power out of it, you need to pull it back to unleash the elastic energy. Muscles work in a similar way. In order to get the most out of your hips and core, they need to be loaded through your upper body. So, running with minimal movement of your upper body is ultimately not the most efficient way to run.

This brings us to Erin’s story. She has completed several half marathons, 25k’s, and sprint triathlons. She doesn’t have pain or nagging issues which is great, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find something to improve! Here is video of her initially.

As you can see, there’s generally not a lot of motion in her upper body. At first glance it’s clear that she doesn’t waste energy with excessive arm and hip movements, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. But again, if we can get her using her upper body appropriately, it can enhance the power coming from her hips and lower core. There is a small asymmetry in her hips as well, with the left side slightly tighter than the right, which the next video also demonstrates.

When balancing on her left leg, her upper body doesn’t move quite as freely. This is also a good balance activity to restore symmetry.

Next we did power skips in order to improve knee drive and expand her arm swing forward.

Next, we did a cross over running drill. The goal of this is to force her hips and torso to rotate more, which will translate into greater recruitment of her core muscles.

Lastly, she ran with bricks overhead. This places more leverage on her lateral hips and core to strengthen them for the load-to-push-off transition.

After all this, here is the new and improved Erin!

After these drills, her form looks much more open. She is recruiting her core and hip muscles more effectively. Again, running is a whole body activity. The upper body works to provide leverage for the lower body. This requires movement, too much upper body movement can be indicative of deeper issues. Not enough upper body movement means the lower body is not getting the contribution it needs from above.

Erin has shown a good progression. With frequent attention in this area, she will make excellent gains in her form and efficiency. Great job Erin!

Fixing your overstride: should you focus on your feet?

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We can all agree that overstriding is a bad thing when it comes to running. Simply put, overstriding is when your foot lands too far in front of your hip at the moment of impact. So, the questions become, how do I know if I’ve overstriding? and how do I fix it if I am overstriding? It is very easy to want to focus on your feet, and perform drills to develop proper foot placement. These are often helpful, but what if the dysfunction is coming from somewhere else?

This brings us to Aaron’s story. He has run several marathons and is gearing up for another this fall. He is also eyeing a late summer triathlon. As we met up for our session, he remarked that he has had intermittent right medial knee pain with running. As our session started, it looked like hip strength/flexibility/efficiency was going to be the focus. A moderate overstride was present, but it didn’t appear to be the most critical element of his form. But at the end, with focusing on his hip function, the overstride diminished. Again, this wasn’t the initial goal, but the result was too cool not to bring attention.

Here is video of him initially.

One of the clues to look for if you suspect overstriding, is if you can see the bottoms of his feet while he is running toward you, then he is likely guilty. What else is present on the right side is a hard landing through his hip and slight toe-out. Essentially, if he’s not using his hip to absorb the landing adequately, combined with his foot turning out, extra stress is placed on the inside of his knee.

Another note on overstriding, when you do it, it increases the impact through your legs, hips, and core and doesn’t allow you to use muscles efficiently. On the flip side, if you can teach your hips to work more efficiently, this can cut down on your overstride, as we’ll see as Aaron’s story unfolds.

Here’s another assessment tool for hip stability, notice the position of his knee as he gets deeper into the squat. His right knee goes inward further than the left, which is a sign of poor stability in the right hip.

What to do about it? First an exercise to build strength/stability in the hip, again notice it’s more of a struggle on the right side.

Also, a simple stretch for the gluts.

Next, we went caveman style to build further hip strength and quickness of load/response. Holding weight overhead forces his hips to work harder to load and push-off.

We also transferred that into a form drill. Notice the overstriding is already going away!

After all this, here is footage of him running.

Again, the overstriding is greatly diminished and he looks much more efficient through his hips and upper body. As mentioned above, if you can see the bottoms of his feet as he’s running toward you, that’s not a good thing, and he looks much better with this after doing the exercises. Also, notice his toe out is decreased.

So, the take home message here is that the area with the greatest flaw in form may not be the place to start correcting it.

With constant attention to these areas, it will make a huge difference for decreasing the knee pain and improving his efficiency as a runner. Great job Aaron!