A leaner, when running, displays a deviation of their trunk to one side. Typically, these leaners lean in a consistent direction, which is not due to habit or a weak trunk, but rather a more intricate and widespread compensation.
Essentially, when there is a perception of weakness or instability in the body, particularly the foot, ankle, or knee, the pelvis will naturally move to that side to provide support. Consequently, this results in an inclination of the trunk due to the pelvis being shifted towards the weaker side. For instance, the picture to the right illustrates an Uncompensated Trendelenburg pattern where the pelvis shifts to the right to compensate for the weakness in the right leg and stabilize it. Consequently, the trunk will shift towards the left, resulting in an overall tilting effect.
It may seem obvious to correct a leaning body by leaning in the opposite direction, but this is only a temporary solution if the underlying weakness is not addressed. To achieve balance, the body must have stable support. Therefore, it is necessary to build maximum stability in the trunk, hips, and legs from the ground up.
Staying Upright: The Role of the Brain in Creating Compensatory Stride Imbalances
Maintaining alignment of the entire leg while running necessitates strong hip and core stability, as it begins from the foot and concludes at the pelvis and trunk. In essence, the objective of running is to rapidly stabilize the full body weight on a single leg for a brief moment, then repeat this three times per second for the duration of the run.
Considering this, one can envision the level of strength and steadiness required to arrange and maintain all of those mobile components in a linear manner, and to sustain it while traversing over rocky terrain, roots, and ridges.
You must have strength.
However, the problem lies here:
The Central Governor, also known as the brain, is solely concerned with self-preservation. To prevent any harm to itself such as hitting a rock, the brain compensates for any instability by masking it with adjustments like moving the pelvis when there’s a weak foot or knee, resulting in stability.
Although this compensation prevents you from falling down, it is not effective. The brain’s compensation results in a loss of alignment and symmetry.
- The yin-yang balance of rearward push-off and forward hip drive is disrupted. A compromised push-off creates over-stride stress on the landing leg.
- A shifted trunk adds excessive landing stress to one side (even in the absence of a visible ‘leaner’).
The two main factors that cause running injuries are these!
Chris Powers, DPT, is a renowned running injury researcher who heads the Movement Performance Institute. Lower-extremity biomechanics and running injury research are the Institute’s specialties. Powers highlights hip weakness as a redundant issue, stating that “The hip is a redundant muscular system: it is easy to compensate!” Essentially, humans have multiple ways to maintain balance, but only one of them is truly efficient due to evolutionary factors.
Through his research, he has not only determined the significance of strong hips for aligning and controlling the leg, but also emphasized the crucial role of a robust core. He articulates this point by questioning, “How can the hip be considered strong if there isn’t a stable foundation?”
His treatment of injured runners follows this progression according to that concept:
- Isolated core stability and hip activation in non-weightbearing
- Progressive functional strengthening of the hips on a stable trunk: floor to standing
- Running-specific “movement re-education” exercises
Similar to preparing for an ultramarathon, one must initially acquire the essential elements of stability and strength and then systematically piece them together with patience.
- Trunk stability
- Activated hip (gluteal) and lower-leg muscles
- Stable alignment: trunk on pelvis, pelvis on leg
The fundamental factor for achieving efficiency, equilibrium, and swiftness is to integrate and sustain the components.
The Stacked Line-Up: The Ice Skater Exercise
The exercise is designed to be challenging with an emphasis on:
- A neutral trunk centered over one foot
- Level pelvis
- A knee centered (outwardly) over a third toe
- A strong, neutral foot
In the video, it was explained that this activity can be executed through gradual iterations or as an extended period of endurance (lasting up to one minute).
Performing this exercise is challenging due to the need to control various body parts such as the foot, ankle, knee, hip, pelvis, and trunk all at once. Initially, many runners, including myself, struggle to execute it correctly due to insufficient strength. Therefore, it is necessary to work on developing foundational strength before attempting it. I suggest a set of three exercises derived from Dr. Powers’s research.
- Hip Abduction
This exercise is very easy to improperly perform, despite its simplicity. The crucial aspect of this exercise is keeping the body in a straight line from the ear down to the ankle.
Execute 10 slow repetitions on each side aiming to achieve a one-minute continuous hold on every leg.
- Clamshell Side Plank
This exercise develops trunk stability, strong shoulder blades (an oft-overlooked component of running mechanics), hip stability (on the ground side), and active mobility through the clamshell motion.
Hip Imbalance
3 warning signs to be aware of:
1. Valgus collapse:
Most knee issues stem from a ‘valgus’ collapse, which is a word that describes your knee moving inwards, towards the centre of your body when you are under load. Knees respond to what your hips and ankle dictate: glute weakness and poor foot mechanics are the usual culprits.
Indications: Pain in the knee; which can be experienced on the front, inner or outer sides, depending on how your body is trying to adjust.
It is imperative to understand that treatment is necessary to address valgus as it will not resolve on its own. Whether caused by pronation at the ankle or glute weakness, corrective measures and rehabilitation are essential to maintain pain-free running. Delaying treatment will lead to compensations in other areas of the body.
2. Excessive tightness on one side of the body
Experiencing mild discomfort after exercising is ordinary, but if one part of your body becomes significantly more rigid than the other, it suggests an atypical reaction. Although running involves turning, it still primarily occurs in the sagittal plane, causing both sides of the body to perform an equal amount of work.
In case you are experiencing recurring tightness on one side and do not consistently run in the same direction on a track, it is essential to determine the cause of this tightness before it progresses into an injury.
3. Shin pain
If the initial signs of pain along the inner side or front of your shins are not addressed with adequate rest and care, it typically progresses into shin splints. It is ineffective to attempt to power through the pain.
7 exercises that can help you maintain a healthy running stride:
If you spend most of your day sitting behind a desk, try doing the hip flexor stretch exercise. Kneel with one foot in front of you and tuck your tailbone until stretching occurs. Perform this for 30 seconds on each side and repeat during the work day.
To activate the glutes while lying face down, squeeze the buttocks and raise one leg straight back as far as possible in a comfortable position. Repeat ten times on each side for ten seconds. Ensure that the glutes are engaged before the hamstrings and that the hips do not lift during the movement. Do not be concerned if the leg trembles as this indicates a lack of use of the glute muscles while running.
Assume a supine position with your knees bent and perform pelvic tilt along with engaging your lower abs. Aim to flatten your lower back against the floor while slightly contracting your lower abdominal muscles for 30 seconds and repeat the motion for 30 repetitions. Complete three sets of this exercise. After strengthening your muscles, advance this workout by lifting one leg off and keeping it straight. Repeat this exercise 15 times on each leg.
Perform some squats using a strong exercise band to target your gluteus medius. These resistance bands are available at a low cost on Amazon. Place the band slightly over your knees and concentrate on keeping your chest lifted while pushing your buttocks backwards. Don’t simply fold forward from your hips. Take advantage of the band to keep the tension on the exterior of your knees, engaging your glutes, and attempt to push your knees out over your third and fourth toes. Complete three sets of 15 repetitions.
To stretch your calf muscles, stand on a step and allow one heel to hang over the edge. Push down on the heel while keeping your knee straight to stretch your calf. Then, repeat the stretch with your knee bent. Hold each position for 2 minutes and repeat on each leg.
Assume the bird-dog position by positioning yourself on all fours and bringing your left knee in contact with your right elbow before stretching your leg and hand away from the body while maintaining parallel hips with the floor. Be cautious that the side with the extended leg does not move upwards. Concentrate on enhancing core strength and tighten the buttocks when the leg is fully extended. Repeat this exercise ten times on each side for three sets.
Utilize a foam roller to focus on the hip’s and gluteal muscles’ outer portion. It is not necessary to take up too much time – 30 seconds of foam rolling on each section will suffice.
