With the spring upon us, it's time to get your running legs in shape for a pain free season.
I've put together some great exercises to make this outdoor running season one of pleasure, not pain.
More often than not, people suffer with weakness in the muscles down the back of the legs, and weak buttock muscles, which causes poor running economy. Poor strength in this area will also lead to problems with your arches that can inevitably lead to pain in the shins, heels, and bottoms of the feet. Orthotics and a change of running shoes can provide some relief but you're going to have to correct the under lying cause.
To strengthen the buttock region and the back of the legs, I recommend:
HIP LIFTS ON THE BALL
#1 Lie on your back and place one foot on top of the ball and the other leg suspended in the air.
#2 Curl the ball toward you, then press your foot firmly into the ball. Be sure to pause at this step to ensure you really apply downward pressure on the ball.
#3 With the downward force on the ball, raise the lower body off the floor. Pause at the top of the movement for 3 seconds, then lower back down and return to the starting position. Do approximately 10 per leg. Repeat this exercise 3 times and practice it every other day.
Try some toe presses to strengthen the shins and arches of the feet.
TOE PRESSES
Place the exercise ball on the top of one foot. Press the toes up hard into the ball and resist with downward pressure from your body weight. You should wear shoes while doing this exercise. Do about 20 presses per foot and repeat it twice. Do them every other day.
Tight hips will also have a strong negative influence on running efficiency. I recommend adding the exercises from my post, Healthy hips for all ages.
Running on your toes will cause foot and heel pain. Try and run heel to toe. This means making sure your heel strikes the ground first with a fluid transfer to the big toe just before the foot leaves the ground.
Please consult your health care provider before beginning any exercise routine.
I've put together some great exercises to make this outdoor running season one of pleasure, not pain.
More often than not, people suffer with weakness in the muscles down the back of the legs, and weak buttock muscles, which causes poor running economy. Poor strength in this area will also lead to problems with your arches that can inevitably lead to pain in the shins, heels, and bottoms of the feet. Orthotics and a change of running shoes can provide some relief but you're going to have to correct the under lying cause.
To strengthen the buttock region and the back of the legs, I recommend:
HIP LIFTS ON THE BALL
#1 Lie on your back and place one foot on top of the ball and the other leg suspended in the air.
#2 Curl the ball toward you, then press your foot firmly into the ball. Be sure to pause at this step to ensure you really apply downward pressure on the ball.
#3 With the downward force on the ball, raise the lower body off the floor. Pause at the top of the movement for 3 seconds, then lower back down and return to the starting position. Do approximately 10 per leg. Repeat this exercise 3 times and practice it every other day.
Try some toe presses to strengthen the shins and arches of the feet.
TOE PRESSES
Place the exercise ball on the top of one foot. Press the toes up hard into the ball and resist with downward pressure from your body weight. You should wear shoes while doing this exercise. Do about 20 presses per foot and repeat it twice. Do them every other day.
Tight hips will also have a strong negative influence on running efficiency. I recommend adding the exercises from my post, Healthy hips for all ages.
Running on your toes will cause foot and heel pain. Try and run heel to toe. This means making sure your heel strikes the ground first with a fluid transfer to the big toe just before the foot leaves the ground.
Please consult your health care provider before beginning any exercise routine.
These exercises are great. I can't thank you enough, I love running. However, my right leg & hip get in the way. Can you please let me know how many times a week I should try these exercises. In addition, I would like to know in how long should I expect improvement. Thx.
I think it’s a pretty good idea to do the exercises every other day at least for the first couple of weeks. When trying to determine how long it will take until you feel results, really depends on the extent of your hip restriction or pain. Until you’ve worked on increasing mobility and strengthening the region you’ll have reoccurring problems with the area. With that being said, just get hard at work and focus on improving your condition; even if it means taking a couple weeks off running while you do the corrective exercises.