Did you know most running injuries are caused by imbalances?
As a Physical Therapist, I find that imbalances often result from weakness or tightness in the hips and ankles.
Here’s the trouble:
Most runners aren’t even aware they have imbalances.
They work through their training plans and over time, the imbalances eat away and cause injuries.
That’s why identifying (and fixing) imbalances is so important.
Use this simple test to check for yourself:
Why Fix Imbalances
When your muscles are weaker or tighter on one side than the other, it creates imbalances.
Over time, putting stress on the wrong parts of your body will lead to overuse and injury.
The way to fix imbalances is to make sure your right and left sides are equal. This will avoid compensations and ensure that your muscles are used correctly when you run.
Identifying Imbalances
The best way to check for imbalances is to do 10 one-legged squats on both sides.
By standing on one foot, you will get a good idea of how strong and balanced you are on each side.
You should have a smooth, controlled motion down and up, and the knee should stay in line with the foot.
As you do this, observe how low you can go. Are you wobbling? Is your knee caving in on one side compared to the other?
If you notice any of these issues, it’s an indication that you are weaker on one side.
Main Message
If you want to run faster and injury-free, identifying your imbalances is essential.
Once identified, you can work on fixing them. The best place to start is with one-legged strength & balance exercises.
That’s exactly what we focus on with RunSmart.
Our Physical Therapist-designed workouts include many one-legged exercises intended to fix common imbalances.
If you want to avoid injuries and run your best this year, check out RunSmart!
Ready to Run Injury-Free?
Learn how you unlock injury-free running with this free webinar from Physical Therapist, Steve Gonser.
