Did you know that 50-80% of runners get injured every year?
As well as experiencing pain and discomfort, runner’s are also forced to miss races that they’ve trained for weeks, months, or even years.
As a physical therapist, I’m constantly faced with patients who are sore, stiff or injured. The primary cause of these problems? Weak glutes.
Keep reading to find out how weak glutes cause problems for runners and how to make them stronger.
Why Target Weak Glutes?
The fact is that weak glutes put runners at a significant disadvantage when it comes to speed, balance and success. Whether you’re training for your next big race or aspiring to reach a personal best, you need strong glutes to make it happen.
The glutes influence many of our bodily motions and if they’re not powerful enough to take the pressure, we’re bound to face injury. Achilles issues, sore knees and painful ankles are just some of the problems caused by a lack of glute strength.
Let’s talk about how to assess your glutes and make some much-needed improvements!
Identifying Weak Glutes
Single-Leg Squat
To better understand the weakness in your glutes, stand in front of a mirror or record yourself completing a single leg squat. As you lower your body to the ground, you’re likely to experience:- Knees that cave inwards
- Compression on the ankle
- Rotating of the leg to cope with the stress
Strengthening Weak Glutes
Improving the strength of your glutes is easy with the right plan in place. Many outdated or generalized guides will suggest clamshells, bridges or leg lifts to solve the problem. While these exercises can have some benefits in the right situation, they’re not the ideal solution for runners. To take your glute strength to the next level, you must transition to runner-specific exercises that mirror the motions of your own sport. Once you start using strength workouts designed for runners, you’ll see:- No more buckling knees
- No more rotating legs
- No more ankle compression
- Overall improved balance
Ready to build your glute strength for consistent & injury-free running?
Click the green sign-up button to get started! If you’re interested in finding out more about how strength training and proper form can improve your running and prevent injuries, check out RunSmart today. The RunSmart app offers:- Exclusive access to more than 40 strength programs that fix imbalances that cause injury and slower running.
- More effective injury prevention and better recovery with the full RunSmart Protocol seminar and step-by-step guide to training better.
- Your very own custom training plan (based on the Gonser Method) to prevent injury and maximize performance.
- Enrolment on our RunSmart Mechanix improvement program, designed to help you address and fix your running form.
- Exclusive access to a leading team of world-class coaches, including myself, with live Q&A sessions and direct lines to ask questions.
Ready to start training smarter?
Click the green sign-up button to get started!
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