As a runner, chances are at some point or another you’ve experienced pain in your hamstrings, knees, or lower back that just won’t seem to let up no matter how much you stretch.
Interestingly enough, this pain may actually be stemming from inactive glute muscles (also known as the ol’ butt).
Luckily, performing a few simple activation exercises pre-run can stop this pain in its tracks, allowing you to run powerful, strong, and injury free.
“So why aren’t my glutes firing?” you may ask.
The most commong reason is that most people sit for long periods of time. The glute muscles tend to stop firing due to a lack of oxygen and tightened hip flexors. This, in return, puts more strain on the lower back, hamstrings, and knees, that imbalanced and stiff feeling when you head out for a run.
Add these simple exercises to your warm up routine and get those glutes firing.
Turn up the intensity of these exercises by adding a resistance band. Aim for 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg.
>> Glute activation video via Single Leg Squat <<
Exercises:
1. Clam shells Lay on your side, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Keep your feet and ankles together and raise your top knee. Make sure not to raise the knee too high-you should feel a slight tug in the glute area
2. Single Leg Bridge
Keep your one knee bent, and straighten the other legs. Slowly move your leg up and down. Make sure you aren’t feeling this in your hamstring, you want the glutes to be doing all the work.
3. Prone Leg Lifts
Lying flat on your stomach, focus on raising first one leg at a time. If the knee bends you are using too much hamstring.
4. Fire Hydrants
Place your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Flex your feet and keep both your feet flexed even as you raise one leg.
Then raise one leg out to the side, keeping the knee bent to 90 degrees. Lift it as high as you can while keeping your arms straight. Try to not let the foot get higher than the knee or the knee get higher than the foot. Really squeeze the butt cheek as you lift.
Hold for a second or two at the top. Lower down and then repeat. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Summer is one of the best seasons to be a runner. Enjoy it to the fullest by taking care of these basics.
Winter weather often requires the use of treadmills and other indoor facilities, but summer’s heat or thunderstorms may also force you to the air-conditioned sanctuary of the gym. Here are a few helpful things to remember about how to adjust when running indoors.
Highlights:
- Treadmills are not the enemy
- Bring entertainment (music, movie, book, podcast)
- Bring your own sanitizer (always clean any touchpoint, equipment before use)
- Treadmill belt if softer and less impact that running outside
- Set the incline to 1-2% on the machine
- Ease into the run. Start nice and slow.
- Hydrate well and often. Aim to take 3-4 ounces of water every 25-30 minutes.
If running indoors may not be an option, but running outdoors is not either, you may be in a spot where cross training is in order to maintain fitness. What cross training activity makes the most sense? Compare and contrast the vast array of currently available options available in gyms today.
Heading out on some adventurous runs or driving trips that might include a bunch of miles? Consider this list of things you might not consider, but can be VERY helpful for runners who are spending a lot of time in the car.
All that humidity might leave you a bit sweaty. Before you deal with the after effects of some serious chafing, read our quick Q&A with a dermatologist about chafing and how to avoid it.
While one of the most obvious topics for summer running, hydration is always worth keeping in mind, particularly if your average fluid consumption consists primarily of coffee or diet coke! Use the summer to build some good habits and read about the “art of hydration” here.
Congratulations to all those who have completed their goal virtual races over the last few weekends! Whether you are basking in the afterglow of a milestone reached, or still awaiting the joy of the finish line, it is important to consider the crucial training period of recovery.
Previously on the blog, we’ve covered a variety of topics related to recovery that are worth a quick read or re-read. These include:
Throughout each of these, the main thread is the message is to take recovery seriously. One of the ways runcoach differs from template training plans or social training groups that focus solely on the one goal race is the inclusion of a recovery cycle into your plan. As runners ourselves, we know that running is an ongoing pursuit for many, marked brightly with the signposts of big goals along the way, but more importantly, something we enjoy doing every day.
When you take recovery seriously you can enjoy your daily running without the inconveince of the world of injury or illness.
I know "recovery" doesn't win medals, or get the awe from your friends the way a hard workout or race does. Think of it this way, if you don't recover forget about the next finish line, a new start line maybe further away than you'd like.
Must Have's in the Car
Even if your runs primarily depart from home or office, running or racing will likely take you to points best accessed by car at some point or another. Sure, you may not want to have everything in the car at all times, but a few key items left in the car (rather than trying to remember them each time out) can make a runner’s life a bit easier.
Sanitizer/ Mask
No longer just a suggestion.
There are bacteria killing hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes easy to use and dispose. A little bit goes a long way after an outdoor bathroom stop, opening a cattle gate, high-five given to a friend or stranger, endless scenarios.
Maybe you are going to run some errands right before or after your run. Keep a clean mask in the car to use when entering an indoor public space like a grocery store. Keep your face covering clean and dry using these clean masks tips.
Blanket / towel (or more than one)
One of these items can provide protection and warmth after a surprise cold rainstorm on a November morning, or a layer between you and the driver’s seat when the air is thick with humidity. Having a towel or blanket can also make it more likely you will take a moment to stretch or roll, or spend 5-10 minutes adding some core work to the end of your run when you have a spare few moments. A saved space blanket from the end of a long race can also be an easy to store, useful item as a layer between a gross, sweaty, or wet you and your car.
Fuel
Fueling directly after a hard workout or long run is key to regulating your blood sugar and quickening recovery. Take a moment to stack a few of your favorite bars and some gels for mid run replenishment in the glove box or in a Ziploc in the trunk. This will ensure you can top off the tank at the end of your run and avoid a midday bonk or rash meal decision due to the sharp pang of hunger + fatigue. Sometimes, you are coming from a location where you can’t select or prepare a snack to bring with you for before, during, or after. If you have a snack readily accessible, your chances of success in that workout or run will increase.
Water
Even one spare 16 ounce bottle can be of great help if you exhaust your fluids on the run and arrive back at a trailhead with no facilities and a lengthy drive to the nearest gas station or store. Water can also wash dirt or blood away as needed due to mid-run mishaps. Pack a dissolveable tablet or two of your favorite electrolyte replacement fluid with your fuel stash, and you will be in even better shape.
First Aid Kit
A must. Even if it includes only some bandaids, Neosporin, and some basic gauze, tape, and perhaps an anti inflammatory, the chance to tend to a mishap directly after it occurs makes a huge difference compared to how that same injury might react hours later.
A charger or an adapter
When in remote areas, having a phone charger that works with the car can be of significant help in a tough spot, and with the proliferation of chargers with USB ports, charging a GPS device with the car’s power is now easily possible as well.
Hat with a bill, gloves
A running hat with a bill is compact and crushable, but can help keep water from the eyes in a rainstorm and sun from the face when no clouds are in the sky. Gloves (the cheap throw away kind), can feel like the most precious piece of clothing when they are really needed. Neither takes up very much space.
A Foam Roller or a Massage Stick
Again, if your run is squeezed between other appointments or engagements, or involves a decent length drive to and from, consider keeping a stick in the car. It takes up very little space, and can be used both to loosen up before the run as well as to start the recovery process without some of the stiffness inevitable on the drive back.
Every runner has their particular comfort items, their specific variations of this list that provide peace of mind and care when things haven’t gone well, or even if they have. A bit of forethought to keep some of these items on hand when driving to runs can clutter the trunk, but can also help our bodies handle the rigors of training well, even while in the midst of our complicated lives.