Want to know one of the main reasons runners end up injured? Look at your backside, if you can. Under-utilised gluteal muscles are to blame for a large percentage of injuries, says Nirav Pandya, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. And it’s a weakness that often occurs because runners are too focused on building strong quads and hamstrings.
That’s a problem, because the work can’t stop at your legs. Your glutes help centre your pelvis so that your centre of gravity is in line with your ankles, knees and hips. That puts your body in a more powerful position to generate speed.
Glute weakness is often exacerbated when we sit all day; those muscles don’t activate
while we are seated. ‘Plus, sitting decreases blood flow, further deconditioning the muscles,’ says Pandya. So, first of all, he suggests putting your glutes to work: get up for five minutes every hour and, twice a day, squeeze your behind for three seconds and release, repeating for eight to 12 reps.
If you’re not sure whether you’re actually activating your glutes, hop on a treadmill that’s positioned in front of a mirror and watch your trunk while you run. If it’s swaying from side to side, it’s likely your bum isn’t in on the action. Try staying centred and you should feel your glute muscles steadying your pelvis. That’s the feeling you want.
To make that motion more natural, glute-building exercises are key. Ones that require hip motion or balancing on one leg, such as the ones on this page, from John Henwood, running coach at Mile High Run Club in New York City, are best: they fire the glutes to
help you stabilise and stay upright.
How to do the workout:
Do one set of 15-20 reps, two or three days per week – and say hello to a stronger stride.
1. V-lift
Lie face down on a stability ball. Position your pelvis in the middle of the ball, hands resting lightly on the floor, legs straight, and feet shoulder-width apart, legs out in a ‘V’ position. Keeping your back flat, squeeze those glutes to lift your legs as high as you can. Lower and repeat.
2. Single-leg Hip Abduction
Place a resistance band around your thighs, a few inches above your knees. Lower into a squat. Keeping your torso still, step one foot back at a 45-degree angle. Return to the start and quickly switch feet. That’s one rep. Repeat, alternating legs, until you feel the effects.
3. Monster Walk
Place a resistance band just above your ankles and below your calves. With your legs far enough apart to keep tension in the band, walk 20 steps to the right (make sure you pick up your back foot, and don’t allow your knees to collapse inward). Reverse to the left to return to the start.
4. Single-leg deadlift
Stand on your right foot, knee slightly bent, left foot hovering next to the right. With your back flat, hinge forward, reaching your arms straight toward the floor, and raise your left leg straight behind you. Return to the start, remaining on one foot. Do reps; switch legs.
5. Hamstring press
Lie face down, with your arms bent so that your hands are folded in front of you, elbows pointed out. Hold a stability ball between your shins and ankles, with your legs bent to 90 degrees. Squeeze your glutes and lift the ball straight up and a few inches off floor. Lower and repeat.
6. Bulgarian split squat
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, a few feet in front of a stability ball, hands clasped at the chest. Place your right foot (shoelaces down) on top of the ball. With weight on your left foot, lower into a deep lunge. Push into your left heel to stand. Do reps; switch sides.
