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How to Avoid Running Injuries

By Curb Ivanic

Runners have been told for years they need to cross train with other activities to avoid injury and improve their running fitness. Strength training is recommended though not many runners fully understand why and how this can help them. This article aims to answer those questions and provide an explanation how resistance training can help your running.

Running Muscles

Running requires many muscles to work together to produce efficient movement, often for very long periods of time as in marathon running.

The big muscles of the legs and hips (the glutes and hamstrings in the rear and quads and hip flexors in the front) are the ones mainly responsible for the forward motion. These are called the primary movers. Yet there are many other muscles in the lower and upper body that aid the primary movers. Muscles in the hips and trunk work to stabilize the pelvis and lower spine. The calves help with forward motion. The shoulders swing the arms to set the tempo as they move in time with the legs and the lats work in unison with the glutes in the rear. So while your legs are primarily responsible for running, to run well and injury free requires balanced and unified function of many muscles.

Lateral Sub-system

Researchers have grouped muscles that work together into sub-systems to simplify and explain movement. One of the systems of special concern to runners is called the lateral sub-system. This system includes the quadratus lumborum (QL) located beside the spine in the low back, the adductors (inner thigh), tensor fascia latae (TFL) on the front of the hip, and the gluteus medius on the side of the hip.

The QL on one side of the body works with the opposing adductors, TFL and glute medius to stabilize the pelvis and help control the femur (thigh bone) as you run. If the system is in balance everything works fine and you run without problems. However, in many runners, this system is out of balance which can lead to injury.

Unbalanced Muscles

Due to overuse, weakness and/or improper loading of the muscles, the lateral sub-system can become unbalanced. One of the injuries that may develop is iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), with the major symptom being a sharp pain on the outside of the knee when running. This is often caused by a weak glute medius and consequently a tight iliotibial band (ITB), a band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. The ITB becomes tight because it is trying to do the work of a normally functioning glute medius.

Many factors can be responsible for the glute medius dysfunction. These include a rapid increase in mileage or time spent running (overuse); too much speedwork (overuse); weakness in one of the prime movers (improper loading); running on a slanted surface (improper loading) and/or bad running technique (weakness and improper loading). Often a combination of two or more factors are at work.

The ITBS example demonstrates how the body will always use what it has and conversely can't use what it doesn't have. This is only one of several examples of how muscle imbalances can negatively affect runners.

The Solution

To correct these imbalances you need to strengthen the weak muscles, stretch and release the tight muscles and teach the body to recruit the correct group of muscles in the proper sequence. A personalized routine of exercises designed by a qualified professional is recommended.

An even better solution is to listen to the old adage 'One ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' The best thing to do is avoid muscle imbalances in the first place or correct them when the differences are minor. This is where strength training comes in. A regular program of strengthening exercises, dynamic flexibility exercises and stretching will help keep your body in balance. Your strength training workouts are 'pre-hab', preventative exercises that are done before you get injured.

Workout Guidelines

To properly balance your body you need to work your running muscles as well as your non-running muscles. Running is predominantly a forward movement so you should include exercises that work the two other planes of motion, lateral and rotational. Side lunges are a great example of a lateral exercise. A rotational movement would be oblique twists.

You should incorporate full body exercises, using the arms and legs at the same time and coordinating movement between the left and right sides. This will train you to recruit muscles in a proper sequence and improve integration between the two sides of your body. An example would be a forward lunge with an arm drive.

Don't neglect stabilization and balance training. This will train your neuromuscular system to better recruit stabilizer muscles. A one leg squat with a toe touch is a good stabilization and balance exercise. Plyometrics should also be included to develop power. These are jumping style exercises that involve fast, explosive movement such as squat jumps.

Runners will benefit greatly from core stability exercises that specifically target the muscles of the hips and lower trunk (abs and low back). Proper recruitment of these muscles is important since good stabilization of the pelvis is needed when running. A prone plank is one exercise that targets the core.

Don't worry about strength training cutting into your running time. A well designed program can be completed in as little as 30 minutes and can be done in a gym or at home. Doing the workout in the gym gives you more tools to work with but you don't need a lot of fancy equipment. Your body weight and a little creativity can go a long way. By following a proper strength training program you can bring your muscles into balance and continue to run injury free.

About the Author:

Curb Ivanic has a Master's Degree in Exercise Science, holds the highest level certifications from the NSCA and NASM and is a Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor Level 1. His company Ultra Fitness has helped hundreds of clients in Vancouver, BC to reach their health & fitness goals. Contact him at www.ultrafitness.net.