At any one time something like 30% of runners are injured.
That is quite an amazing statistic and was presented to me
by world leading running coach (and POSE method inventor)
Nicholas Romanov.
What causes this problem is a number of issues and too
large (probably a whole books worth) an issue to discuss
here.
Hands up if you run and have suffered from knee pain at
some time or another!!
Don't worry you are not on your own as I alluded to above,
many people who are runners struggle with injury's that
stop them running or competing at some point.
What that means is that you are not able to do what you
love or need to do (especially if you're training for an
event)!!
Most people tell themselves they're just being 'whimps' and
run through it. Other people don't develop problems for a
long time, but believe me when I tell you, if you don't
have the right amount of hip extension you will definitely
develop some form of injury...at some point!!
Hip extension is essential for good running mechanics.
If you are not sure what hip extension is then stand up,
with your feet together. Lift one foot off the floor and
with a straight (or bent) knee push that foot back so that
your thigh moves backwards...that's hip extension.
If you don't have enough hip extension then you'll have to
compensate for it some where else in the body (usually the
low back, but that's for another day).
With this lack of hip extension you are more likely to over
use the muscles around the knee and this is where the
problem lies.
When you start to overuse any muscles you put the body in a
position where it changes the balance. Joints need balance
between the muscles in order to make sure that they stay in
the right alignment and no undue 'stresses' are placed into
the joint.
I work in a busy sports injuries clinic
(www.kineticfitness.co.uk) and I would have to say that the
physiotherapists I work with tell me that in 90% of cases
knee pain, that people report, has nothing to do with any
degenerative problems around the ligaments, tendons or
cartilage.
Most of these 'presenting' knee pain patients are actually
people who have massively got their muscle balance out of
kilter.
So what can you do about it?
Apart from following a corrective exercise plan, one of the
first things we have these people work on is increasing
their hip extension range of movement.
I know, you hate stretching!!
That's because human beings tend to gravitate towards the
things they like doing most and avoid the things they like
doing least.
If you don't stretch it's probably because you find
stretching hard and painful. Well unfortunately you are
the type of people who need to do more of it.
So the key is to put the muscles like the quadriceps and
hip flexors in a position that will maximally get them to
stretch and relax.
This is my absolute favourite hip flexor stretch and an
essential for all runners to do.
I've put it on you tube so that you can see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5uz3DE-FEc
Just in case you can't get on there, here's a brief
description:
1. Place your foot on a bench or a Swiss ball so that your
laces are in contact with the surface, and the knee of that
leg is on the floor (your leg will have a V angle). 2.
The other leg should be in front of you with the foot on
the floor so that you are in a lunge like position. 3. Keep
the back straight and the buttock on the same side (leg
that is being stretched) clenched. 4. You will feel a
strong stretch up the front of the thigh anywhere from the
knee to the front of the hip, it really depends where you
are tightest. 5. Make sure that you are 'tipping' the
pelvis (tuck your bum under your body) so that you are
stretching the thigh and not compensating for the movement
in your low back. You will know you are doing this if you
have a big low back curve. 6. The low back should be
relatively flat or slightly rounded. 7. Hold for 30 to 60
seconds.
I really recommend that you watch the video as it will
really explain it better.
One of my clients called Rachel was suffering with some
really bad knee pain. She was referred to me by a sports
physician because she was suffering from patellar
tendonitis.
One of the first things I got her to do was this exact
stretch. She now does this on a daily basis; in fact she
should be doing it at least twice a day. That's because
she works all day sat at a desk.
This means that not only have her muscles adapted to the
lack of flexibility at her hip, but she gets the double
whammy of making them tight and short all day long at work.
You don't need to do this stretch for hours on end simply
complete it a couple of times a day to really get the
muscles up the front of the leg relaxed and lengthened.
You should start to feel some of the pressure and tension
in the knee releasing the more you do it.
This obviously is not a panacea for knee pain but is
definitely one of the easiest and simplest places to start.
----------------------------------------------------
Alex Poole helps his clients reach their half marathon
goals whether that is to complete their first or beat their
PB. Educated at Loughborough Uni he used physiological
research and his strength coaching to develop his
successful running programme.
http://www.halfmarathonfitnessblueprint.com
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