If you are a dedicated runner you likely have suffered an injury and maybe even gone to physical therapy. Whether you realized it or not, this injury limited your ability to train effectively.
Here in Bethesda (and soon to be, McLean!), physical therapy involves helping runners overcome injuries that otherwise would limit their ability to train, ultimately causing disappointing results.
There is not a one size fits all solution to helping runners. However, we often discover that runners are limited by the mobility of their hamstrings.
During a run, the hamstrings need the ability to lengthen as the thigh is in front of the body. This should be achieved without drastically changing the position of the pelvis. Many runners struggle to maintain control of their pelvis as the hamstring lengthens. This increases the stress placed onto a variety of soft tissues through the lower body and alters foot strike position.
Hamstrings, like many other muscles, must be strong when in lengthened positions. Otherwise the body will not allow you to keep any of the short-term flexibility improvements that you have made with stretching.
Below are 2 drills that you can incorporate into your strength training routine to improve hamstring strength and flexibility that the body will hold on to!
Kickstand RDL
Single Leg Eccentric Glute Bridge
A thoughtful and more scientific approach to training that is specifically designed for runners is likely all you need to drastically improve your running performance. It may not even require you to train any harder, just smarter!
