Running and Pelvic Stability

Running and Pelvic StabilityRunning is a complex and physically demanding task that requires appropriatepelvic strength and stability. It is important that the body has the right balance ofstrength, flexibility and dexterity to ensure that no injuries occur.There is a great body of research to show that poor core strength (also know andlumbo- pelvic stability) can be a factor that may lead to injury in the lower limb. It iseasy to understand this when you think of the demands on the pelvis and trunkduring the gait cycle. Greater than fifty percent of the time spent running is“balancing” on one leg. If you don’t have the pelvic and core strength toappropriately transfer forces through the lower limb, then other structures may beDo you enough pelvic strength to start running? Give this quick exercise a try:1. Grab a marker, take your shoes off and put some shorts on2. Feel for the “pokey bits” on the front of your hips and draw a small and3. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see the bits of marker on the4. Now stand on one foot and watch what the pelvis doesDid you notice the marks on your hips move? Did you notice your knee turn in oryour thigh rotate? Did you lose the arch in your foot?If you noticed any of the above changes while standing on one foot you may nothave enough core strength to support a running program.What can you do? The best idea is to see a Podiatrist or Physiotherapist who canassess your body and running style. After the assessment the Physiotherapist willbe able to give advice on the best way for you to start your running program. Thismay include stretches or exercises that can be done before or after running andstrategies to help your running technique to make sure you are as strong andmark on each side of the pelvis.That being said here are some great ways to make sure you start your running1. Start slow! Try running for 2 minutes then walking for 2 minutes. Thenincrease the amount of time running slowly, maybe by 2-5 minutes at a time.2. Wake up your Bum! Before you start your run do a set of clamshells or littlesquats. This is like ”priming” to get them ready to work!3. Do a Dynamic warm-up! This means moving the muscles of the lower limbthrough their full range of motion before you start running.