Running and Pelvic Stability

Running is a complex and physically demanding task that requires appropriate

pelvic strength and stability. It is important that the body has the right balance of

strength, flexibility and dexterity to ensure that no injuries occur.

There is a great body of research to show that poor core strength (also know and

lumbo- pelvic stability) can be a factor that may lead to injury in the lower limb. It is

easy to understand this when you think of the demands on the pelvis and trunk

during 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 to

appropriately transfer forces through the lower limb, then other structures may be

Do 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 on

2. Feel for the “pokey bits” on the front of your hips and draw a small and

3. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see the bits of marker on the

4. Now stand on one foot and watch what the pelvis does

Did you notice the marks on your hips move? Did you notice your knee turn in or

your 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 not

have enough core strength to support a running program.

What can you do? The best idea is to see a Podiatrist or Physiotherapist who can

assess your body and running style. After the assessment the Physiotherapist will

be able to give advice on the best way for you to start your running program. This

may include stretches or exercises that can be done before or after running and

strategies to help your running technique to make sure you are as strong and

mark on each side of the pelvis.

That being said here are some great ways to make sure you start your running

1. Start slow! Try running for 2 minutes then walking for 2 minutes. Then

increase 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 little

squats. This is like ”priming” to get them ready to work!

3. Do a Dynamic warm-up! This means moving the muscles of the lower limb

through their full range of motion before you start running.

Let's get started — How can we help?

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