Have you ever had a hip flexor tighten up on a run, or do you maybe even suffer from a chronically tight hip flexor? The feeling of it tugging every time your leg is behind you may make you yearn to stretch it out, and you might even find yourself giving it an extra little … Read more
In our popular YouTube video, my colleague Julia Pak says: “Never run through pain. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong with the way you run. If running hurts, it’s time to start looking into changing your form gradually.” In the very lively comments section for this video, runner after … Read more
Hobble into any doctor’s office with pain on the outside of your knee and you’re likely to hobble back out with a diagnosis of Iliotibial Band Syndrome, or ITBS. In short order you’ll have a foam roller, a new set of orthotics, and some physical therapy sessions or Pilates classes. The situation might seem dire, … Read more
Lately as I’ve interviewed runners who want to work with me, I’ve heard a lot of stories that end with the phrase “…and then, WHAM!” It’s a funny, not-so-funny coincidence. Here’s how the stories go. They tell me things started to go wrong with their running but they could kind of manage it. For instance … Read more
As I worked my way through a series of blog posts on tight quads over the last three weeks, a reader asked me to write about tight/sore calves next. It’s a great suggestion, since the tight-calf-in-running problem is really common and has a massive effect on the entire body. In fact, in my post last … Read more
Maybe they’re tight, maybe you’ve got a pull or strain, maybe they get really sore. Or maybe they don’t bother you at all but you’ve been told they’re the source of another problem such as back pain or plantar fasciitis. Whatever’s got you looking to solve a hip flexor problem, there’s something important you need … Read more
Runners need to lean forward when they run. I’ve written before why that is; it’s also a cornerstone of ChiRunning, Pose Technique, and many other running technique methods. But how do you tell if you’re leaning too much, leaning too little, or leaning correctly when you run? For most runners, learning how to lean at all is … Read more
Last week I wrote about the two different profiles of hip flexor problems. This week we’ll look at a popular solution for tight hip flexors that actually backfires. Watch out that you’re not making this mistake! I’ll tell you exactly what to do instead. The High Cost of Sitting Hip flexor tightness or, more accurately, not … Read more
Your lower back hurts when you run, you land too far up on your forefeet or too far back on your heels, your quads get really sore, you have runners’ knee, you run too upright, you run too slowly, your stride length is too short, your shoulders get tight…the list of running woes that can be … Read more
The hobbling effect of a hamstring injury, the discomfort from sitting, and the frustration of not being able to run as you want can seem to go on and on. And as with many running injuries, the conventional treatment can be time-consuming and sometimes frustratingly ineffective. The first thing you need to know is the … Read more
The back of your ankle is sore to the touch, you hobble in your first few steps after sitting, and maybe your achilles tendon hurts when you run too. Back when I had this problem as a young dancer, I felt like a small mouse had sunk its teeth into each of my achilles and was hanging on there … Read more
The misery of an IT band problem can dog a runner for a long time. Since the knee pain often doesn’t kick in till you’ve run a few miles, you go out the door with hope in your heart day after day, only to have your it dashed at mile 5 or 7 or whatever … Read more
As a dancer, I got used to stretching extensively every day. I wish I’d known then what I know now, which is that I was probably doing myself a lot more harm than good, weakening my muscles and worsening my fatigue and soreness. To learn more about that, listen to the Science of Stretching episode … Read more
If you’ve got plantar fascia problems you’ve probably been doing a lot to try and heal your feet. Maybe foot and calf stretches, ice and ice massages, maybe sleeping in special socks, and maybe taking anti-inflammatories. And you’ve probably cut back on your running or even taken time off. Progress probably seems really slow or … Read more
