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Interesting Jan, I am on board. Can you give me some examples of the exercises.
Also, what about the role of the glutes in the hip exercises and in the running stride?
Thanks
Tom, see my reply to John regarding examples. As for the role of the glutes, it’s completely different in running than in hip extension exercises. In hip extension exercises the glutes are normally primary movers. In running the glutes don’t act during hip extension, they act around midstance to keep you from faceplanting. Counterintuitive, as is all muscle activity in running. Most if it is anticipatory or isometric, very little goes to actually create the movements that we do.
ReplyGreat, thought provoking article. Would be helpful if you could expand on what exercises you recommend for hip flexors.
ReplyHi John. Honestly, you could do any hip extension exercise you can think of and just allow your pelvis to move naturally as a part of that exercise, and you’ll be on the right track. Bird dogs done this way are a favorite of mine.
ReplyDefinitely an interesting article. It would be great to learn about what exercises you recommend that are hip-extending activities that include the movement of your pelvis in the action of your legs. One exercise that comes to my mind, but I have no idea if it fully meets your criteria, is flutter kick in a swimming pool – either on one’s stomach, side, or back – what do you think? What about dolphin (butterfly) kick in the swimming pool – then both legs move at one but the hips are definitely involved and so I think the pelvis is, too.
ReplyHi Catherine, yes, a flutter kick definitely qualifies. That’s just one of the many reasons swimming is such a great cross-training activity for runners. Not sure about a dolphin kick–to be honest I never learned to do that myself so I haven’t tested it out. Generally speaking, though, you get a good carryover to running when the two sides of the body are working in alternation, and a poor carryover when they are working simultaneously. So a flutter kick should be more functional for a runner.
ReplyOne exercise I recommend, and I’ve been meaning to make a video of it, is the bird-dog, but allowing your pelvis to move as you do it rather than trying to keep it level (as the exercise is usually taught).
ReplyI agree about pelvic rotation allowing the psoas to recover a leg forward, but I think you are mistaken in writing that it is the psoas muscles that are involved in pelvic rotation and tilt. I believe that rotation of the pelvis is initiated by spinal and trunk muscles, and that the gluteus medius assist in pelvic tilt, so the extending leg helps to lift the opposite side of the pelvis, etc.
ReplyHi Lawrence, thanks for your comment. I think you’ve missed the point, however. It’s not so much a question of what the psoas acts to do, but how it fits into relationship with the actual movements of gait–running but also walking–in which the legs work opposite each other and the pelvis moves. For that, it’s critical that you don’t think of hip extension as a purely sagittal activity. Regarding the involvement of the psoas in movement of the pelvis in the frontal plane, have a look at this: https://learnmuscles.com/blog/2017/08/17/psoas-major-function-6-spinal-joint-actions-frontal-transverse-planes/ . Regarding the transverse plane involvement, I don’t believe I wrote that the psoas actually *does* that but it doesn’t much matter whether it does or not for our purposes since involvement with lateral flexion in gait means rotation of the pelvis in the transverse plane is also created, and anyway the psoas is shortened on the swing leg side at that moment whether or not it’s active.
ReplyHi
Very interesting I like the explanation on the 3 plane movements of the hips ( Transverse Frontal & Sagittal ) My question is if the hips are moving through the correct planes ( or most efficient ) how much does the shoulder rotation effect their movement ? And therefore are the shoulders moving through their own plane ? How much of the shoulder rotation is created by the correct arm swing back behind you ?
Thanks
ReplyHi Ali, those are good questions. Though I haven’t written about that specifically, I think you’ll find the videos in this blog post clarifying. Generally speaking, pelvis movement in the right amount will encourage upper body movement also in the right amount, and vice versa. However it is also possible to have movement habits that interfere with that, so it’s not a guaranteed thing. https://www.balancedrunner.com/the-balanced-runner-keys-series-get-your-core-in-action/
ReplyWhen I sprint there is a knot that forms in my right gluteus. Each time my foot lands there is pain. Upon massaging the knot there is some relief. Occasionally my pelvis gets tilted and my hamstrings get tight. What suggestions do you have for stretching exercises and conditioning to strengthen the hip flexors?
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