It's best to perform these single leg balance drills barefoot. Firmly ground one foot. Think about spreading the toes and planting the little toe, bit toe and heel as three points of a tripod. This will help you distribute weight equally over your forefoot and rearfoot as you establish a solid contact point. Lift your opposite leg off the ground with a high knee so that … [Read more...] about Video: Balance Drills
Form
Core Control and Postural Stability for Economical Running
In previous articles on running form, I focused on the role the hip abductors—gluteus medius and gluteus minimus—play as lateral stabilizers (article 1 | article 2). In this article, I shift the focus to the other glutes—namely, the gluteus maximus. The glute max, along with the hamstrings, act as primary hip extensors. And each step you take while running involves extension … [Read more...] about Core Control and Postural Stability for Economical Running
Maximizing Body Position for Economical Running
In previous articles on running form, I discussed a common issue runners encounter—namely, lateral hip drop due to weak or inactive hip abductors (article 1 | article 2). In this article, I focus on the basic body position for effective running. A common piece of advice given to runners is to “run tall.” To grasp what this looks like, imagine a straight line draw from your … [Read more...] about Maximizing Body Position for Economical Running
Throw Out Your Desk Chair
Throw out your desk chair? Well, completely ditching it may be a bit extreme. But it might be time to give it up at least on a part-time basis. Here’s why. Chairs are making our lives miserable and sitting too much is literally killing us. If sitting were considered a sport, we would be overtraining big time. Most would consider training for eight hours or more per day five … [Read more...] about Throw Out Your Desk Chair
Using Video Analysis to Examine Running Gait
The Case of a Runner with Hip Drop In a previous article on this topic, I discussed the important role that the hip abductors play in stabilizing a runner through the gait cycle. The hip abductors—gluteus medius and gluteus minimus—are often weak compared to the hip adductors in runners, which leads to a dropping of the hip opposite the planted leg. If left uncorrected, this … [Read more...] about Using Video Analysis to Examine Running Gait
