Hey RMA crew!
Welcome to February!! We’ll be thinking about Christmas soon! Talking to so many Running Mums lately who are putting in a distance base ready for their long events later in the year. I have seen a few people starting to get some niggles through their butt or their glutes which is a real pain in the you know what… (literally)! This type of stuff can be tricky so it’s important to get it checked out. If it’s ongoing you will need to get scans done to investigate and commonly it can be difficult to identify the exact cause. The reason is there can be a number of issues at play.
First thing I think of with someone with butt pain is what are they doing running technique wise? Watch out for over striding. If you get too far out in front of your body your heel strike will become a braking force that actually slows you up. That butt muscle then has to lever you over the outstretched leg which can stir the glutes up. You don’t want to have angry glutes…they bite! So shorten the stride a fraction and try to land more under your hips. The easiest way to do this is by thinking about leaning forward just a fraction from your ankles when you run which also allows gravity to propel you forward rather than smashing your butt and hamstrings to do all the work.
Secondly, make sure your butt muscles are actually working! Believe it or not your glutes are often quite lazy and can switch off as you run. Doesn’t sound like a big issue but if the butt muscles on the side you land don’t kick in you get uncontrolled subtle hip movements (‘sexy hips’) that can stir up muscles like you wouldn’t believe. Now this is tricky to fix guys because you can have all the strength in the world and those glutes very often don’t switch on in the right ranges. So you have to target the range specifically. Check out this link but (lol) I will do a new video about this one, (it’s important), keep an eye out for it. Big key is make sure you are working glutes right from the start of range…then right through to the end. Most of us miss strength in these ranges and really they are the ONLY section ESSENTIAL for running.
Finally get good at freeing up those glutes. Remember there is a ‘trail’ of tight spots that you should know about. Tension will inhibit your glutes and cause pain so know your way around. You can use contract relax stuff, systematic stretches as well as trigger points. Remember comfy at all times and if you have an injury get it checked before you start any length program.
Good luck with your running this week everyone! Looking forward to seeing you all at Gold Coast this year. Enjoy your training no matter what event. Have a great week Running Mums!
Paul Trevethan
Running Physio
Title Image from runningcompetitor.com
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