When engaging in strength and conditioning training, it is essential to map out a scheduled and incremental plan. The movement preparation section helps get the body’s joints opened and functional. It includes moves that mimic the postures you’re going to assume in a run. For example, a half kneeling or split stance helps strengthen the body in that particular range of motion.
These are basic movements that a human body should be doing regardless of whether you run: squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling and basic core stabilization exercises. A lot of runners only like to run, but their bodies typically aren’t functional enough to maintain a certain level of training. Add a strength training routine and it will help to bullet proof the body from injury by improving movement quality. These exercises should ideally be done 1-2 days a week on days that you are not running.
We’ll conclude with YouTube links on how to perform these properly: Movement Preparation Video
These movement preparation and strength conditioning exercises are based on our experience of seeing which areas are tightest or most dysfunctional. This series of movements hits about 80-90% of those areas.
Later, we’ll go over a range of motion assessment, as well as personal self-assessments, to see where your body will specifically need additional stretching for better joint range of motion. Movement prep exercises are designed to wake up sleepy muscles and tight tissues to allow for the body to move most efficiently. They primarily activate the muscles around the core, hips, and the lower leg so that all of those muscles are firing properly.
This also wakes the nervous system and brings your attention to areas that may be weak, especially when you compare one side to another. The warm-up a step beyond that. But now we’ve got things turned on in the central nervous system so the brain is really connected. Things are firing properly.
Then we’re going to get more vigorous with movement and get the tissues warmed up. Think of these exercises as a re-alignment and a tune up for the body as well as an insurance policy that will prevent any overuse injuries down the line.
This sequence should be done prior to a run to mobilize any tight muscles and wake up any sleepy muscles that can inhibit good running mechanics.
The 3D Hip Flexor Stretch: Many people are very tight in their hip flexors because they sit a lot. That makes the hip flexors really short and impeded. The 3D Hip Stretch incorporates a bar or arms over the head with some spinal movement to open up the shoulders and spine which tend to get really tight from sitting and lack of activity. This stretch opens the hips, shoulders and thoracic spine.
The Standing Ankle Mobilization Drill is designed to open up the foot and ankle because people are typically limited in the calves. Range of motion limitations in the foot and ankle could lead to a higher risk for ankle sprains as well as problems up the chain, including knee pain and potentially back pain.
The Cook Hip Lift is a glute activation exercise. The gluteus maximus is what distinguishes us as bipedal animals. Since we’re upright the glute stabilizes the legs and hips in a single limb stance. When your foot touches down your glute needs to kick in to stabilize your body. A lot of people, especially in today’s society, don’t have strong glutes likely because of poor movement habits and hours of sitting in chairs. The Cook Hip Lift is a way to wake up the glutes and help you to be more stable and functional when you go for a run.
The Side Lying Clam Exercise is designed to strengthen the lateral rotators of the hip which help prevent the knee from diving inward towards the mid-line of the body and potentially collapsing the arch of the foot. The lateral hip muscles and glutes are the cavalry to the infantry of the foot. This means that when the hip and core muscles aren’t stabilizing and firing properly the foot has to work extra hard to maintain stability.
The Side Lying Leg Raise targets the gluteus medius muscle which also helps stabilize the leg during running. Poor gluteus medius function is often associated with lateral knee pain and IT Band friction syndromes.
The Bird Dog Exercise is a foundational core exercise that helps to stabilize the spine in a cross-pattern motion. Cross-patterning is what we do when we run by swinging one leg forward and the opposite arm forward. The Bird Dog teaches and strengthens this cross-patterning motion by coordinating one leg and opposite arm to be stable while their opposites are in motion. This exercise is also great for preventing low back pain in runners by training stability and strength in the deep spinal stabilizers.
The Front and Side Plank Exercises are fundamental core exercises that teach neutral spinal alignment, which should always be maintained during running and other loaded movements like push-ups and squats. Planks also strengthen the abdominal muscles that protect the spine.