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Running Series Part 2: The Running Hip

posted on May 9th, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Runner’s Stretch Options:

The hip flexors are highly stressed overused muscles, not just for runners, but for much of the general public.  This muscle group can be stretched both statically and dynamically and in several ways:

Dynamic standing hip flexor stretch

The first and my favorite!

YouTube Preview Image

Happy Hips make happy runners! Try these static stretches:

Supine Hip Flexor Stretch

Lie on your back at the end of your bed or other flat surface.  Pull both knees towards your chest and then let one leg hang off the edge until you feel a stretch in the hip flexor and thigh.  Hold 15 seconds, repeat 2-3 times each side.

 

hip flexor stretch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Half-kneeling Hip flexor stretch

Get into a half-kneeling position, tighten your abdominal muscles and tuck your pelvis under.  Increase the bend in your front knee for more stretch in the hip flexor.  Raise arms overhead and turn the torso towards the knee that is up to increase the stretch and feel it in a slightly different location of the hip flexor.  Hold 15 seconds, repeat 2-3 times each side.

 

hip flexor with rotation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing IT Band stretch

Stand with left hand holding onto the wall or the counter.  Cross the left leg over the right keeping most weight on the right leg.  Lean into the right hip and stretch the right arm overhead.  Hold for 15 seconds, repeat 2 times.

Turn around and repeat the exercise with the other leg placing the right hand on the wall.

IT band stretch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

filed under Exercise, Run Training, Running.

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Building a Stronger Runner Part 2

posted on April 18th, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Running Series Blog Part2:  Week 3:  The hip continued

By Taryn Cohn PT, MSPT, OCS, COMT

 

Last week we worked on strengthening the hip standing on two legs, which is very important.  However, running is rarely performed with both feet on the ground at the same time so strengthening in a single-leg stance is also important.

 

Running Exercise Single Leg Squat

Running Exercise Single Leg Squat

 

Stand on one leg in front of a full-length mirror so you can properly monitor your form.  Perform a small squat keeping the hip, knee and second toe all in alignment.  Use a chair or counter top initially if needed for support.

Perform 10 repetitions for 2 sets each leg.  Decrease support and add resistance as you progress.

 

 

 

Low Skaters

 

Start in a low squat position with fingertips on the ground and head up.  Slide hands on the ground until they are on either side of the right foot.  Once you have your weight completely over the right foot lift the left leg out to the side, pausing only momentarily.  Repeat going to the other direction.  Maintain the squat position until you have completed 5 repetitions each side.

 

 

Running Exercise -low skater 1Running exercise Low skater 2Running exercise -Low skater 3

 

 

What do you think about these exercises?  Any that you have found you like to do to target these muscles?

filed under Run Training, Running, Uncategorized.

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Building a Stronger Runner Part 2

posted on April 9th, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Running Blog Series part 2:  Week 2:  The Hip continued

This week’s challenge continues to work on hip strength and stability.  Due to the weight-bearing nature of running, these exercises are designed to better replicate these types of demands and are a good adjunct to last week’s exercises.

 

Running Exercise

Lateral Walks for Runners

Place a resistance band around the ankles of both feet.  Slightly tuck the pelvis under engaging the gluteal muscles.  Maintain tension on the band while stepping to the side.  Perform 15 repetitions each direction right and left, then repeat each side again.

 

Wall Squat

Stand with feet hip-distance apart, toes against the wall and hands on the wall overhead.  Slowly perform a squat keeping hands and toes on the wall.

Repeat 10 times.

Wall Squat for Runners

Wall Squat for Runners

 

 

Let us know how it goes.  Would love to hear your feedback!

filed under Run Training, Running.

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Trigger Point Dry Needling – New Orleans

posted on April 2nd, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Trigger Point Dry-Needling and Physical Therapy:  A Personal Recovery Story , by Taryn Cohn, MSPT, OCS

I have been a practicing physical therapist for ten years.  I became a certified orthopedic manual therapist through the Ola Grimsby Institute 7 years ago and have taken multiple continuing education courses in manual therapy.  I have found that most all of the knowledge I have gained throughout the years is valuable and can be applied in one way or another based on the individual and the injury.  So when the opportunity came up to take a continuing education course in trigger point dry-needling I jumped at the opportunity.  What started out as educational growth opportunity, ended up having a much larger personal impact.

YouTube Preview Image

I would consider myself a frequent, perhaps avid exerciser.  Ever since childhood I have always enjoyed a wide range of physical activity.   It is this passion for movement that initially brought me to physical therapy as a career.  However, almost 2 years ago I became sidelined for 8 months with a lumbar disc herniation.  Through exercise and the hands-on physical therapy intervention of my co-workers I was able to overcome the injury without needing medical or surgical intervention.

It was in the midst of my recovery that I went to Colorado to learn about trigger point dry-needling.  If you are unfamiliar with trigger point dry needling (TDN), or intramuscular therapy, it is a treatment for muscular tightness and spasm, which commonly follows injuries, degenerative processes, stress and muscular overuse.  This treatment technique uses small, thin needles inserted directly into hyperirritable areas of taut skeletal muscle referred to as trigger points.  When the needle hits the correct spot it causes a twitch response in the muscle, resulting in muscle lengthening and relaxation.

A requirement of the course when learning the dry-needling technique is that you practice on fellow course participants.  After my treatment partner completed the trigger-point dry-needling on my low back and hips I experienced some of the most significant relief of painful symptoms I had felt in almost a year.  As with most treatment techniques, I am hesitant to use it with patients unless I have experienced some personal benefits.  After the initial and continued symptom reduction I have received as a result of dry-needling, I would encourage anyone to try it who has been unsuccessful with other treatments.

Since the addition of dry-needling to my existing manual therapy practice, I have seen excellent results in those suffering from low back pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, plantar fasciitis and neck pain, to name a few.

Call us to see if trigger Point Dry Needling would be helpful to you.

filed under Neck pain, Physical Therapy.

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Building a Stronger Runner Part 2

posted on March 7th, 2013, by . 2 Comments posted so far.

Congratulations on finishing the first four weeks of our building a stronger runner series!  This week we will begin part 2:  The knee and Hip.  Often when you hear people talk about running-related injuries, knee pain is high on the list.  Although pain and inflammation may show up in the knee as the primary source of pain it is often dysfunction elsewhere that is causing the abnormal strain on the knee.  The knee is a relatively simple hinge joint, with more complex joints below it and above it.  Muscle imbalance in the foot and ankle complex and the hip can cause pain in the knee.

Since you have done such an amazing job strengthening your feet and ankles, we will begin this new series targeting the strength in the hips.

1.  Exercise number one is a bridge.  Bridges work to stabilize the abdominals and strengthen the glutes while working hip extension.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip distance apart.  Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your gluteals prior to lifting your bottom off the floor.  Hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat 10 times.  As you get stronger increase the duration of your hold to 20 seconds with 5 repetitions.

2.  Exercise number two is a side-lying clam.  This exercise works gluteus medius one of the primary stabilizing muscles used with single-leg weight-bearing activity.

Lie on your side with hips and knees bent.  Keep your feet together and lift the top knee up towards the ceiling.  The hips and trunk should not move during this exercise, if you feel you are rolling back you have lifted your knee too high.  To increase the difficulty of this exercise add a resistance band or increase the length of the hold.  Repeat each exercise 15 times holding 5 seconds each.

Good luck and keep up the good work!  Let us know how it is going.

filed under Physical Therapy, Run Training, Running.

2 Comments posted so far.

Run Longer, Stronger, Healthier # 4

posted on February 19th, 2013, by . 4 Comments posted so far.

Running Series – # 4

Self-soft tissue work for runner’s foot and ankle

Though stretching and strengthening are great activities to improve joint and soft tissue mobility,  sometimes it is not enough to keep movement-impeding restrictions from forming.  That’s why taking a hands-on approach to self-tissue manipulation is additionally beneficial for runners. Listed below are some examples of soft tissue work you can do at home to target the tissues we have been concentrating on the past three weeks.

Arch Rolling with a Ball

There are several options for what type of ball you can use.  We have found that lacrosse balls seem to have a nice balance between hard and soft.  However, golf balls and tennis balls also do the trick.  Roll the ball along the bottom of the foot from the ball of the foot to the heel.  Perform it with the big toe flexed and extended to get into the tissues differently.  Do for 1-2 minutes each foot.

Stick work on the calf

Perform soft tissue work on the calf in a half kneeling position placing moderate tension on the target tissues.  Make sure to work the entire length of the calf in the center and the medial and lateral sides 1-2 minutes each legs.  The instrument being used in the photograph is called “the stick”.  If you do not have something like this you can use a rolling pin from the kitchen or a 1-inch dowel rod.

Working on soft tissue mobility through the foot and ankle can make a big difference in your running performance. For more information on running, run training, and how to run better,like us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter, or contact our office.

filed under Run Training, Running.

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Run Longer Stronger and Healthier # 3

posted on February 5th, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Run Longer, Stronger, and Healthier week 3

  • Week one we worked on foot strength.
  • Last week’s exercises targeted calf strength.YouTube Preview Image

This week I want to look at improving calf flexibility.  A common misconception when it comes to long distance running is that is takes place mostly in one plane of motion, the sagittal plane, meaning movement forward or backward.  However, each joint in the body, regardless of activity, must move through three planes of motion (forward/backward, side to side, and rotation) for successful task completion.

In the attached video I demonstrate a dynamic calf stretch that is designed to improve calf / ankle mobility in all three planes of movement.

Next week will conclude our four-week runner’s series on the foot and ankle.  Stay tuned as we discuss more techniques to improve joint and soft tissue mobility in the foot and ankle.

filed under Run Training, Running.

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Run Longer, Stronger and Healthier #2

posted on January 29th, 2013, by . 1 Comment posted so far.

Week 2 Run Longer, Stronger:  The Foot Continued

Last week we began working on strengthening the feet.  You might be to the point now where you can see some space developing between your toes when you attempt to separate them.  This week we are going to tackle another very important component to efficient running, strong feet, strong calves.  Listed below are two exercises to add to your routine.

The Challenge:  Running requires Calf Strength

1. Toe Raise

  1. Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a sturdy step.  Let your heels come below the level of the step until you feel a slight stretch, then lift your heels up until you are on your tiptoes.  Start with repetitions of 10-15 for 1-2 sets.  The goal is to get strong enough to perform 2 sets of 30 repetitions.

    1. Toe raise

  2. After performing your heel raises stretch out the calves by keeping one knee straight, and bending the other knee allowing the heel of the straight leg to go below the level of the step.  Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, repeat 2-3 times each side.
  3. Look for our next running blog, Tuesday to learn dynamic stretching techniques for the foot and ankle.

2. Calf Stretch

filed under Overuse injuries, Physical Therapy, Run Training, Running.

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Run Longer, Stronger and Healthier #1

posted on January 22nd, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Week One: The Runner’s Foot

If you are a runner who scours the research for what is new and trending in the world of running, I am sure you have come across the barefoot running discussions and the resurgence of the minimalist shoe.  I am not here to sway your decision about shoes versus no shoes, but I am here to encourage you to improve the strength of your feet.  From years of neglect, too much sitting and a lot of shoe wearing our feet have become weak and reliant on outside sources of support.  If we expect our bodies to hold up while running 13.1 to 26.2 miles, we should be able to master the challenges listed below.

Week 1 Challenge:  The Intrinsic foot muscles

1.  Take off your shoes and look at your feet.  See if you can spread your toes apart without lifting them off the ground.  Next, try and squeeze your toes together without lifting them off the ground.

Set your kitchen timer for 2 minutes and do this 3 times this week.

2.  Arch doming:  Press down the first knuckle of the big toes, while simultaneously lifting the arch of the foot.  Hold this position for 5 seconds than relax, repeat this 20 times.

Stay tuned next week as we tackle calf strengthening.

How are you feeling about your foot strength?  Let us know!

Taryn Cohn PT, MSPT, OCS, COMT

filed under Run Training, Running, walking.

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Run Longer, Stronger and Healthier

posted on January 15th, 2013, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Building a Better Runner from the Ground Up

By:  Taryn Cohn PT, MSPT, OCS, COMT
Run Fitness Training

Over the next several months I am going to be examining strength and mobility as it pertains to running and the runner’s body.  My goal is to help you build a better running machine by working from the ground up.  Every Tuesday I will be posting a new run blog.  Each blog will target a specific body part and include a weekly exercise challenge.

Optimizing your strength and mobility through these exercises will increase your ability to enjoy healthy running for years to come.

Stayed tuned next Tuesday as we begin our 4-week series on the foot and ankle!  As always we welcome any comments. For more information on running, run training and running performance, like us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter, or contact our office.

filed under Performance Training, Run Training, Running.

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