JKConditioningWhat runner doesn’t hate getting injured? Knee pain, heel pain or even low back pain can put a damper on any runner’s training. Usually though, the site of pain is not the source of the injury.

Think about it like this. You have a door rubbing in a door frame on the handle side (opposite the hinges).

One way to fix this problem is shave the door so it doesn’t rub anymore. Compare this to lateral knee pain. The site of the problem is the knee, just like where the door rubs against the door frame. Shaving the door is the same as trying to fix the knee (only).

What we need to do is to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

By looking at the hinge side, you’ll notice the door isn’t held in the door frame properly, therefore causing the door to rub.

So, as the analogy says, take a step back and look at the body as a whole.

Commonly, pain in one area results from the body compensating for a problem in a different area.

Take for example, weak hip muscles. When these guys are weak, during single leg stance (running!) the weakness in the hips result in a lateral shift of the pelvis with each stride (known as the Trendelenburg Sign).

This changes the efficient mechanics of running into a non-efficient running stride with potential compensations. The body will experience different stresses and different wear patterns, just as a car would, if it had a crooked axil. Commonly, knee pain will result and many runners will think the problem stems at the knees.

With a proper assessment, weakness in the lateral hip muscular will be found (notice, NOT, where the site of pain is).

This is just one of many examples of how running injuries start.

Unfortunately, running by itself is not sufficient in building a resilient body. And because running is repetitive in nature, believe it or not, certain muscles tend to over develop while others tend to weaken. This can lead to muscle imbalances and incorrect movement patterns.

A strategically designed and individual-specific strength and prehabilitation program must be implemented in order to avoid running down the road to injuryville.

I’ve come across numerous runners that think that lower body training isn’t necessary because of all the miles they run – they couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here are 3 rehab tips to keep you safe and sound, all season long.
 

1. Seek a reputable soft tissue therapist to address, well, soft-tissue related issues.

 

Active release techniques, Graston or just plain old therapeutic sport massage may be warranted on a regular basis. This depends on how much you run per week, but I would guess that most runners will benefit from frequent soft tissue therapy.
 

2. Work on joint mobility (often).

 
The ankle joint and hip joint (among others) can become restricted in their movement(s) and if so, can wreck havoc on a runner’s body. Running with a stiff ankle can affect the entire kinetic chain and result in a awkward, inefficient running stride.

A simple exercise to work on ankle mobility and calf flexibility is the Downward Dog.

Go into a pushup position and pike your butt into the air. Drive your heels downward and keep your knees straight. Get your butt as high as possible. Hold for 5-sec (do 5-6 reps; 1-3 sets) if performing pre-workout and 30-60-sec (do 3-6 sets) if performing post-workout. You can bend one knee inward to isolate one leg at a time if you wish.
 

3. Incorporate muscle activation exercises to wake up sleeping muscles.

 
As I said earlier, certain muscles tend to weaken with running. Let’s continue on with our weak hip muscles not being able to stabilize our hips when running.

One of many hip strengthening exercises is the X-Band Walk.

Hold a circular band and stand on one end. Cross the band in front of you to take up slack. With your feet starting hip width apart, step to the side without hip hiking or leaning – stay strong through your trunk and remain tall. Follow with the trail leg but don’t let it drag on the ground or snap in. Repeat until you have completed 12 steps. Return to the start by side stepping the other direction – remember not to turn around or else you’ll be performing it on the same side again! Perform 2-sets daily (yeah, I said daily!) before runs.

Well, there you have it – 3 ways you can prevent injuries all season long. (this post is not at all exhaustive and only scrapes the surface)

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to leave them below. If you have any running friends that you think will benefit from reading this post, please share it with them 🙂

RUN STRONG,

-Jon

I had been struggling with work-life balance resulting in not exercising or playing hockey as much as I had been doing in the past. In addition to being out of shape, I was starting to experience some back/shoulder issues and realized I needed to make some changes. Around this time, a friend (who was also a client) recommended JKC and that’s when I started!

You really feel part of a community where everyone is welcoming and supportive. You get a program that is designed specifically to achieve your goals, with the ongoing coaching, progress tracking and support required to achieve them. The JKC team are very knowledgeable about fitness and conditioning, and very engaging with everyone to answer questions or discuss anything and everything training related. I also like the flexible scheduling and gym times that work for my schedule (I like early mornings and evenings).

I started at JKC in January of 2014 and I’m 67 years old. When I had my Initial Assessment, I knew – almost immediately – that Jon knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. I was overweight, out of shape, and in serious need of someone, like Jon, who could get me back on a fitness/conditioning routine that suited me, my age, my less than acceptable physical condition, my sometimes intermittent RA, and my need for a structured, consistent and yet flexible training and conditioning program that would work for me.

Fundamentally, if I made a choice at all with respect to JKC – it was to continue to come back each week. I have not been in a lot of gyms. To be honest, they used to intimidate me. What makes JKC different is their approach to each and every one of their clients. Jon and Thomas – and now Craig – tailor each training regime to the particular needs of each client. That ensures that the training regime will suit each client upon the start of training and changes as the client improves. It adjusts for any physical setbacks such as injuries and it adjusts for success. It is just that simple.

It is also the consistent encouragement that comes from Jon, Thomas and Craig. That voice that comes to you while you are in the middle of a particularly difficult set – rear-foot elevated split squats comes to mind immediately – that says “good job” or “keep it up” or “just a couple more reps.” To know, in that moment, that you are not alone and the trainer is paying attention to what you are doing. That is priceless for me.

I’ve always struggled with both my weight and anxiety throughout my life. As a writer you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle filled with both realistic and unrealistic deadlines, so I needed something to get me off my butt and to get me moving. JK has been a godsend during this past year and a half in particular. The pandemic has been tough, but workouts with both Thomas and Jon have really helped reduce the stress and strain of a global pandemic, and added an anchor of normalcy back into my life — which has been worth its weight in gold.

JKC has created an incredibly inclusive environment that’s filled with all kinds of supportive folks from all kinds of different backgrounds. For folks like myself, being surrounded by people with such athletic ability can be intimidating in most gyms. It can actually be a deterrent, and it sometimes has been for me. But, at JKC it’s far from that — it’s inspirational. Everyone supports one another. Which is something that’s not easily found in this day and age, inside of a gym or out. Not to sound like a total cheeseball here, but it really feels like a family.

I chose JKC because I row/coach teams in the St. John’s Regatta and was looking to add strength training to our program. My wife is also running friends with Julia, so I got to meet Jon a few times and heard lots of good things. I like JKC over other gyms because of the level coaching I receive and the gym atmosphere. The energy in the gym helps me through the tough workouts.

My initial goal was to find qualified personal training services in a personalized small gym setting. I have never been a fan of large gyms. JKC offers a friendly, happy gym experience that motivates me to strive for bigger and better results every week. Jon, Thomas and Craig are genuinely talented and always excited to celebrate everyone’s success.

I have a passion for challenging myself to achieve or beat goals. My favourite memories take me back to greater wins than I ever imagined with deadlifts and after a lot of determination and hard work, being able to do multiple chin-ups. Training at JKC has been one of the best experiences of my life – thank you for your commitment to helping me stay fit!!💪🏼😅

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