In today's video we take a look at some exercises that will be beneficial for new runners to perform to 1. Improve running form, 2. Decrease compensations, and 3. Improve running power. Within the video we talk about 3 fundamental ideas 1. rotation/lateral stability, 2. Balance, and 3. Hip Extension. In the video are examples of some exercises to perform to work on these 3 ideas and some simple progressions are also provided. There are a plethora of different exercise that co

In this video we take a look at running shoes. If you are a new runner and want to know more about shoes, this video is an introductory guide to learn more about running shoes and to give advice as to what shoes to look for that will be beneficial for you. Also in this video, I discuss different tips on how to know when it is time to change your running shoes. I hope that this guide is informative for you and clears up a lot of questions that many beginning runners have when

Today, we are addressing the question, "What risk factors are associated with Achilles Tendinopathy?" The Achilles tendon is vital to our performance as runners as over 50% of the push-off from the ground comes from the energy production of the elastic properties of the Achilles. To help us address this question we will take a quick look at a systematic review which looks at a number of different studies and tries to pull out the main themes to make sense of the data as a gro

Today we are looking at a research article that is trying to determine if assigning a shoe based on the shape of the bottom of your foot will help reduce injury rates. This study was performed by the Air Force and was performed on their cadets that were undergoing BMT (Basic Military Training). Research studies for athletes that come from military institution can be interesting because they typically have many people that participate in the study. The study concludes there is

Piriformis plays a very important role for protecting the hip, sacroiliac joint, and the pelvic floor. The muscle is often seen as the "guilty party" when it comes to blaming that "pain in the rear." Sometimes this is reality and sometimes piriformis is falsely accused, but either way it is indeed a very active muscle in your toosh. Dysfunction of Piriformis Encourages Poor rotational stability of the hip joint Sacroiliac joint instability Pelvic floor instability (through co

Endurance athletes can be sticklers when it comes to what they put down the hatch. They have to be picky because they are pushing their bodies well beyond simple physiology. At times however one can become so driven by goals and the athlete's "mental block" that a simple everyday compound can gradually run low. If this compound runs dangerously low an individual can have some very serious complications. In today's world SALT is considered bad and for good reason.....because i

If you have endured an episode of neck or back pain then you can relate to the pain that can make you feel hopeless. For most of us these symptoms come and go quickly and many times that pain is a normal response to activity. BUT.... if you have encountered recurring episodes of spinal pain then you should not avoid paying particular attention to putting in the work to avoid severe pain and permanent damage. There is an absolute certainty when it comes to lower back pain and

If you're in the business of walking around the pool this year with the perfect "rump" then read on. If you're in the business of making sure your hips are stable, read on. If you're in the business of taking stress off your knees, read on. Basically, if you want to have a healthy frame to walk on, read on. In this blog we are going to visit some research driven exercises to burn that hind end into shape. The gluteal muscles that make up the back of your hip are critical musc

Balance and Coordination? Is it necessary for me as a runner? Am I even lacking? To understand balance and coordination in the human body you have to break down 3 systems in the human body. The body utilizes three systems including the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. While we rely on the visual system predominantly, we must use a collaborative effort from all three systems to maximize our coordination. Without realizing how critical these systems are to our hu

Chances are you've come across the concept of kinesiotape. You've seen it, read about it, watched videos, asked your friends, and probably tried it yourself. Whether you found it valuable might have depend on your application technique. Kinesiology tape is not something new as it was created back in the 1970s. The origins of the tape were a valiant attempt to create a tape that would assist in the healing of damaged tissue as opposed to taping techniques at that time which we

Foot problems for runners are nearly inevitable. The problems hopefully will be minor with the early detection and corrective action. Three common foot afflictions for runner's feet are achilles tendinitis or bursitis, plantar fasciitis, and posterior tibialis tendinitis. These are far from the myriad of potential foot problems, but they are assuredly the most frequent we see in the clinic. Pay particular attention to the -itis ending of all these conditions. The suffix -itis

Foot problems for runners are nearly inevitable. The problems hopefully will be minor with the early detection and corrective action. Three common foot afflictions for runner's feet are achilles tendinitis or bursitis, plantar fasciitis, and posterior tibialis tendinitis. These are far from the myriad of potential foot problems, but they are assuredly the most frequent we see in the clinic. Pay particular attention to the -itis ending of all these conditions. The suffix -itis

So you were enjoying a nice run, training for your next football or soccer match, cutting out of a pick and roll, or rounding hard around second trying to stretch a triple and you pulled up a little ginger. No matter the sport the incident of a pulled hamstring can be incredibly painful out of the gate and if not properly tended to can turn into a nagging issue. Chronic hamstring injuries create not only a physical barrier but a mental barrier as well. The best piece of advic

Essential Four Pack Exercises for Runners and athletes

Many runners that we know or we have treated have a very familiar story. When we ask about the warm up for training and races, the story usually sounds similar to this... TPT, "tell me about your routine before you run." Runner, "well, I usually stretch a little, swing my legs a few times, jog slowly, then take off running." TPT, "ok, that's a start. Now tell me how long this warm up might last?" Runner, "oh, I don't know 3 or 4 minutes." TPT, "hmm, let's start by obliteratin