Let’s get this out of the way: If you’re a regular runner, the best thing you can do to prevent injury is start strength training. Building stronger muscles helps you generate power, provides stability for your joints and improves your mobility, said Vikash Sharma, the owner of Perfect Stride Physical Therapy in New York City.
But strategic mobility work can also improve your running performance and help you ward off aches and pains. Colleen Brough, an assistant professor of physical therapy at Columbia University and the founding director of Columbia RunLab, often sees runners with limited mobility who try to compensate for it in ways that can lead to injury. (Some level of compensation is normal, though. “There isn’t a single Olympic-level runner that I’ve worked with that has perfect mobility,” she said.)
For example, if your big toe is stiff and can’t press down into the ground as you lift off in your stride, you’re likely to make up for it in another joint, like your ankle or knee, Dr. Brough said. Or if you have limited mobility in your thoracic spine, that can lead to lower back pain, Dr. Sharma said, since your torso needs to rotate to counterbalance your leg movements while running. Improving your mobility throughout your body can support a more efficient, comfortable running stride.
The following routine, designed by Dr. Sharma, focuses on joints that are critical for running, like the big toe, hip, ankle, thoracic spine and midfoot. He recommends starting off by doing these exercises up to a few times a day if you can. Many of them can be sprinkled throughout your day, like when you’re waiting in line or taking a short movement break during work.
“If we’re truly trying to improve mobility, it takes more to gain than it does to maintain,” Dr. Sharma said. Over time, as you’re feeling more mobile, you can simply work through each of them before a run.
Overview
Time: 20 minutes
Intensity: Low to medium
What You’ll Need
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An exercise mat
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A step or box
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A chair or tall stool
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Optional: a pillow or yoga block
Quadruped rock backs
Targets: Helps improve mobility in the big toe
Repetitions: Five to 10 repetitions, two or three times per day
Begin on your hands and knees, tuck your toes under and press your hips as far back toward your heels as you feel comfortable. (You should feel a stretch, but it shouldn’t be painful.) Hold briefly, then return to all fours and repeat.
Deficit heel raises
Purpose: Improves ankle mobility; strengthens the calf muscles
Repetitions: Up to 15 repetitions, up to two or three times per day. (When you start adding weight, reduce to every other day.)
Stand on a box or step, with your heels hanging below the level of the surface as far as you feel comfortable. Press into your toes to lift your heels, then lower to the start position with control. You can place one or both hands on something sturdy for support.
If the step or box is too hard, begin with your feet flat on the floor instead. Once you’re able to do 15 reps, progress to the box or step. When you can comfortably do 15 reps that way, move on to a single-leg heel raise. Then slowly add weight, working toward holding a quarter to a third of your body weight as you lift and lower your heel.
Mini split-stance pronation rocks
Purpose: Improves midfoot mobility
Repetitions: 10 reps, three times a day
Stand with one foot a step or two in front of the other, with your back foot turned out slightly. Bend your front knee, then rock your weight forward over your front foot as you rotate your hips and torso slightly to the left, allowing your front knee to move toward the big toe side of your foot. Your front foot should splay slightly and the arch of your foot should lower slightly toward the floor as you rock forward, then lift back up as you rock back to the start position. Repeat, rocking forward and back, then switch to the other side.
Hip flexor stretch with pelvic tilts
Purpose: Increases capacity for hip extension
Repetitions: 10 to 15 reps per side, up to three times a day
Kneel with your right knee down and your left foot in front of you. (If your right knee is sensitive, you can cushion it by doubling up your mat.) With your rib cage directly over your pelvis, squeeze your glutes and tuck your tailbone underneath you, tilting your pelvis backward. Then reverse the pelvic tilt, allowing your glutes to relax and your lower back to extend slightly. Repeat. If you don’t feel the stretch in the area of your right hip crease, press your hips forward slightly.
Kickstand hip hinge with opposite hand reach
Purpose: Strengthens the glutes; improves internal hip rotation and thoracic rotation
Repetitions: Begin with 10 to 15 reps on each side using your body weight for three sets
Stand tall, with most of your weight in your right foot, and place your left toes lightly on the floor behind you like a kickstand. Hinge at your hips, pressing your butt back behind you and bending your right knee slightly, as your left hand reaches toward the front of your right foot. Then press into your right foot to stand, and repeat. Then switch sides.
Start to add weight when you can comfortably do 15 reps, and work your way up to a weight that gets you close to failure with eight or fewer reps.
Side-lying open book rotations
Purpose: Improves thoracic spine mobility
Repetitions: Three sets of 10 to 15 reps
Lie on your side, with your legs stacked, knees bent and your arms stacked in front of you. (You can rest your head on a pillow or yoga block if you like.) Lift your top arm up toward the ceiling and then over to the other side, allowing it to rest on the floor behind you. Keep your knees stacked evenly and your gaze on your top arm as you move. Then reverse, lifting your arm up toward the ceiling, then back to stack on top of the bottom arm. Repeat, then switch sides.
On-set trainer: Amanda Katz
Anna Maltby is a personal trainer, a mat Pilates instructor and the author of the newsletter How to Move.
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