Article written on March 25th, 2019 at 08:22am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |
Posture is one of those areas which can have a strong impact on running economy and performance. Let’s think about it in a very simplistic way… The better you can maintain a vertical and supported position, the more efficient your lower body can operate with less energy wasted while fighting to keep you upright. This is especially true late in a run or race when breathing is labored and your muscles are fatigued.
Take a second and think back to your last race or long training run… As mileage started to increase and you got tired, what happened to your body position? Most likely you…
- Developed more of a hunched over posture
- Lost control around the core and possibly felt some lower back irritation
- Increased loading into the ground due to poor shock absorption
- Had difficulty catching your breath as the run went on
- Started to feel heavy legs that were hard to turnover
Do any of those sound familiar? If so, targeting posture in your weekly strength training routine can have a huge impact on your running.
So, what does it take to really maximize your posture as it relates to the demands of distance running?
Posture is a mix of several different characteristics which includes: joint positioning, mobility, flexibility, stability, and endurance. You can certainly target individual attributes and see great results. But, implementing a well-rounded approach while also taking into consideration your specific limitations will create a lasting impact to withstand the high impact of running.
In addition, posture really needs to be viewed from a full-body perspective. Of course what quickly comes to mind is the spine and shoulders. But, I want you to shift your focus to also include the pelvis, hips, rib cage, breathing mechanics, and then those commonly thought about areas up the kinetic chain. This all-encompassing approach will be the difference maker in your running!
In today’s video, I want to share with you a variety of basic strategies to implement when targeting posture:
What I recommend moving forward is to following a systematic approach when targeting posture. In the exact order, this includes:
- Hip, spine, and shoulder flexibility/mobility (i.e. hip flexor stretch, prone press-up, and pec stretch)
- Diaphragmatic breathing and rib cage control (i.e. hooklying breathing)
- Core stability with proper breathing (i.e. supine marching and dead bug)
- Shoulder and spine strength/endurance (i.e. band low row, band high row, and dumbbell bent over row)
By following this recipe you will notice a significant improvement in posture when staying consistent for a minimum of 2x/week for 6-8 weeks. With that being said, don’t stop there! Continue building more endurance and resilience by increasing resistance and progressing your exercises as needed. This will create a more bulletproof posture that continues to be supportive as mileage increases.
Thank you for checking out this article today regarding posture for runners. Please comment below or send me a message if I can answer any specific questions for you. If you need help creating a specific strength training routine that supplements your running, I’d love to help!
By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART
How far should the scapula be from the spine? The scapulae normally rest approximately 2 inches from the spine. It is common to see resting positions that do not reflect this. Poor posture can cause an increased distance from the spine. While over-dominant rhomboids and downward rotators of the scapula can cause the scapula to rest more closely. Allowing for proper resting position is essential.
Over-emphasizing “shoulder blades back and down” reduces scapula upward rotation. Scapula upward rotation is an important movement which allows for adequate shoulder function when the arms are overhead. Too often, those that train clients will instruct people to “squeeze the shoulders blades back and down.” I have been guilty of this over the years, as well. This is fine when the scapula doesn’t need to upwardly rotate, as in movements under 90 degrees of flexion or abduction (it actually should upwardly rotate when the arm is elevated above 20-30 degrees). But, when we are lifting anything overhead, the shoulder blades need fluid movement to allow for optimal joint positioning. One of the main jobs of the scapula is to provide stability in the shoulder throughout it’s range of motion. Consciously locking down the scapula is NOT creating stability. Stability is a reflexive response from the nervous system to prevent unwanted joint motion. Reflexive means it happens on it own and without conscious thought. Next time you are lifting overhead, let those shoulder blades fly!
Restricted range of motion can cause altered joint stability. Within and surrounding each joint are specific receptors that monitor positioning, called proprioceptors. In an ideal scenario, proprioceptors send sensory information to the nervous system and a motor response is immediately generated to correct positioning. When we lose the ability to move a joint through ample range of motion, the proprioceptors are less responsive to unwanted stimuli. I often see this in those with limited ankle mobility while in single leg stance. Typically, balance will be well below average. But, working on balance will lead you down a path of limited success. Improving range of motion will re-establish the sensory-rich environment that allows for constant feedback with the nervous system. Therefore, range of motion is just as important, and actually a needed characteristic of joint stability.
