By Elizabeth Towe

 

Objective:  As we come into the summer season of training for fall half-marathons, marathons and ultra distance races, often the missing link is deceleration or eccentric training. Strain on joints and cartilage will be minimized as we learn how to control impact forces by absorbing forces through the muscles and tendons for efficient energy storage and recoil throughout the gait cycle. We want to look at this in the Core Corner to emphasize the muscles of the hip and the importance of stability in the hip joint for running.

 

Exercise:

This is a simple exercise that has many options for progression. Be sure that you have good form and progress through appropriately.

  • Start by standing on a step or platform that is 8 inches off the floor.  
  • Put one foot over the edge of the platform as if to step off and let gravity bring you to the ground into a squat, landing softly and quietly.   The more quiet your landing the better. Pause and hold the squat position.
  • Be sure to keep the knees behind the toes and push your hips behind you to allow the gluteal muscles in the back of the hips to eccentrically decelerate the “falling squat.”
  • Try to notice that you can land with your weight evenly distributed on both legs and you are not side bending. This is where compensatory patterns sneak in if you have weak links in your core.
  • Repeat this for 10 to 20 repetitions for two to three sets.
  • You can progress to a single-leg squat landing (step off and land in single-leg squat), then progress to slightly higher platform. Make only 2- to 4-inch increase in height at a time. Go back to bilateral squat landing when you increase height, then progress to single-leg squat landing.

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Elizabeth Towe is a runner and a cyclist and the owner of Balanced Movement Studio in Carrboro. She graduated from East Carolina with a degree in exercise and sports science and has been personal training for over 20 years. Her ultimate goal for all of her clients is to help them realize and achieve the optimal quality in their life – and to remember to have fun doing it.