In recent years, strength training has become an essential part of many runners’ routines. More and more runners are realizing the benefits of hitting the gym to build strength, and for good reason. Strength training not only boosts power, speed, and overall performance, but it also enhances tissue resilience and the body’s ability to handle increasing loads. When muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones are conditioned to manage these loads, runners experience fewer injuries and less pain.
The stronger we are, the more force we generate with each stride. More force means running faster. However, strength alone isn’t enough. If we can’t control the force we produce or use it efficiently, we’ll tire more quickly, our running economy will decline, and we become more prone to injury. This is where stability training plays a crucial role.
What is Stability?
USA Track & Field defines stability as the degree of resistance to toppling over. When running, every time our foot strikes the ground, we transfer force into the earth, and the ground pushes back with an equal amount of force, traveling up our leg. Stability is our ability to manage these “ground reaction forces” and maintain balance as we continue moving forward.
Our “ship” can be strong and fast, but we must be able to captain it—control the strength and power we generate—to prevent injury and improve our overall energy efficiency.
The Role of Stability Training
When it comes to running, stability training is primarily focused on managing forces in the rotational and frontal planes. These forces need to be controlled at various points in the body: at the foot (pronation and supination), lower leg (rotation in or out), knee (collapsing towards the midline), upper leg (thigh rotation), hip (hip drop), and core (excessive trunk rotation or side-to-side movement).
The first point of contact with the ground is the foot, so if we can’t control these forces here, the impact is felt higher up the chain—affecting the knee, hip, and lower back. Poor stability often leads to altered mechanics, which can overload tissues and eventually cause injury.
Why Stability Gets Lost
Injuries, particularly in the lower leg, can impair stability. Pain often causes muscles in the affected area to underperform or fail to engage properly. This inhibition commonly affects stability muscles, which are critical for maintaining good posture and form. For example, people with low back pain often struggle to activate their glutes, leading to problems like the dreaded hip drop. This causes the knee to collapse inward, and the foot to pronate, all of which are common culprits in lower extremity injuries.
Another sneaky culprit is the ankle sprain. While it might seem like a minor injury at the time, it can set the stage for long-term dysfunction. Ankle sprains interfere with our balance system (proprioception), which is crucial for stability. Research has shown that even an ankle sprain can inhibit the gluteus medius—the hip muscle vital for stability. If this muscle isn’t firing properly, it can cause a cascade of issues up the kinetic chain, eventually leading to more significant problems.
Regaining Control of Your Stability
Improving stability and regaining control of your “ship” is key to preventing further injury. Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where we’ll dive into specific exercises to help runners enhance their stability and strengthen their foundation.
