3 Pre-Hab Exercises That Can Prevent Common Running Injuries

At Bridging the Gap Physical Therapy in Naples, Florida, David Lee, PT, DPT, helps runners stay active and reduce injury risk with personalized physical therapy programs. Running places repetitive stress on the body. In fact, with each strike of the foot, you’re hitting the ground with up to three times your body weight.

Without the right attention to strength, flexibility, and stability, all that stress can eventually converge and cause overuse injuries affecting the knees, hips, ankles, or feet. That’s where “pre-hab” can come in. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding pre-hab

Preventive rehabilitation, aka pre-hab, is all about stopping injuries before they have a chance to start. Our physical therapist, Dr. Lee, and our highly trained team specialize in this proactive approach here at Bridging the Gap Physical Therapy.

For runners, pre-hab focuses on targeted exercises that improve balance, flexibility, stability, and muscle support. Our goal with pre-hab is to help your body handle the impact of running as efficiently as possible.

With a good pre-hab routine and smart safety measures, you can reduce the risk of many of the most common issues that plague runners, such as shin splints, runner’s knee, Achilles tendonitis, and hip pain.

Here are three effective pre-hab exercises to consider.

1. Glute bridges 

Weak glute muscles are one of the most common contributors to running injuries. When the glutes aren’t strong, the hips and knees can pay the price by absorbing extra strain.

Glute bridges can strengthen the muscles that stabilize your pelvis and support correct running mechanics.

A glute bridge is simple.

• Lie on your back with knees gently bent
• Keep your feet flat on the floor
• Lift your hips slowly until your body creates a straight line
• Hold briefly, then lower slowly

This exercise may help lower the risk of issues like runner’s knee, hip pain, and IT band irritation.

2. Calf raises 

Your calves and Achilles tendon absorb a tremendous amount of impact while running. Weakness in these areas can increase your chances of developing Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and ankle instability.

Calf raises help strengthen the lower leg and improve shock absorption. It’s as simple as planting your feet to line them up with your hips, then rising onto your toes. Hold the position for a few seconds and squeeze your calf muscles as you do so. You can also do single-leg calf raises as your strength and stability increases.

Consistent calf strengthening can help enhance your natural balance and may help you become a more efficient runner.

3. Clamshells 

Clamshell exercises target smaller hip muscles that help keep your legs aligned while running. Weakness in these important stabilizing muscles can cause the knees to bend too far inward, putting excessive stress on the hips and lower body.

To do a clamshell:

1. Lie on your side with knees bent
2. Keep your feet together
3. Lift your top knee without rotating your hips
4. Lower slowly and repeat

This simple exercise can go a long way in strengthening the outer hip muscles, which in turn helps strengthen the outer hips and improve stability during repetitive motion.

Most running injuries happen gradually over time, with up to 70% happening due to overuse. By adding pre-hab to the mix, you’re conditioning your body to protect you while performing your best.

Our team at Bridging the Gap Physical Therapy can help guide you through a customized pre-hab plan that works for your goals and lifestyle. Call our office at 239-676-0546 or book your appointment online anytime.