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Glute function and running

Glute function and running

I’m sure you can agree that we have all had some form of tightness or niggle after doing exercise especially running post a time of inactivity – whether it be after a long week at work or just coming off two weeks of Christmas puddings and relaxing on the beach.

We have evolved over thousands of years as a species who survived by walking on average 10-12km per day which constantly strengthens our bodies. We thrive off regular movement and we wonder why we get injuries when we try and go for a long run on the weekend after sitting or standing static for most of the hours we are at work.

Our gluteals are a powerful group of muscles that work hard to provide upright posture and help with driving the movement of walking and running.

A common reason for injury can result from either weak or long term non-use of the gluteals due to periods of inactive postures, such as sitting for long periods.

A common misconception is to massage and stretch and area which can give short term relief, but the underlying cause could be from a weak area that requires strengthening.

Doing small exercises to keep these muscle groups strong as demonstrated in the videos below may help prevent injuries such as lower back pain, gluteal tendon pain and strains of the hamstrings and calves.

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