Hamstring Mobility For Runners

As runners, our bodies take quite a beating during training and racing.  We some times feel these effects pretty quickly after a run, but more often, it's a more gradual issue.   And when these nagging issues go untreated, they can become more bothersome and even painful, affecting performance.  One common area of concern for runners is the hamstring complex (the muscles on the posterior side of your thigh).  When the hamstrings become very tight and sore, it is often a sign of a strain (when a muscle is stretched or torn).  In most acute cases, runners find temporary relief with stretching and foam rolling, so they assume this is the only way to treat bothersome hamstrings.  But throwing your foot up on a park bench forcing yourself into a stretch or applying tons of pressure to an already tender muscle can actually be counter productive.  In reoccurring or ongoing situations (which is most common among distance runners), hamstrings feel "tight" and sore because they are actually over-lengthened.  Which is probably why stretching and rolling has not provided much relief at this point.  So what can you do when your hammies are sore, tight or painful and it starts affecting your run?  Below are some mobility exercises you can incorporate into your cross-training and/or warm up to help treat and prevent hamstring issues.

But first, let's identify the function of the hamstrings, how they become tight and how that can effect your running.

What Do the Hamstrings Do?
Your hamstrings include the large muscles that run along the back of your thighs, from your pelvis to the top of your lower legs, called the biceps femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus.  In their simplest form, they bend the knee.  But from a functional standpoint, they serve to decelerate hip flexion and knee extension, and help to slow the foot before initial ground contact.  So blah blah blah, basically in distance running, hamstrings play a key roll in the drive phase, which is where you generate the most power.  And more power = better running economy.

How Are They "Injured"
Hamstring problems are common among distance runners who have significantly increased their workload or prematurely introduced speed work.  Unlike sprinters or other athletes who use quick, explosive movements, hamstring strains occur more gradually for distance runners rather than an immediate "pull" during a particular exercise.  Runners may also notice how their tightness tends to ease up during running but return afterwards.  This is why many runners assume their hamstrings are just "tight" and simply need to be stretched or rolled.  But as mentioned above, hamstring strains in distance runners are caused by the continual over-lengthening of the muscles.  Once a muscle is strained, it tends to further tighten and become painful when stretched and palpated, which is why stretching and rolling can actually aggravate the strain even more.

How To Prevent Injury
Having a well-rounded program which includes a progressive mileage build up, appropriate speed work and of course strength and conditioning will help prevent hamstring strains (as well as other nagging injuries).  Keep in mind, your strength and conditioning program is not simply limited to weight training and should also include stability, flexibility, ploymetircs as well as restorative exercises (I will go into more detail about the other components in later posts).   For now, let's discuss some hamstring specific mobility exercises we use with our athletes at our facility.  As I mentioned above, simply stretching can actually be counterproductive. So the following exercises provide a more integrated approach to improving hamstring strength and mobility for injury prevention.

Walking Scoops

Coaching Cues: Step one foot slightly in front of the other.  Flex the forward foot while keeping the knee extended (straight) and scoop your arms down towards the ground then upwards.  Repeat with the other foot to the front and do about 10 scoops per foot, reaching deeper each time.


Side Lunge with Toe Up

Coaching Cues: Take a wide lateral step with one leg, bending that knee and drawing your hips down and back.  Keep the opposite leg straight and rotate the flexed foot upwards towards.  Hold for a 3 count, returning back to original standing position and repeating on opposite side.  Perform 10 reps per side.

Wall Reaches

Coaching Cues: Stand several feet away from the wall with feet together.  Hinging forward from the hips, extend one leg straight behind you with your flexed foot pointing straight down to the ground, and reach both arms forward towards the wall.  Return to original standing position and repeat 10 reps per side.

Banded Leg Drops

Coaching Cues: Place a large elastic band (or yoga strap) around the arch of your foot.  Draw both legs straight up above your hips.  Lower the NON-BANDED leg straight down towards the ground and lift back up to original position.  Repeat 10 reps per leg.

When to Decrease or Stop Running?
So with all that being said, there still remains the question, to run or not to run with "tight" hamstrings?  As long as you feel no major discomfort, it is OK to continue running with a moderately tight hamstring.  At that point, mobility exercises along with foam rolling and stretching may be all you need.  Consider eliminating speed work and decreasing your weekly mileage until tightness subsides.  If running is painful, I would suggest taking several days off completely.  Avoid over-stretching the hamstring to prevent further tears.  Use the foam roller sparingly if at all when the muscles are very tender to not further irritate the tissue.  Take it slow and easy when returning to running and be sure to incorporate mobility exercises into your warm up and cross training.  After all your efforts you're still experience hamstring concerns or the injury seems to be rather significant, discontinue activity and seek the help of a medical professional for further treatment.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this blog is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual.  If you believe you have a true medical concern, you should contact your medical care provider.  I am, however, a certified strength and conditioning coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  The above information is from my expertise working with competitive athletes, fellow runners and from my own personal experience.

Hurts So Good: Foam Rolling 101

When I first learned about foam rolling about 10 years ago, I initially thought it was odd and useless.  I was working as a personal trainer at a large health club and I remember one of the master trainers raving about it so I figured I would give it a shot.  I laid on the long peace of foam, rolled vigorously back and forth for like 5 seconds and insisted it had no benefit.  Luckily for me and my future client, that master trainer caught me with my terrible foam rolling technique and took some time to show me how to properly use it.  And let me tell you, it changed my life!  Since then, foam rolling has not only become a regular part of my training regimen (just as important to me as a training run or lifting session) but also a staple in our training programs for all of our athletes.  Foam rolling and other forms of SMR (self miofascial release), if done properly, have several great benefits which I will discuss below.  However, people often neglect rolling because they feel as if they have time or do not see immediate benefits from it.  So I will also cover proper technique, key areas to roll and tips for incorporating rolling into your training routine.

Benefits of Rolling
First, let's discuss why we roll.  Our active lifestyle, from running to lifting weights, causes our muscles to tighten up.  These tight areas, or "trigger points," can eventually lead to weak areas which, if neglected, can potentially lead to injury.  Loosening up tight tissue not only alleviates discomfort, but it can also help you become a more efficient athlete with increased range of motion, better form and improved running and economy.  Waiting until you feel significant tightness and pain, however is not the solution and often where people go wrong when it comes to SMR.  Foam rolling is not just for rehabilitation, rather it is a great tool for preventing muscles from getting too tight, which of course will aid in recovery, prevent soreness and, of course, prevent injury.

When to Roll
As I stated above, don't just wait until your sore to roll.  Use roam rolling as a preventative tool as a part of your regular training routine to see the most benefit.  At our gym, we have our athletes roll out before each training session, and even during and after if necessary.  I myself, as a runner and weight lifter, typically start each of my training sessions off with several minutes of foam rolling focusing on key areas.  So to answer the question of "when should you foam roll?" here are a couple of key things to remember:

1. Rolling can essentially be done daily
2. Do not wait until you are sore, roll regularly
3. Roll BEFORE training sessions as a part of your warm up to loosen up tight muscles
4. If you experience tightness during or after a workout, take a moment to roll that specific area
5. Rolling does not necessarily have to occur during training, it can be done first thing in the morning or even at night, just make time for it!

Types of Rollers
At our facility, we have several types of tools including regular long rollers, half rollers, "The Stick," and lacrosse balls for our athletes' SMR needs.  I typically suggest to people to first invest in a long roller that can be purchased anywhere from online to running stores and even Target or Marshalls.  You do not have to break the bank buying the latest and greatest products in SMR.  A simple long piece of foam will serve as a great tool to loosen up those tight muscles.  Here is a break down of what we use and for what:

1. Long Roller: Can be used for most areas, especially larger muscle groups like quads, glutes and adductors.  Long rollers are also great for the back, lats and of course those pesky IT Bands.
2. Half Roller: Although not necessary if you have the long roller, half rollers can be a little more user friendly for hamstrings and calf muscles.
3. "The Stick": Is great for zeroing in on tight calf and soleus muscles as well as peroneals.  If you do a good amount of traveling, The Stick is a great investment because of it's size, it can be a great SMR tool for on the go.
4. Lacrosse Ball: Yes, you can purchase a fancy rolling ball from a running store, but if you can get your hands on a lacrosse ball, there are several areas you can roll with this simple tool.  The neck and shoulder area, certain regions of the hips and the rotator cuff are all areas that a hard lacrosse ball can help loosen up.
5. Others: If you head into a running store or search around online, you can be overwhelmed with the practically endless types of SMR tools available as well as the claims that each product is "the best in the industry."  My advice when it comes to starting off with foam rolling (and actually when you start off with anything) is to keep it simple and fairly inexpensive.  Invest in one good roller that seems to suit your needs and commit to using it before breaking the bank on all the products on the shelves.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Foam Roller
I've discussed the importance of rolling, when to roll and of course what to use.  Now I will cover some key things to remember as you roller in order to get the most out of it.  Like I said above, my first experience with foam rolling was less than impressive, and this was of course I was doing it all wrong.  Many times, I will see people lay on a roller, rapidly roll back and forth for a handful of seconds (pretty much exactly how it went down the first time I tried it), hop up and proceed with their workout or leave the gym thinking they just successfully broke up all that tight tissue.  Sure they have seen pictures in magazines or other people at the gym foam roll the same way, so they think they are doing in right.  And maybe they did get something out of it that way (mostly likely a placebo effect though). In order to feel the full benefits from SMR, one must be a little more methodically with their rolling.  So here are a key things to consider next time you grab your roller, stick or ball:

1. Start with larger muscle groups like the quads, glutes and hamstrings, then work your way into the smaller ones.
2. Find the "trigger points," or areas of tightness and discomfort, and focus on breaking up those areas the most.  If you feel nothing over a certain muscles, don't spend too much time there.
3. Roll directly over the tightest spots, as it becomes less and less tense, begin rolling further away from that area to cover more ground and loosen up more tissue surrounding it.
4. Take slow deep breaths, letting out long slow exhales as you roll over those extra tight spots that cause you discomfort while rolling.
5. Spend on average about 20-30 seconds per area, longer for the tighter areas.  This really should take only about 10 minutes of your time, so no excuses on skipping out on it!

What to Roll
Here are the key areas we focus on rolling with our athletes:

Glutes: Sit on top of foam roller.  Rest ankle on top of thigh.  Place same arm behind body.  Lean toward the bent leg side and roll forward to back over glute.

IT Band: Lay sideways with outer thigh (IT Band) on top of roller.  Place bottom forearm on grown beneath shoulder and top hand down for support.  Cross top leg over bottom placing foot on ground.  Roll body forward to back. 

Quads: Lay upper thighs on top of the roller with forearms rested on the floor for support.  Roll from top to bottom of thighs and back up.

 

Hamstrings: Place foam roller underneath one leg.  Use your arms to help hold your hips off the floor.  Roll up and down over hamstrings.

Adductors: Place roller parallel to body.  With forearms underneath shoulders for support, place inner thigh on top of the roller with knee bent.  Roll from upper thigh down towards the knee and back up.

Lower Back: Place foam roller underneath your low back.  Place hands behind head to support neck.  Lift hips off floor and roll up and down low back.

Upper Back: Lay your shoulder blades on top of foam roller.  Cross your arms across your chest.  Lift your hips off floor.  Roll foam roller up and down your upper back.

Lats: Place roller underneath upper lats, roll up and down along lats.  Then, laying on roller, roll chest front to back.

Calves: Place The Stick on top of the calf muscle below knee, roll Stick down and up the calf.

Peroneals: Place The Stick on outside of the lower leg, above ankle.  Roll Stick up and down the lateral leg.

For more information on foam rolling, recovery and training, contact Coach Christina today at 407-960-4705.