If you are like the average ADF member, you have likely struggled with injury from some exercise or another. Running is an exercise that has among the most body impact – much more than swimming or cycling for example. Most people who pursue running as a hobby, or have to do it for work, may at some stage have to stop running at some point because of injury from overuse or wear and tear. The demands of daily life, and walking around in boots, and working at computer desks, and carrying heavy loads, only adds to wear on our muscles and ligaments, feet and knees.
Kelly Starrett is a coach and physiotherapist who helps athletes to reach their performance potential through maximising movement and mobility. He describes his book Ready to Run as a system check or an “owner’s manual for the high-performance runner-for-life”. He aims to help runners not just survive and avoid injury, but thrive and optimise their race performance.
The book empowers runners to diagnose and perform basic maintenance on their own bodies, especially to correct range of motion problems and poor movement. Rather than ignoring nagging injuries, it encourages seeing them as signals for what to work on. Rather than just working on a runner’s aerobic capacity, it advises how to optimise movement to transmit the full potential of running power.
The basic system is to give 10-20 minutes of maintenance work, perhaps as part of warm up or cool down. It is not haphazard stretching but focused (2 minute for each mobilization) work on range of motion issues that need correcting. The system starts with hotspots and then focuses on areas that do not meet twelve standards presented in the book. For mobility issues, the book offers tests about whether the standards need more work or not, and then exercises for improving the area.
Different athletes need attention to different areas, but as an example here are my notes on where I need work:
- Neutral feet. The test shows my feet are naturally neutral (straight and parallel), but it is worth thinking about a neutral spine and midline stabilization with a bracing sequence before running too (i.e. squeeze butt for neutral pelvis, pull pelvis and ribcage into neutral position, shoulders back).
- Wear flat shoes. Work on arches and toes with plantar mobilisations, toe grip, re-animator, and calf smash.
- Supple thoracic spine (not hunched). This reminds me not to hunch over my mobile to text, and use a standing desk and sit as little as possible (every minute sitting does damage to running posture).
- Efficient squatting. Test with 10 air squats in 8 x 20s with 10s rest. Maintain with lots of squats and deep squat positioning. Also do couch stretch, banded ankle mob and low back ball smash
- Hip flexion. To improve mobility do banded hip single-leg squats, glute smash & floss, and hamstring smash
- Hip extension. To improve do couch stretch and banded hip single-leg squat
- Ankle range of motion.
- Warming up and cooling down. This is necessary for any exercise, and needs more for intense workouts. A warm up can be as simple as walking, a mobility drill to open up hip extension and dynamic full-body movements (arm circles, lunges and burpees) or jump rope. Cool down with mobility weaknesses, e.g., couch stretch and deep squats.
- Compression. This reminds me to wear compression pants/socks, especially after workouts.
- No hotspots (compress the area and mobilize above and below).
- Hydration. Drink 2-3 litres water, starting when you wake (and with electrolytes/salt when not with food). Use RRUD stripes to check recovery.
- Jumping and landing. Test with Jump and land on box and 30 single leg hops/skipping. Maintain with plantar flexion overdrive.
So basically good exercises for me to add to my routine are:
- Skipping
- Deep squats
- Jumping
- Couch stretch
- Calf smash (calf on roller or barbell with other leg on top for extra pressure and kneed in and extending foot through range of motion)
- Banded hip single-leg squats (loop hip and lunge)
- Glute smash & floss (with massage ball on box from hamstrings to glutes)
- Plantar mobilisations (with ball)
- Plantar flexion overdrive (on knee and top of foot, lift the knee and stretch top of foot)
- Toe grip (lift a ball)
- Dorseflexion work (in sprinter start position)
- Toe re-animator (massage toes)
Ready to Run is an excellent resource for any athlete wanting to improve performance and avoid injury. Starrett shares more resources at MobilityWOD.com
About the Reviewer
Darren Cronshaw is a Chaplain who has served at Army School of Transport, Puckapunyal, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka and Defence Force School of Signals. He is also Professor of Practical and Intercultural Theology with the Australian College of Ministries (Sydney College of Divinity). His hobby is pushing the boundaries of resilience in Ironman triathlons and is a member of ADF Triathlon Club (ADFTC).