In our last article (March-April '08), we discussed what proprioception is and how important it is to our running. You should refer to that article in the last issue or find it on www.runwashington.com to better understand the content of this article. Our goal is to improve the coordination of movement between the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. The more efficient we can make our running gait the less susceptible we will be to injury and the more energy efficient we will be. We are going to describe some basic exercises or drills you can use to accomplish this goal. The key is the drills are specific to the running motion and will help us establish better balance as we transmit forces from one leg to the other while in motion.

We will start with the upper body. You have to remember that your arms control what your legs will do. The symmetry of this motion is very important to how smooth your gait will be. Running is a straight forward motion; therefore, your arm carriage needs to be straight forward and back as well. If your arm carriage is uneven from one side of the body to the other it will affect what your legs do. And if you cross your body with your arms as you run, you will have excess rotation and motion through your hips causing more stress to the body.

This "form" drill will help you to smooth out your arm swing: Stand in front of a mirror holding two light dumbbells in your hands (light enough that you could do 20 to 30 repetitions of an exercise). With your arms flexed near 90 degrees, concentrate on the proper arm swing of your running motion, moving your arms back and forth (a bit more exaggerated than your normal motion). Your wrists should pass back and forth at about waist level. The mirror is necessary to ensure good technique throughout the exercise. Start by using weights in both hands for 20 repetitions with the goal of getting up to 30 over time. After a short break, do the exercise holding only one weight (the opposite arm still goes through the motion, then switch) for 15 reps, moving up to 20 over time. Try to do this set at a quicker pace than the two-arm version. The motion should come primarily through the shoulders, not from the elbows. Do not cross your body as you go forward and back. Form drills are very specific to the running motion and will reinforce good proprioception so that you not only get stronger over time, but more efficient as well.

For the lower body, we want to isolate the hips, knees, and ankles in positions that mimic the forces our body takes while running. For that reason we will do "one-legged" drills because we actually balance on one leg at a time as we run down the road. We have one drill that will enhance our biomechanics for impact with the ground (the "stance phase") and a second drill to focus on the "toe-off phase" of our stride. The exercises progress through stages going from a functional movement, balanced weight-bearing movement, and finally balance with external weights used. Owen Anderson, PhD and renowned running expert, says these drills are the best strength exercises for a runner as they "incorporate simultaneous flexion of the hip, knee, and ankle on the full body weight bearing leg and mimics the basic biomechanics of the gait cycle."

One Leg Mini Squat Stand near a wall about arm's length away. You will do the exercise standing on the leg away from the wall and reverse positions to do the opposite leg. Flex the inner leg up to 90 degrees while bending your knee. Using the left leg to start, we would support our weight over the left leg and do a slow, controlled mini-squat, bending the knee to 40 to 45 degrees (do not do a full deep squat!). Hold the position for three seconds before returning to the starting position. Do 12 to 15 repetitions of the movement. In the beginning you can use your hand near the wall for balance, but over time you should progress to doing three sets on each leg while balancing, and then adding dumbbells for external weight. Start with one set on each leg and progress up to three sets over time. When you can do three sets easily you are ready to progress to the next level of resistance.

One Foot Heel Raise is a modified version of the above. You start in the same position on one leg into the mini-squat position. But instead of just straightening the leg out of the movement you will push up onto your toes (almost a "tippy toe" position). Hold at the top for two to three seconds, then lower back to a flat foot position and pause before starting the next movement. It will be much more difficult to balance at the top of the movement but attempt to and you will improve over time. Hold a weight in only one hand so the inside hand is available to help balance and support if necessary.

To review, the goal is to move from one set of 12 to 15 up to three sets over time. We start with the functional weight bearing position, add balance, and finally external weights over time. Initially, you can do these drills every day; when you add weights with balance, three times per week will be sufficient. Do not do these drills prior to running, as we don't want to pre-fatigue the muscles and tendons.

These drills only scratch the surface of the proprioception world. There are many more advanced moves and "bounding" drills to be learned. But these simple drills will start you along the path to more efficient running. We understand it is difficult to convey something visual in writing. If you need further clarification on these drills, please do not hesitate to contact us at our office. Good luck and healthy running!

Drs. McLaughlin and Kulik are available through the Commonwealth Chiropractic Clinic in Reston, VA. They can be reached at (703) 742-7856.