‘Sleeping Glutes’ & ‘Running Injuries’

The functionality of the glutes, for a runner, can be equated to the role performed by tires in a vehicle. But there is a differentiating factor --- a car cannot move with a flat tire, but a runner, sure can, with ‘sleeping glutes’. It is because the tires take the entire responsibility of carrying the weight of the car whereas, the glutes, tend to overload the other muscle group without involving or engaging themselves to their optimal capacity while, at the same time, feeling rested and refreshed when not engaged to the maximum.

The concept of ‘sleeping glutes’ is a fairly new concept in the world of human living, with two major lifestyle contributors:

1. Being desk-bound for hours, months, and years from childhood to adulthood

2. Running being mainly a recreational activity, with the majority of runners glued to a desk-bound lifestyle during non-running hours

These two deadly combinations are more than enough to fuel injuries among runners. The legs, locked at 90° angles for hours, result in:

1. The hip joints losing their optimal movement (after all, it is a ball-and-socket joint and is supposed to move in all directions)

2. The hamstrings becoming passive

3. The glutes, which are meant to be firing into action, tend to become sluggish in their response and engagement due to the sedentary lifestyle

   
   

Runners who spend hours on a chair unknowingly mess up their postural hygiene, which becomes a habitual pattern over the years. The same is then transferred automatically into their running form, leading to innumerable injuries, sometimes really severe ones.

Glute Strength Test

Just one posture, when performed repetitively for around 20 rounds, is capable of tiring your glutes if they are weak. Otherwise, you likely have strong glutes that are engaging optimally during your run.

This one posture – The Vyagrasana – will not only help check the strength of your glutes but can also help strengthen them. You can start with a count of 15 (in case you have weak glutes) and gradually build up from there.

As a beginner	Perform two rounds of 15 & 10	Practice thrice a week
Perform three rounds 15, 12 & 10	Practice thrice a week
At intermediate Stage	Perform three rounds of 18, 15 & 12	Practice thrice a week
Perform three rounds of 20 each	Practice thrice a week

You can slowly build up to performing 30 rounds of three sets. Let the progress be gradual. With regular practice, you will witness an amazing improvement in your running form within a span of a few weeks.

Sciatica

Many runners suffer from sciatica. Non-engagement of the glutes is possibly one of the reasons for that as well. Practicing Vyagrasana can help you get over sciatica, as this is one of the most recommended postures for relief.

Womenfolk

A simple way of getting a toned-up butt.

So, go on, test yourself, practice, and share your experience.

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