The most effective tools for strong, healthy running are often the least sexy. Stability training may get less attention than speed and strength, but it is a key component of running efficiently and injury free.
Stability is a vague concept for many runners. It’s easy to understand the idea of building strength, whether through bodyweight work or heavier lifting. But what exactly is stability and how does it impact our running?
Building stability starts from the ground up. As runners the first part of our body that strikes the ground is our foot, and without stability in our feet and ankles, our body is forced to work hard to compensate. Most injuries happen as a result of decreased stability – not a lack of strength.
Stability also allows us to transform the strength we build into faster, more efficient running. The good news is that building stability doesn’t require hours of strenuous workouts – most of what we need can be accomplished in a few short sessions each week.
Jay Dicharry on stability, proprioception and body awareness
This week’s podcast guest has a Masters of Physical Therapy and is a board certified sports clinical specialist. Jay Dicharry is an author, innovator and coach who has built an international reputation as an expert in biomechanical analysis. Jay has written 2 books many runners may be familiar with: Anatomy for Runners and Running Rewired.
Jay is also the inventor of the MOBO board, a tool that helps you build stability in multiple planes of motion. The board is unique in how it teaches you to drive your big toe into the ground – an essential concept in creating a more stable foundation for your running.
Use code STRENGTHRUN10 to save 10% on your MOBO Board!
In our discussion, Jay and I focus on the importance of stability and how to build it in your running and daily life. We address:
- How injury is more impacted by stability than strength
- What it means to “drive the big toe” into the ground
- Why stability is the foundation of training (& why you can’t fire a cannon from a canoe!)
- How a lack of balance and stability can impact us as we age
- The importance of varying your footwear
- Why and how to implement stability-focused workouts into your routine
Jay’s expertise and ability to translate complex concepts into actionable advice is sure to benefit your running, Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Learn more about the MOBO board (Code STRENGTHRUN10 saves 10%)
- Visit Jay’s website
- Follow Jay on Instagram
- Visit Jay on Linked in and YouTube
- Listen to our previous discussion on pain free running
Thank you MOBO Board!
Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that’s set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the bboard to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!
Even if you’re a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You’ll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it’s not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com
Thank you Elemental Labs!
A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.
Elemental Labs’ products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.
There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack.
