The answer is that it is likely there is an imbalance in the pelvis that is creating extra strain on the ankle and causing it to have to work harder which in turn leads to it being the weak link. With any injury it is important to look at your body as a whole and how everything thing is working and being used, as an imbalance or weakness somewhere else in the body can lead to an injury in an area that is actually quite strong comparatively. An assessment of your posture and muscle function will highlight any imbalances contributing to the issue you may have.

But… back to the ankle and something for you to consider if you have been unable to resolve repeated injuries. The glute medius is a pelvic stabiliser, it keeps the pelvis level when the body is on one foot and indirectly stabalise the knee and ankle. Without a strong and dynamically functioning glute medius the body cannot stabalise lower leg effectively.

You would have seen people running down the street with either their knees rotating in, or their hips droping as they bound into their next stride, or even a torso sway from side to side? The reason for this which also contributes to poor ankle stability is a weak glute medius. When the glute medius is strong it keeps the pelvis level, the femur and knee in alignment and enables the ankle to stabalise perfectly bellow it. It can be a common weakness with lower leg injuries – in particular the ankle.

If you would like some help to prevent or rehabilitate ankle injuries get in touch as we can start by assessing your body with a full postural and muscle imbalance assessment so we can identify the weaknesses in your body that are contributing to some of the problems you might have. A refined, strong athlete very rarely gets injured.

The post Ankle Injury… is it all in the ankle? appeared first on Strength and conditioning coach.

Running is one of the most advance exercises the human body can perform, it requires so many muscles working together to create a smooth and balanced movement that allows only the most refined athlete to push themselves to win races with out the set back of injury.

Most athletes will train in the gym for their strength training, but unless the body functions correctly, sometimes this can be in vain.  The human body has a way of compensating for weaknesses and unless you understand what muscles should be working with certain movements and train it that way, its only a matter of time before something breaks down. One of the most important and neglected muscles in Athletics is the glute medius.

The glute medius wont directly help you run faster but it will stabalise your hips, knees and ankles to enable you to direct your power forward. It also helps to prevent injury by stabalising the pelvis and knees. With out a strong glute medius your pelvis wont stay level when running and it will only be a matter of time before ITB issues or knee problems surface as a result.

If you take your sport seriously and want to understand how your body works, which muscles should be firing and how to strengthen them effectively to excel while minimising the risk of injury training we offer a base conditioning and strength training plan that will help set you way above your competition.

The post Athletics Strength and Conditioning appeared first on Strength and conditioning coach.

This is why before engaging in a strength and conditioning program its important will first analyze your structure, look at your posture and undertake a functional assessment to identify:

• Current Posture
• Tight muscles/long or hyper mobile muscles
• Weak muscles/Strong muscles
• Firing pattern/Movement pattern abnormalities

With this information we can see how you are currently functioning and what needs to be addressed to restore optimum posture and symmetry within your body. We can also address any firing pattern problems and muscle imbalances that if are left untreated will compromise your health and performance as an Athlete.

It is important to note that an assessment is especially important for an athlete who has previously sustained an injury as postural problems and muscle imbalances are likely to have contributed to the injury and are likely still present if they have not been corrected.

A strength and conditioning program for performance can only be implemented successfully once you are functioning optimally, using the right muscles to move and using good posture so that the least amount of wear and tear is sustained on their joints.

To start you journey towards maximising your strength gains in the gym book an assessment so we can design a specific and remedial plan to get you where we need you to be.

The post The Importance of an Assessment appeared first on Strength and conditioning coach.