WHY DOES ITB PAIN HURT RUNNING DOWNHILL AND NOT UPHILL? Part 2. Rehab & Strength Exercises.

In part 1, we briefly highlighted the biomechanics of downhill and uphill running and hinted why this knowledge is important in rehabilitating ITB overload. Below are some exercise ideas to help increase the added eccentric demands of downhill running.

Single leg squat lower:

Emphasising the eccentric component allows us to add more load. Generally, we are 1.25 x stronger eccentrically than concentrically, meaning we should be able to single leg lower a higher load, than we can single leg squat it back up.

Weighted reverse nordic:

Eccentric quads strength to handle the increased impact and shock absorption demand of downhill running and unload the passive structures such as the ITB.

Hip External Rotation:

Improve eccentric control of hip IR to decrease the velocity of the hip dropping into valgus.

Trap bar tall to short:

Learning to eccentrically control to improve quads strength for active muscular shock absoprtion.

Step back:

Eccentrically controlling hip flexion to improve the added demands of higher horizontal braking force with downhill running.

Prone hip abduction lifts:

Adding muscle mass and hypertrophy to glute med. to help improve its large role as a lower limb shock absorber in the first half of stance phase.

Kettlebell rearfoot elevated split squat:

Loading up single leg strength to handle the eccentric demands.