The Coach Amy and Coach Liz Show
Promoting a healthy and positive experience for endurance athletes.
Coach Amy Coach Liz Podcast cover art.png

The Coach Amy and Coach Liz Show

Created with endurance athletes in mind

Created with endurance athletes in mind. Coaches Amy and Liz have a combined thirty years of coaching and seven decades of competing in endurance sports. They cover topics relevant to athletes at various levels of participation: those training for a personal challenge to those competing for an age group placement or race qualification.

 

Why is mid-back rotation so important for runners?

What’s this episode about?

Coaches Amy and Liz explain how mid-back rotation is responsible for improved stability and efficiency with running and how a lack of rotation can cause many running injuries.

Stranger Things [0-2 min]

Wasp dust.in running shorts?

Thoracic Spine (Midback) Rotation with running

Rotation should occur at the mid back, not the lower back.

What causes a lack of rotation in the midback/ thoracic spine?

  • lack of mobility in the spine

  • poor strength or control of the spine

  • neurological pattern, or wiring deficits

Click on arrow to watch a video demonstrating what rotation should look like when running.

Why is rotation of the midback important?

It decreases your stability and connection to the ground, leading to increased injury and reduced efficiency.

The body compensates for a lack of rotation with a side-bending motion at the lower back, which may lead to injury and pain.

  • pain or strain in the outer hip

  • pain in the outer thigh (IT band) referred from quadratus lumborum ( a low back muscle)

  • strain and impingement of discs and nerve roots of the lower back, which can lead to pain in the SI joint area or sciatica

Four Steps to improve rotation of the midback with running

  1. Practice Coach Amy’s rotation drill, “Rock the Baby” (see video below)

  2. Get an over-ground run evaluation and assessment of the thoracic spine with a physical therapist.

  3. Perform dynamic warm-ups of the midback before running.

  4. Strengthen your powerhouse control of the mid-back: oblique abdominals.


Coach Amy2 Comments