Forums >Health and Nutrition>Muscle imbalance L/R
I have had consistent suffering on my left side over 6 years - IT/Piriformis/Stress Fractures/Hamstring tear, which often arise when I start any speedwork. I went to the Sport Doc today and he says there is a significant difference in strength between the two sides (you could really feel it on the leg exercises where I pushed up and he pushed down) and a rotation in the pelvis.I'm waiting for an ultrasound to see if anythings up.
Anyone else deal with this? I have been doing PT - recommended hamstring and glute strength exercises pretty religiously. I'd say I have seen a bit of an improvement but I still have the imbalance.I want to do a marathon in the fall but only if I can get stronger.
Is it just a matter of more weight, more time on the exercises or something else they could do?
By the way, mid-50's, running for 6 years, started late in life, pretty lightweight, run about 30k per week, have run a couple of halfs, have orthotics and proper shoes.
Thanks
Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.
You just have to be diligent about doing the exercises.
If the issues pop up primarily when you do speed work, then I think you can still train for a marathon, as long as you stay away from the hard stuff and keep doing your exercises.
Prince of Fatness
I've been dealing with muscle imbalance issues for a couple of years. It started out as a torn hamstring tendon in my left leg and the latest is a pinched nerve issue where my right leg is going numb. I have run most of my adult life but never more than 30 - 40 miles a week until I was in my early 40s. I think that most of this stuff is caused by working a desk job for 25+ years. Sitting is the worst.
I have started doing core work but not enough. Definitely keep doing the exercises to strengthen the hamstrings and glutes. My hamstring issues have disappeared ever since I stopped stretching them and started doing the strengthening exercises. Where I think that you want to stretch is the muscles in the front, psoas and quads. Years of sitting tightens and shortens these muscles, Those lunge type stretches are good. For strengthening I do bridges and leg curls on an exercise ball, and lunges with one of those 5 pound exercise balls over my head. I have also started walking during my lunch hour just to avoid sitting.
I think that core work becomes more important as we get older.
Not at it at all.
I think we all have imbalances, it's just a question of degree.
Old, Slow, Happy
I'll agree with the PotatoHead on this. I've been fighting issues for 2 1/2 years. Mostly because I'm too lazy to do the core work. I got a membership at the local musclehead gym and will work on things other than running. I hope!!
rectumdamnnearkilledem
My hips, knees, and lower back (primarily all on the right side) are agreeing with this. I've long suspected that my right leg is longer than my left. How much, I don't know. And it may not even be that the leg is longer, but that my pelvis is not perfectly straight. These things are pretty common, I gather.
Just about every chronic sort of niggle I've ever had has been on my right side. This is true for running and on the bike (regardless of saddle or shims under a cleat I still end up shifted over to the left on my saddle and I can tell on the indoor trainer that one leg is stronger than the other, which makes my pedaling less smooth and less efficient than it could be). But one thing seems to be increasingly clear to me--when I am diligent with the core work I tend to not have issues.
For the past few months I've felt like I have no core strength...and I've kind of ignored it. But with the nicer weather I'm ramping up my running and biking miles...and those bike miles are outdoors, again. Holy hell, my lower back has been pissed for the past few days. I'm not generally prone to lower back pain, either, so I know I've been very remiss with my core work for that to happen.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I have a full-on evaluation scheduled for next week with a place that came well-recommended. I'm sure I have some L/R imbalances in both strength and flexibility, so I'll report back after the session.
And +1 to everyone having it to some degree. I was in martial arts for a few years, and you could learn pretty quickly which leg a person preferred to kick with, which one he could kick higher with, which side he preferred to move to, etc. And most of these were college kids, who I expected should be flexible and strong.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau