The Role of the Psoas in Running:
Why It Matters and How to Keep It Healthy
When we think about the muscles that power us through our runs, we often focus on the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. But there’s one muscle that plays a crucial role in maintaining proper running form and keeping you injury-free: the psoas. This deep hip flexor muscle is often overlooked, but it has a big impact on running efficiency, stride length, and core stability. Understanding the psoas, how it functions, and how to keep it healthy can help you avoid common running injuries and improve your performance.
What is the Psoas?
The psoas (pronounced "so-as") is a long, deep muscle that connects the spine to the femur. As part of the hip flexor group, it’s responsible for lifting your leg forward, which is essential for running. The psoas works in coordination with your core and leg muscles to support posture, facilitate knee lift, and generate a powerful toe-off.
Important role of the Psoas:
Lifting leg forward
Support posture
Knee lift
Powers the toe-off
When functioning correctly, the psoas allows you to move efficiently.
However, it can lead to several common running injuries when it becomes tight, weak, or overused.
Images from: https://bodyworksprime.com/psoas-major/
Common Psoas-Related Injuries in Runners
An imbalanced or dysfunctional psoas can lead to a host of issues for runners. Here are some common injuries associated with a problematic psoas:
Hip Flexor Strain: A strained psoas can occur when the muscle is overstretched or overworked, leading to pain and tightness in the front of the hip.
Lower Back Pain: The psoas attaches to the lumbar spine, so when it’s tight or inflamed, it can pull on the lower back, leading to pain and even posture issues.
Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome): An imbalanced psoas can cause compensations in your stride, potentially leading to misalignment in the knee joint.
IT Band Syndrome: A tight or weak psoas may cause other muscles, like the glutes, to overcompensate, increasing tension along the iliotibial (IT) band.
Dysfunctional Running Form Linked to Psoas Issues
Running form plays a significant role in psoas health. Certain dysfunctional patterns can overwork or strain the psoas, leading to tightness, weakness, and ultimately, injury.
Overstriding: When your foot lands too far in front of your body, it puts extra strain on the hip flexors, including the psoas. Over time, this can cause the psoas to become overworked and tight.
Excessive Forward Lean: Leaning too far forward while running shifts more of the workload onto the psoas, leading to fatigue and potential strain.
Weak Core Stability: The psoas works closely with your core muscles to maintain posture and balance. If your core is weak, the psoas has to work harder, which can lead to overuse injuries.
Drills and Exercises to Support a Healthy Psoas
The good news is that there are exercises and drills you can incorporate into your routine to strengthen and mobilize the psoas, improving your running form and reducing the risk of injury. Here are a few effective exercises to target psoas health:
Psoas Stretch
How to Do It: Start in a lunge position with your back knee on the floor. Tuck your pelvis slightly, then gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip (the psoas area). Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Why It Helps: Stretching the psoas helps reduce tightness, which can alleviate pain in the lower back and hips.
Knee Drive Drill
How to Do It: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift one knee up towards your chest, focusing on engaging your core and hip flexors. Drive the knee up quickly, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat 10-12 times on each side.
Why It Helps: This drill strengthens the psoas and reinforces proper knee lift, improving stride efficiency.
Bridge with March
How to Do It: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your hips into a bridge position, ensuring your glutes and core are engaged. From this position, lift one knee up toward your chest without letting your hips drop, then lower it back down. Repeat on the other side, alternating for 10-12 reps per leg.
Why It Helps: This exercise strengthens the glutes and core while isolating the psoas for controlled hip flexion, helping with stability and form.
Standing Hip Flexor March with Resistance Band
How to Do It: Loop a resistance band around your ankles and stand tall. Lift one knee up to a 90-degree angle, hold for a second, then lower back down. Alternate legs and repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.
Why It Helps: This exercise strengthens the hip flexors and engages the psoas, improving its endurance and ability to lift the knee efficiently.
Core Stability Planks
How to Do It: Get into a plank position, either on your hands or forearms. Keep your body in a straight line, engaging your core and avoiding any sag in the lower back. Hold for 30-45 seconds, gradually increasing the duration as you build strength.
Why It Helps: A strong core reduces the workload on the psoas, ensuring it doesn’t have to compensate for weak abdominals during running.
Final Thoughts: Keeping Your Psoas Healthy
Your psoas is essential for running efficiently and staying injury-free. By addressing any tightness, weakness, or imbalance in the psoas, you can improve your running form, stride efficiency, and reduce the risk of injuries that often affect runners. Incorporate these exercises into your regular routine to strengthen, stretch, and support this critical muscle.
With a strong, healthy psoas, you’ll be better equipped to enjoy running pain-free, while also enhancing your performance on the road or trail.
Happy Running!
-Dayna (your favorite Exercise Physiologist)
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