Keep Getting Running Injuries? The 'UHBE' Test Could Reveal Why

Runner with a sore kneeYou may already know how many sit-ups and push-ups you’re meant to be able to do by age and gender, as well as how long you’ll ideally be able to hold a plank or stand on one leg.These can measure everything from your biological age to your dementia risk. But what about your balance and stability – factors Harvard Health says can influence your risk of falling and injury, and which are key to pain-free running?The key to ensuring those are in the best possible nick, they add, is strengthening your core (a group of muscles that extends far beyond the six-pack abs you may associate with a strong core). As it turns out, the best way to test your core strength also seems to reveal the strength of your hip flexors too – all key muscles to prevent running injury.Try a unilateral hip bridge endurance test (UHBE) A 2016 paper sought to find the best way to measure core strength at a clinical level. The scientists assessed two common core stability tests: the trunk stability test (TST) and the unilateral hip bridge endurance test (UHBE). The TST is essentially a push-up test. It asks participants to lie face down on the ground and push their body up with their hands planted on the floor. Their back, shoulders, and knees should not sag or dip. This test is scored from 0-3, with 0 meaning they failed to complete the move and had pain (3 is a perfect, pain-free push-up).The unilateral hip bridge endurance test asks people to lie down flat and lift their hips up from the surface they’re lying on, lifting one leg. They are asked to keep their hips straight, avoiding dipping up buckling, for about 10 seconds. Pain, inability to complete the move to the full 10 seconds, and not feeling the move in your glutes can all be signs of issues.Researchers found that compared to the TST, the UBHE test seemed to be far better at gauging your core strength, especially as it relates to your lower body.It’s also a great way to assess your glute and hip strength, and because it’s a unilateral move, you can see whether one side is weaker than the other. How can I improve my core and hip strength?Ironically, the move UBHE test emulates – a single-leg hip bridge – can help to grow and stabilise your lower core and hip flexors. Trying a front plant with a banded hip extension or trying a standing knee lift can also help, Runner’s World says.Harvard adds that something as mundane as housework and gardening can strengthen your key stability muscles too. Whichever weakness or imbalance you need to address, though, the UBHE test may be an underrated way to find out about it in the first place.Related...I Took My VO2 Max From 'Fair' To 'Excellent' With This Running PlanI Tried 'Jeffing' And My Running Pace SkyrocketedRunning Got Me Out Of The Worst Mental Health Dip Of My Life – Here's How I Started From Zero

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