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Hey there Reader

Are you caught in the injury loop?

You fix one thing—your knee pain—and then suddenly your IT band starts acting up. You stretch, you foam roll, you buy the latest max-cushion running shoes. You watch videos on running form and cadence. Yet, the pain always comes back. Different spot, same story.

So what’s really going on?

Here’s the hard truth:
​You’re probably treating the symptoms, not the cause.

Let me explain…

🧠 The Real Problem Isn’t What You Think

You’ve been told to stretch more. To buy better shoes. To fix your form. But none of those things can override a fundamental imbalance in your body.

And here’s what most runners overlook:

This leads to a subtle, but powerful hip misalignment that shifts your pelvis, strains your knee, and causes one leg to behave like it’s shorter than the other. It’s like driving a car with a bent axle—everything gets thrown off, and something eventually breaks.

🦵 The Overworked vs. the Underworking Side

On your dominant side, you’ve got:

• Tight hip flexors
• Overworked quads
• A cranky low back

On the weak side? Your glutes (especially glute medius) have gone MIA. They’re not stabilizing your pelvis or supporting your stride. So other muscles pick up the slack. And guess what? That tight IT band or sore knee is just doing someone else’s job.

If you don’t fix this imbalance, your injuries will keep rotating, just like your running shoes.

🧪 Quick Self-Test: Find Your Imbalance

Try this right now:

1. Stand on one leg for 30 seconds.
2. Repeat on the other side.

✅ Can you hold your balance without flailing, sagging, or hip dropping?
❌ Does one side feel solid and the other like a wobbly house of cards?

If there’s a noticeable difference—that’s your red flag. That’s the imbalance holding you back.

🔧 2 Exercises to Rebuild Stability and Strength

You don’t need a fancy gym routine. Just start here:

1. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Wake up the glutes on your non-dominant side and teach them to do their job.

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
• Focus on keeping hips level and controlled

2. Side Plank

The #1 move for targeting the glute medius (your hip stabilizer).

• 3 sets of 30 seconds per side
• Don’t let your hips sag—quality matters more than duration

Do these 3x per week, and aim for perfect form. You’re not building a sweat—you’re building control.

🎯 Bottom Line

👉 Stop chasing symptoms.
👉 Start fixing the root cause.
👉 And say goodbye to the endless injury cycle.

It’s not your shoes. It’s not your form. It’s your foundation.

💬 Let’s Hear It

Did one side feel weaker during the balance test?
👉 Hit reply and let me know which one.
I love hearing from you, and it helps me know what to create next!

And if you found this helpful, you’ll love the full video where I break this all down even further (with visuals):
📺 Watch the full breakdown here →

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Let’s get you back to running strong and pain-free.

To healthy hips and happy miles,

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(THIS POST PROBABLY CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. OUR FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY IS REALLY BORING, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.)

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Hope you had a great time and found something useful! I'm here to help!

Keep Running!

Doc Abby

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​The Runner Doc​

Helping you stay injury free and on the road (or trail) running!

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