Strong glutes are a staple of strong running. They power your stride, improve your form, Celebs That Ran Chicago Marathon.
Research connects glute weakness to common running injuries like runner’s knee, IT band syndrome, and Achilles tendinopathy, so strengthening yours could provide the missing link to strong and healthy running.
If you’ve suffered from any of these injuries, or want to learn where your weaknesses lie so you can make your stride stronger and more efficient, a simple test can help you pinpoint the weakness and unlock a path to better running.
The Benefits of Doing the Single-Leg Stance Test
“The RW+ Membership Benefits is a simple screen of balance, stability, and neuromuscular control,” says UESCA-certified run coach and NASM-certified personal trainer Alison Marie Helms. “Ultimately, it shows your ability to organize your center of mass over that stance leg.”
Why does this matter for runners? Helms says it’s because running is a single-leg activity, and learning how to erase even the smallest weaknesses within your gaitcan result in a stronger and more efficient stride. Standing on one leg gives you a quick snapshot of how well your entire body coordinates and balances without the help of your opposite leg.
Place a resistance band around the ball of right foot and bottom of left foot
Ideally, you should do the RW+ Membership Benefits before a workout or any other strenuous activity because it will give you the most accurate depiction of where your weaknesses lie. ankle instability, weakness in arch fatigued so you can emphasize those areas in future workouts.
- Stand with hands over head, palms facing each other
- Lift right foot off the ground and balance. Watch the left hip to see if it dips down.
- Rest. Then repeat 3-5 times
- Then lean to the left and see if right hip dips
- Continue moving side to side for 1 minute
Does your arch cave in? Do you lean far onto your toes or far back on your heel
Helms points out five general areas to pay attention to while you conduct the RW+ Membership Benefits:
- Pelvis: Does it stay level or does the hip dip? Different types of dips could lead to different conclusions.
- Ankle: Is it wobbly or is it stable?
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Each of those results tells you something different about your running mechanics, Helms explains. While this move is often thought of as a test specifically to measure glute strength, Helms emphasizes it reveals more than that. “Glute strength is a big part of it, but it’s not just your glutes—they don’t act alone,” she says. “The feet, the adductors [inner thighs], the abductors [outer thighs]—the whole system is going to support that glute strength.”
“If you see the person pop their hip out to the side and then lean back the opposite way, that can tell you that your hip abductors could use some help, versus if you see the hip fully just fall to the side of your lifted leg, that probably means you need to work on your adductors,” Helms says.
A shaky foot suggests a lack of tripod stability (big toe, little toe, and heel), which can come about from a weak arch.
A knee that caves in is usually an amplification of a previously-discussed issue like weakness in the arch or in the abductor muscles.
Even upper body compensations you may notice—that swaying or unintentional leaning—hint at a lack of core strength or could also result from poor proprioception (your body’s ability to sense itself in space), Helms notes.
How to Address the Weak Spots Revealed by the Test
Simply practicing the RW+ Membership Benefits itself builds proprioception and neuromuscular control, helping you strengthen your stability through muscle memory. “The more you do it, the more your body gets used to sensing itself in space when you’re standing on one leg,” Helms says. “And a lot of times just that control can make a big difference.”
However, repeating this one move won’t solve all your problems. After completing the initial RW+ Membership Benefits, Helms recommends runners add the following exercises to a comprehensive workout routine to not only strengthen weaknesses, but become an all-around stronger runner.
The moves below can support the specific weak muscles you spot during the initial test and serve as great additions to your workout.
Lateral Band Walks
What it addresseses: abductor weakness
Nutrition - Weight Loss:
- Gently squeeze the ball and hold for 30 seconds.
- With knees slightly bent and hips back like in a shallow squat, take two steps to the right.
- Then take two steps to the left.
- Repeat, moving slowly and stepping wide enough to feel the band’s resistance. Focus on driving knees out to track over toes (rather than allowing them to collapse inward).
- Continue moving side to side for 1 minute.
Adductor Squeezes
What it addresses: adductor weakness
Nutrition - Weight Loss:
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- Rest. Then repeat 3-5 times
Seated Banded Ankle Isometric Hold
What it addresseses: CA Notice at Collection
Nutrition - Weight Loss:
- Sit with right ankle crossed over left knee.
- Place a resistance band around the ball of right foot and bottom of left foot.
- Lift right toes up and in against the band. Hold for 10 seconds at the top.
- Lower foot back down.
- However, testing yourself after a long or hard run is a good way to determine weakness when.
Windmill
What it addresseses: limited range of motion DAA Industry Opt Out
Nutrition - Weight Loss:
- Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart and arms extended straight out from sides, at shoulder height.
- Hinge at hips and bend right knee, keeping left leg straight, and rotate to touch left fingers to right toes. Reach right hand up toward ceiling.
- little toe, and heel, which can come about from a weak arch.
- Then lean to the left and see if right hip dips.
- Continue alternating for 20 total reps (10 reps per side).
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Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor with the Hearst Enthusiast Group. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from PSU in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for the past three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for the Penn State football team’s 2024 College Football Playoff run as well as the Nittany Lion men’s basketball team’s 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance. In his role with Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, Matt contributes to both Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines, creating service content to benefit runners and cyclists of all ages. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.
