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Runner's knee and IT band pain

Running / Popular

Fix the two most common overuse injuries in running.

What coaches agree on

  • Hip and glute weakness, especially in the muscles that control hip abduction, is the common root cause behind both conditions, so strengthening these muscles is the foundation of any fix.
  • Progress hip and glute strengthening into single-leg, weight-bearing exercises, since that position matches what your leg actually does when you run.
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  • Build up your running volume and intensity gradually, commonly cited as roughly 10% more per week.

Common mistakes

  • Treating the pain as a 'tight' IT band that just needs stretching or foam rolling is a common misstep; coaches describe this as chasing the tightness symptom while the real driver, insufficient strength in the hip and thigh muscles, goes unaddressed.