The Easy Way To Share Load And Protect Your Knees
You can run more efficiently without beating up your knees or overworking your back. One of the easiest wins is lining up how your ribcage and pelvis rotate while you load a basic lunge or hip hinge. When those two pieces work together, your stride feels smoother, your hips do more of the work, and your core supports you instead of just bracing hard.
What I mean by stack and rotate
Stacking means gently positioning your ribs over your pelvis so your diaphragm and pelvic floor work together. Rotation is the natural turn through your torso as your legs alternate. Stack first, then rotate. Think tall through the crown of your head, soften the front of your ribs, and use a long exhale to set it.
Why this matters for runners
It reduces overstriding so your foot lands closer under you instead of out in front.
It shares load better through hips trunk and feet so your knees and low back do not take the hit.
It stores and releases elastic energy so you get more free propulsion from each step.
A quick self check
Stand in a split stance with your left foot forward. Gently hinge your hips while reaching your right hand forward and your left hand back. Keep your ribs over your pelvis and feel your front hip load without the knee collapsing in or the low back arching. Keep a light tripod under the foot heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe and let the knee track over the middle toes. Switch sides and compare.
A fast warm up before you run
Not everyone wants a long routine. Here are two options.
Three minute reset
Ninety Ninety breathing with reach
Lie on your back with knees and hips at right angles and feet on a wall. Lightly squeeze a pillow between your knees. Reach your arms to the ceiling. Take four slow breaths with long exhales and feel the ribs soften down.Split stance hip hinge with reach
Left foot forward. Small lean over the front leg. Right hand reaches forward and left hand back. Keep a light tripod under the front foot and let the knee follow the middle toes. Five smooth reps each side. Stay tall and quiet through the ribs.Wall march exhale
Hands on a wall with a light forward lean. March slow. Exhale as the knee lifts. Eight controlled marches each side.
Seven to ten minute upgrade
Add the two drills below to the three minute reset.
Step back lunge with overhead reach
Step your right foot back into a small lunge as both hands reach up. Exhale to come back. Six to eight reps each side. Maintain the tripod under the front foot and let the knee travel over the middle toes without collapsing inward.Stride pickups
Pickups are short relaxed accelerations to groove cadence and posture. After an easy jog, run comfortably faster for twenty to thirty seconds while staying tall with quiet ribs and natural arm swing. Keep the tripod as you roll through the foot. Walk or jog easy for the same time. Do two to four pickups.
Common mistakes and easy fixes
Overbracing the abs
If your neck or jaw gets tight, exhale longer and soften the front of the ribcage.The front knee collapses inward
Keep a light tripod heel, base of the big toe, base of the little toe and guide the knee over the middle toes. Think gentle pressure through all three points rather than jamming the big toe.Arching the low back during the reach
Shorten the distance between your sternum and belt line before you move.
How to build this into strength work
Rear foot elevated split squat with a light reach forward on the opposite arm while holding the tripod under the front foot.
Single leg Romanian deadlift with a small reach across to encourage rotation around the stance hip while keeping the knee over the middle toes.
Half kneeling cable chop with calm exhales and rib control.
Do two or three sets of eight to ten controlled reps. You are training rhythm and control more than maximum strength here.
The takeaway
Stack first, then rotate as you load the front hip. Use the quick reset before runs, sprinkle these positions into strength, and keep the foot tripod so the knee tracks well. Your knees and back will feel better and you may notice a little free speed.
If this clicked and you are curious how it should feel for you, let’s make it simple.
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