Glutes/piriformis While Rowing

[[old] kimm]

Hi<br /><br />Been rowing for sev. years. Pain in my glute area, both sides. Feels like a hammer is continually hitting me there while rowing. Don't think it seat related although padding helps some.<br /><br />Continued contraction of gluteals seems to be the issue whether at the beginning or end of the season when I am fully conditioned. Stretching helps afterward but pain returns next row.<br /><br />Similar experiences...solutuins?<br /><br />K<br /><br />

[[old] mpukita]

<!--quoteo(post=57870:date=Mar 1 2006, 11:35 AM:name=Kim)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Kim @ Mar 1 2006, 11:35 AM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hi<br /><br />Been rowing for sev. years. Pain in my glute area, both sides. Feels like a hammer is continually hitting me there while rowing. Don't think it seat related although padding helps some.<br /><br />Continued contraction of gluteals seems to be the issue whether at the beginning or end of the season when I am fully conditioned. Stretching helps afterward but pain returns next row.<br /><br />Similar experiences...solutuins?<br /><br />K<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Kim:<br /><br />I got this a week or so ago when I changed my stroke and started to row strapless. It seemed like I was clenching my glutes at the end of the drive to keep myself from falling off the darned erg. Now, it's easier for me to row strapless (better form I hope), and the pain (soreness actually) has gone away ... maybe I've just worked those muscles through the soreness stage. Hope that doesn't mean my backside gets bigger!<br /><br /> <br /><br />Sorry this is not much help, as it seems you have it full time, with no relief.<br /><br />-- Mark

[[old] John Rupp]

Taking breaks helps, for example 30s every 12 1/2 minutes when rowing steady, or 2:00+ when rowing more intensely.<br /><br />Stretching with legs split, i.e. with one forward and one behind, helps more than with legs together.

[[old] Porkchop]

There are a couple of piriformis stretches you could try. Here is a simple one: Lie on your back with knees bent; put one ankle on the opposite knee; straighten your leg and place your hands behind the knee of your straight leg and pull your leg toward your body. The effect of this will be to stretch the glute and piriformis on the side of your bent leg. You can intensify this by pushing back on the knee of the bent leg while pulling on the back of the knee of the straight leg.