What you think is a joint/muscle problem could very well be a sensory issue
I've written posts in the past about the necessity of building good core strength and stability - both in the whole body and on one leg.
But it's actually your brain that ultimately decides whether you should have access to your muscles. And whether your muscles should be allowed to develop full power or whether the brain puts the "brakes" on.
The brain and nervous system are the software that controls your hardware. And it gets far too little attention.
So today we're going to talk about upgrading your software.
Upgrade your movement experience, rethink your "body software" and reach new heights!
We often try to fix our running or other challenging movements by working on selected "hardware" faults, such as the abdominal muscles not being strong enough to avoid a sore lower back or the glutes not getting enough work to relieve the knees.
It makes sense to check the engine if the aircraft can't take off.
But it could just as easily be the computer, and you won't get anywhere until its programmes are updated.
If your brain's map of your body is outdated because you sit down a lot and move too little or too one-sidedly, it won't be able to distinguish between the body's different joints and therefore won't be able to activate the right muscles to do the job.
Nor will it be able to navigate optimally when the speed increases because the brain is unable to correctly interpret the signals that come via the unupdated sensory system. This could be your eyes, which aren't used to keeping an eye on your surroundings, or the balance organ (inner ear) that hasn't been stimulated because you always have your head up.
Unlock your movement potential, overcome the brain's brakes and achieve fluid power and freedom!
Every step will feel exhausting and unnecessarily hard because the brain puts on the brakes and reduces the muscles' ability to develop power, creating locks and tension as a kind of "safety net" in case you fall, since your eyes and sense of balance are calibrated for sedentary life and not speed.
Or if there is a mismatch in what your eyes, balance and joint/muscle senses are telling your brain after a head trauma, whiplash or severe stress.
When your brain can't predict where you are in space - or where your limbs are in relation to each other - in the near future, it doesn't want to risk you getting into an accident. This manifests itself either by you...
The sensory system needs to be recalibrated so that it provides the brain with reliable signals about how the environment changes when you are in motion.
Then the brain can have a sufficient and accurate decision-making basis to figure out whether you should be allowed to move freely and increase the pace and load... Or whether you should be slowed down/locked/slowed down at the slightest doubt as to whether you can navigate in the world around you.