The Fitness Pilates Blog

Fitness Pilates and ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome)

Something that came up in class this week was ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome), and it struck me as one of those very common but often misunderstood conditions. I thought it would be a great one to include in this week’s newsletter, so I hope you find it helpful. As always, let me know if you’d like more content like this.

Coming up this week…

Friday: I’m running a 2-hour in-person Reformer Jump Board & Dowel workshop at the studio. If you fancy coming over, learning, moving, and spending some time together in person, you’d be very welcome.

Thursday: A brand new online workshop on Zoom launches —
Fitness Pilates: Classical Mat, including 6-week lesson plans plus a masterclass

More details coming tomorrow — keep an eye out

What is Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (often shortened to ITBS) is an overuse injury where the iliotibial band – a thick band of connective tissue running from the outside of the hip down to the outer knee – becomes irritated and painful, usually near the knee.

Pain is typically felt on the outside of the knee, especially during or after movement.

What causes ITBS?

ITBS usually develops due to poor load management and movement mechanics, rather than one single incident.

Common causes include:

Overuse or sudden increases in training volume
Weak glute medius and hip stabilisers
Poor pelvic or hip control
Repetitive knee flexion and extension (especially under load)
Tightness in surrounding muscles (glutes, quads, TFL)
Poor running or walking mechanics
Limited ankle or hip mobility causing compensation
Asymmetry or imbalance between left and right sides

It’s rarely the IT band itself that’s the problem – it’s usually what’s not doing its job around it.

Who is most commonly affected?

ITBS is most common in:

Runners and walkers
Cyclists
People returning to exercise too quickly after time off
Individuals with poor lateral hip strength
Clients who do lots of squats, lunges, step work without hip stability

Fitness Pilates: What to DO

The goal in Fitness Pilates is to restore hip stability, pelvic control and movement efficiency.

Best exercises to include

Focus on slow, controlled, alignment-led work:

Glute & Hip Stability

Side-lying leg lifts (small range, neutral pelvis)
Clams (with or without band)
Standing hip abduction (upright posture)
Quadruped leg extensions
Single-leg balance work

Pelvic & Core Control

Supine pelvic stability exercises
Dead bug patterns
Side-lying oblique work
Bridge holds with alignment focus
Bridge march (only if pain-free)

Mobility (gentle)

Hip flexor stretches
Glute stretches
Thoracic rotation (to reduce lower-body compensation)
Calf and ankle mobility

Cue alignment over effort and keep reps low and quality high.

Fitness Pilates: What to AVOID (Initially)

During an ITBS flare-up, avoid:

Deep lunges and split squats
Repetitive step-ups
High-rep squats
Jumping or plyometrics
Running or fast walking drills
Side kicks with momentum
Over-stretching the IT band directly

Teaching Tips for FitPros

Work in pain-free ranges only
Slow the tempo right down
Emphasise hip-knee-ankle alignment
Encourage rest days and recovery walks

• • Remind clients that ITBS is a load issue, not a flexibility issue

Everyday we strive to be better teachers.

Have a wonderful day,
Rachel

Whats app 07976 268672

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