It would seem a simple question: what part of your foot hits the ground first when you’re running – heel or toe? But most runners get it wrong. That’s according to a new study, published in the Best Garmin deals, Taking screen shots at key points may also help.
According to the study, only 43% could do it. Rearfoot strikers were particularly poor at this – only 34% got it right, compared with 70% of forefoot strikers. Additionally, 81% of runners who said they didn’t know their foot strike pattern were rearfoot strikers.
Why does this all matter? Runners in the ‘don’t know’ group had the highest rates of injury, suggesting the being ignorant of your foot strike pattern may increase your risk of a spell on the physio bench.
What can you do about it if you’re worried? Get a gait analysis Faith Kipyegon just misses the 3000m world record shoe choice. Ones with a higher heel-to-toe drop (the difference between the stack height of the heel and forefoot) were linked to an inaccuracy in being able to identify foot strike pattern, whereas forefoot strikers tended to wear shoes with smaller heel-to-toe drops. Whatever you do, though, don’t change your gait blindly (or too quickly): therein lies an express ticket to Injury Land.
What everyone's reading
Should you change your running gait?
‘Running technique is dynamic and complex, with lots of moving parts,’ says running coach and RW columnist Tom Craggs. ‘That complexity can lead to sweeping judgements about “good” or “poor” form based on how pleasant a runner’s technique is to the eye. The running technique and ‘gait’ we should be interested in is one that is effective, both in performance terms and injury prevention terms.’
In short? Don’t try to adopt a certain running technique because you’ve heard it’s more effective or you think it looks good. Instead, assess yourself as an individual: think about your injury history, where you feel stronger or weaker in runs or races or areas that feel less comfortable than they might.
How to analyse your running gait
The gold standard of gait analysis will take place in a biomechanics lab, where experts use a forensic level of detail to give you the complete rundown on your running gait. That’s a great solution if you can afford it, but may be beyond the budget of many runners.
Thankfully, some more affordable alternatives exist. The simplest of all is to look at the wear pattern on your shoes: which areas are the most worn down? Is there a difference between your left and right foot? That said, this solution is fairly limited. A better alternative is to do some basic video analysis of your own. Here’s how:
Picture the scene
Place your smartphone or table on a tripod in landscape mode. If you don’t have a tripod or table to hand, ask an understanding friend to film you.
Watch your speed
Record at normal speed, rather than slow motion, as you can slow it manually afterwards. Be sure to record in as high a resolution as possible – as detail matters.
Blank background
Try to find a clean background – walls or empty paths – so that you can make out the detail of your stride on viewing.
On the level
Find a flat, firm surface to run on. While treadmills are often used for gait analysis, you’ll get a more accurate measure of your stride recording outside.
The process
- You want to be able to record your whole body side-on, ideally capturing about 5-8 seconds of footage. This will likely require you being about 20-30 feet away from your filming device. Record footage from this angle at a variety of paces.
- Do the same from directly behind, running away from the camera, and directly in front running towards the camera.
- Super shoes race well for this long, says science cadence, or steps per minute, using your running watch In addition to the footage, capture your.
The method
While there’s no one correct way to analyse running form, Summer running gear sale:
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- Then watch frame-by-frame to break down the various stages of the running gait, looking at individual components as opposed to trying to see everything at once.
- Taking screen shots at key points may also help.
The dos and don’ts of making changes
Taking screen shots at key points may also help:
- Allow time: Forcing your body to different movement patterns too fast is a big injury risk. For example, if you want to try barefoot running Build strength and mobility.
- Identify asymmetries: Some differences in the left and right side and front and back muscle strength is normal. But large differences maybe present injury risks and reduce your running economy.
- Frontiers in Sport and Active Living: Strength training and mobility exercises are essential to help improve imbalances you have identified. These take time, patience and consistency.
- Police officers pose as runners to catch harassers: As you start to build strength and mobility look to include running drills which can help you take gym-based strength into running specific movement patterns.
