Tag: Running Form

We provided an overview last week on proper running form, but some things require a deeper dive. Today we’re going to look at foot strike.

What is foot strike and how does it affect your run?

This term refers to how your foot strikes the ground as you run. Either the front of your foot , the middle of your foot, or the rear will make contact with the ground first. Although no one foot strike is better than another, each one can benefit your run in a different way. Striking first on the rear part of the foot reduces the load at the Achilles tendon. While a forefoot strike, or the striking with the front of your foot first, reduces the load on the knee. By changing your running style, you are simply moving the location and the load applied to your body from running. Check out the video below for more information!

Rethinking rearfoot strike

Aside from being most popular, the rearfoot strike is also the most critiqued form. Here are a couple reasons of thought behind the criticism:

Braking force

Landing this way requires more braking force than the other options, meaning you lose forward momentum when your heel strikes the ground. This braking affects your speed and results in a less efficient foot strike method.

Consider too that braking force can be caused by a slew of other reasons. You could be over striding, which means your foot is landing too far further out in front. If you’re over striding, it will contribute to braking no matter what your foot strike is.

Impact on knees and other joints

The rearfoot strike does have a harder impact on your knees and other joints. Since impact is magnified by pace, a rearfoot strike may not cause problems at a slower pace.

But the harder you run with this technique, the more you’ll feel it. Interestingly, when you reach “sprinting” speeds, your body should naturally push into a mid- or forefoot strike to protect the joints.

Things to know before changing your foot strike

Just like any alterations to your running form, changing your foot strike is hard to do on a consistent basis. This rings especially true if you are still new to running and trying to find your rhythm, or your level of conditioning doesn’t allow for relaxed runs in which you can focus on foot strike.

Deliberately changing how your foot lands can sometimes shift an injury from one area to another. For example, a knee injury while rearfoot striking may resolve once you’ve adjusted your foot strike, but if you change too suddenly, you may start seeing problems in your calves.

The point here is to start slow, try your best, and listen to your body. If you start feeling irregular soreness or pain, back off the alteration. And always see your doctor if you have concerning pain.

Look at other aspects of your form

There are many ways to improve your running form. Should you put the time into adjusting your foot strike, or are there other areas you could focus on first, like arm swing or posture?

Identify what’s causing the most issues for you, or what improvements align best with your goals. If you’re struggling with knee pain, foot strike may be the best thing to tackle. But if you’re looking to improve speed, maybe check your cadence and stride first.

We’ll actually be delving into cadence and stride (the speed makers) in the next Strong Body post, so stay tuned. Subscribe to keep up on the latest content and news.

Today we’re going to dive into running form!

When starting your journey, the main objectives should be getting acclimated to running and building a base mileage for yourself. So focus your running form on injury prevention. You can shift your form toward optimization and efficiency gains as you improve.

There are so many important components when it comes to having a good understanding of running form. Today we will be taking a quick look at five!

Good Posture

First up is good posture. This refers to staying long and tall! Make sure you are centered and stabilizing your core.

Running with good posture can not only increase running efficiency, but also open your airway so you can breathe easier. It can also reduce injuries to your lower back, knees and hips. That alone should make you want to run with better posture!

Foot Strike

Second on our list is foot striking! This refers to which part of your foot comes in contact with the ground first.

The most common foot strike is a rear foot strike, sometimes called a heel strike. Mid-foot and forefoot strikes are also pretty common. The rear foot strike is the most critiqued form.

Cadence

Third up is Cadence! This is the number of steps you take in one minute. Cadence is the first building block of speed. Most average runners are in the 150-170 range, but an ideal range is closer to 180.

You can find yours with most smart watches or by simply counting the number of steps you take in one minute. Check out this smart phone app called Cadence Trainer if you want to improve your speed!

Stride Length

Fourth on our list is stride length. This is the distance between successive ground contacts of the same foot. Think of this as the measurement of two steps forward.

Stride length is the second building block of speed. Cadence + stride length = speed! Increase one or the other and you increase your speed.

Rotational movement

Last but not least we have rational movement. This refers to your arm swing.

Runners can develop a tendency to swing their arms with rotational movement, which is counterproductive. You want your shoulders to stay grounded and your arms swinging forward and back without your shoulders jumping vertically.

Running form to start your journey

When starting out, your focus should be on building a running habit and increasing base mileage. Remember, injury prevention is the key in the beginning. We’ll optimize later.

And remember that we are all built differently.  We would never recommend anyone make drastic changes to their running form based on what is considered “correct” or “proper.”  If you choose to apply some of these principles, do so slowly and gradually.

If you want to take these 5 components to the test, sign up for our next race here!

And we’ll be taking a deeper dive into these five components in upcoming blogs so subscribe so you don’t miss out!