What is the Correct Running Form?

• Cadence: A higher cadence has been shown to increase efficiency and decrease impact. Aim for around 170-180 steps per minute. To calculate your cadence, count how many times one of your feet hits the ground in 30 seconds, then multiply by 4.  Try to increase your cadence without increasing your speed.
• Straight Posture: A tall posture, without leaning back or bending at the hips helps keep alignment and improves efficiency. Keep your chest tall and hips forward and keep your body nice and tall, like your mother used to tell you in high school.
• Forward Lean: Leaning forward at the ankles while keeping the body straight brings your weight forward into your next step. Try not to bend forward at the hips, and keep your posture tall.  Imagine a line going from your heels, through your hips and shoulders, inclined forward slightly.
• Midfoot strike: Landing as close as you can underneath you with the foot flat decreases impact and improves loading. A soft heel contact, quickly transitioning to the midfoot is also safe, while limiting overstriding.

These 4 form tips should help to limit excessive force leading to injury.  There are many more aspects of running form that we assess in a running analysis, such as hip drop, knee flexion, and arm swing, which we have not covered here.  Using a high-speed camera, we can dive deep into what is causing your specific problem, and increase running efficiency.  Call us TODAY to schedule your assessment!