The runner must be careful to avoid causing an injury by changing technique too quickly. It is not unreasonable for the transition to take up to 6 months or longer before someone can comfortably change landing technique safely and resume running distances equal to the amount that was routine prior to the change.
Attempting to change the landing technique too quickly, can result in soft tissue, bone or joint injuries to the lower extremities. Most of these injuries can be successfully treated in Physical Therapy, but they require a period of rest that includes no running. The Physical Therapy treatments will include numerous modalities to address the inflammation and pain and several exercises to stimulate blood flow to help the healing process and strengthen the muscles.
Running can be a great way to get a cardiovascular workout but it can create major problems for the lower extremities for some people.
The landing technique that a person uses during the running gait can lead to an impact force that is not dampened by the lower extremities muscles. Changing the landing technique is possible, but it will take a long time to do it and most likely require the use of biofeedback techniques of some kind.
Your email address will not be published. I had the same experience as you, Carlin. I started landing on my forefoot and found it extremely difficult to be continued. As a physical therapy student, one of the questions I almost always ask from my ankle, calf or knee injured patients is whether they are heel strikers or forefoot strikers and also, whether they wear shoes with proper support or not.
Considering the large number of injuries related to running and joint biomechanics and rate and magnitude of the impact, it is important to find out the leading cause or causes of injuries and try to correct them as much as we can.
Brain learns easily and forgets gradually. Are you getting injured? Figuring out why you want to improve your gait can help determine if you really should work on it. Most running experts suggest working on cadence to improve running. Stride length can also influence speed. Work on changing your strike and stride over a period of time. You have to retrain your body to work with the new muscle movements. Your body is used to the stride and strike you use now, so prepare to spend two to three months working on changing your stride.
They will tighten and shorten as you run differently. Let your body slowly and naturally adapt to the new muscle movement and needed length. Changing your foot strike and stride will take some mental awareness. This can be difficult, especially if you let your mind relax or focus on your music as you run. You will have to think about each step you land, such as making sure you use a midfoot strike instead of a heel strike. Spend one to two minutes at a time focusing just on your form.
Try it after each ten minutes you run or after each mile. Method 2. Improve your cadence. One way to help your gait is to improve your cadence. Cadence is your running rhythm, that is, how many times your foot hit the ground.
Improving your cadence helps you improve your stride by helping you shorten it. Proper cadence helps you have a better gait. The ideal is to have at least 90 steps per minute. You can use running devices with GPS that can log this.
You should land 22 or 23 steps in 15 seconds. Proper cadence of at least 90 strikes per minute will help you refrain from overstriding. Work on your posture. Posture is very important for your running gait, and a proper gait is impossible with the correct posture.
Poor posture causes your body to work harder, your muscles to overwork, and restricts blood and oxygen flow. Keep your shoulders back, down, and relaxed with your chin up, looking at the horizon. You should not bend forward at the waist. Adopt proper body positioning. Holding your body in the proper positions can help improve your gait.
Keeping your muscles strong and at the proper place makes your muscles have to work less so you can run more efficiently. Your abs, hips, and glutes should be strong and stable while you are running. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle or less. Your arms should be rhythmic and relaxed as they move back and forth. Keep your hands close to the sides of your body. Breathe properly. Breathing is important for running.
You should learn how to breathe from your belly. Instead of focusing your breath in your chest, you should breathe from lower down. When you breathe, your abdomen should be expanding and contracting instead of your chest.
You can practice breathing from your belly when you are at rest, and focus on proper belly breathing while running. This method of breathing is more efficient, allowing your body to have access to more oxygen as you run. Focus on the basics. Instead of timing yourself or trying to hit the next milestone, focus on the basics.
Think about stride length, cadence, breathing, and foot strike. Work on posture and positioning. Just enjoy the feeling of running. Overstriding means that your foot lands in front of your center of mass. This causes a braking effect on propelling the body forward. Excessive vertical translation of your body means that some of the energy of your upper body causes your body to bob up and down excessively.
This creates higher energy demands and diminishes forward propulsion. As mentioned previously, arm swing acts as a counterbalance for the opposite leg advancement.
Running gait analysis allows you to see abnormal movements that reduce the efficiency of your running. Three common issues are overstriding, excessive vertical body translation, and insufficient arm swing. The easiest way to analyze gait is via video. This allows you to see your movement through each phase of your gait.
This can be done by mounting a camera and running past it or running on a treadmill. Video can be shot using the camera on your phone or tablet. These apps allow you to view your running in slow motion, as well as in real time. You can also get a professional gait analysis, which are typically performed by a physical therapist. Some running coaches may also provide this service. Gait analyses can also be performed in a biomechanics laboratory, but these are not as accessible for most people.
The priority is to have someone skilled in biomechanics and analyzing movement to identify subtle issues. First, wear clothing that conforms to your body and is not loose or baggy. Doing so allows for a clear view of limb movement. If filming on a treadmill, wait to film after a few minutes.
Apps are available to video with, or you can consult a professional for analysis. It takes effort and practice to improve your running gait, but it is possible. One of the biggest difficulties is that changing one variable in your running form will likely cause a change in another area of your running form. In addition, one review found that adopting a multifactorial change in biomechanics resulted in either no improvements or worsened running economy 8.
Also, a natural, relaxed arm swing may help. In general, avoid over-stiffening your muscles during the stance phase of your gait. A myriad of other factors may help your running gait. However, avoid making multiple changes at once. So your focus should be on improving overall running form rather than worrying about your foot position on impact. Here are 3 simple tips that will help to improve your running efficiency.
Land with your feet underneath your body rather than out in front. Your knee should be slightly bent. Focus on pushing off rather than pulling forward. You may find that initially you get muscle soreness as your gluts are working much harder than before! The optimum steps per minute is , however this varies depending on the level of the athlete, and the intensity of your run.
0コメント