Modify Form, Minimize Impact

With Bloomsday just over a month away, many folks in the Inland Northwest are most likely lacing up their shoes and getting outside to enjoy this nice weather in preparation for the seven-mile feat. Most runners can agree that running is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding activities in which to participate. But unfortunately, it is also an activity that comes with a high chance of injury. Some studies show that as many as 79 percent of runners suffer from a running related injury each year. There are many ways in which a runner can minimize chance of injury, one of which is modifying running form to minimize the impact on the body.

There are basically three phases in the running gait, each of which can be broken down into several different segments. There are differing views among therapists how to define and label the phases of gait, but in general, it is agreed that there is pre-landing phase, followed by an impact stage, and finally, a toe-off phase. During each of these phases of gait, there are considerations runners can make to get the most out of stride and to minimize impact for injury prevention.

In pre-landing, the brain sends a signal to muscles to prepare for impact, which causes the muscles to contract to stabilize the joints. In this phase, good posture is key. This means keeping your upper torso straight with lower back not arched and head directly over shoulders. Arms are bent at 90 degrees, relaxed at your side to aid in trunk stability. Having poor posture can cause a runner to lean back, which leads to over striding and increased impact upon foot strike. To aid in good posture, it is important to keep a strong core by doing core strength and stability exercises.

The impact phase begins with initial contact of the foot and takes the runner through midstance ending at toe-off. Some runners land with a heel strike, but a more efficient running gait is to land on the midfoot or forefoot and then roll onto the toe. One way to minimize impact is to shorten stride length which promotes midfoot and forefoot contact and helps decrease overall ground reaction force. Another way to decrease this impact is to be mindful of landing softly. This can be reinforced by plyometric exercises where the runner completes a series of jumping movements focusing continuously on light landings.

In toe-off, the hip goes into maximal extension. If hip flexors are tight, runners are more apt to excessive strain and arch in the back. Having flexible hip flexors and strong gluteal and hamstring (hip extensor) muscles can help maximize extension to get the most out of the stride during this phase.

Getting a professional gait analysis can be very beneficial for any runner to help determine where weaknesses lie within their stride and what exercises or stretches can be done to help correct any problems. Hope to see you at Bloomsday in May!

#health