Proper running biomechanics
Dec 20, 2016
Try to relax: don’t think your muscles into working, instead think your muscles into relaxing. Relaxing your upper extremity helps to increase your efficiency of breathing. Posture for efficient breathing is very different than correct posture while sitting or standing. Shoulders may come forward slightly to allow for better lung expansion. A great way to practice relaxation while running is to think about reducing your effort or exertion while running. Ask yourself: how do I feel? Am I relaxed? Could I relax more? Do I have muscles that are unnecessarily tensed? Running with a pacing partner is another great way to train yourself to relax while running. Giving someone else the responsibility of setting the pace will allow you to focus on remaining relaxed during your run.
Don’t over-stride: with distance running it’s not about keeping your muscles working through their fullest range. Injury is best avoided through efficiency from a shorter stride. When running, do not allow your foot to land in front of your knee during impact. This would be considered an over-stride. The ball of your foot should land directly below your knee when you strike. The longer the stride, the more force your body must absorb. A great way to practice reducing your stride length is to run with a running buddy, either directly behind, or on their shoulder. Run as close as you can to your running buddy without colliding with them. This will help to reduce your stride length.
Increased cadence: cadence is a key to relaxation and efficiency in distance running and is largely affected by your stride distance. A proper footfall (where the ball of the foot doesn’t extend beyond the knee during foot strike) will shorten your stride and increase your cadence. Cadence should never change. When you slow down, shorten your stride further or reduce your effort.
Avoid a heel strike: by reducing your stride length and increasing your cadence, a mid to forefoot strike will naturally follow. If the ball of your foot lands directly below your knee, rather than in front of it, it will be far more difficult to strike with your heel.
Don’t allow your hands to cross centerline: Consider drawing a line from your belly button to your nose. Neither hand should cross that line and into the other hands hemisphere. Square shoulders best position the upper body for running. This is not to say that your hands must stay in line with your shoulders, they simply should not be advancing across your midline. With over-striding and reduced cadence, comes exaggerated movement of other parts of the body.
Keep wrists and hands relaxed, but stable: keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Don’t clench your fists, but don’t allow your wrists and hands to flop while running. Remind yourself to relax your hands and shoulders repeatedly throughout a run.
Your body knows what to do naturally: everyone’s body is different. Your natural stride will likely acknowledge and compensate for your structural anomalies.
Active Physio Works: Running Injuries and Proper Biomechanics from Active Physio Works Clinics on Vimeo.
Glute Med Activation in Running:
Glute med is a fundamental component in the prevention of running-related injuries.
- Glute med is a fundamental component in the prevention of running-related injuries.
- What does glute med do when running? When running, glute med primarily assists with absorbing ground forces following foot strike. It provides the largest mean peak muscle force of all hip muscles when running and helps to support the pelvis in both a coronal and sagittal plane.
- Glute med function can be affected by: running speed, cadence, gender, and injury. Higher running speeds require greater glute med force and duration.
- Moderate quality evidence indicates that people with PFPS have significantly shorter duration of glute med activity when running compared to controls.
- Moderate evidence that targeted strategies to improve neuromuscular control and strength of hip and pelvic stabilizers in runners with PFPS.
- There is a link (although evidence is graded as low) between glute med dysfunction and ankle pahthology. Glute med activation training may have a role in Achilles tendinopathy rehab or prevention.
- The amount of glute med activity is more important for controlling knee and pelvic stability than the onset of activation.
- There is some evidence to suggest that increasing cadence by 10% of preferred running speed can facilitate greater glute med amplitude prior to foot contact and help to reduce running injuries. Increasing cadence can increase PF joint stress.
Common Running Injuries:
- PFPS – pain originating near or around the knee cap
- ITB Syndrome – a sharp pain in the lateral thigh from the hip to the knee. Occurs more frequently in women.
- Medial tibial stress syndrome aka shin splints – pain at or near the anterior midline of the shin bone
- Achilles tendinopathy – pain or stiffness along the Achilles tendon
- Plantar Fasciitis – sharp, throbbing, or searing pain to the medial side of the calcaneus
What are the most common causes of injury with running?
- Rapid increase in weekly mileage (>10% per week)
- Changes in running surface
- Failure to follow hard training days with light training days
- Returning to previous mileage too fast after layoff
- Running 12 months without a break from training
- History of previous injuries
- Too much hard interval training
- Training for a competition
- Lower extremity muscle imbalances or inadequate strength or range of motion
Ways to Prevent Running Injuries:
- Don’t increase running distance by greater than 10% per week
- Schedule days off for recovery
- Avoid excessive downhill running on consecutive days
- Regularly vary running direction on a track or road
- Train glute med activation
- Keep your stride short and increase your cadence
References:
Semciw A, Neate R, Pizzari T. Running related gluteus medius function in health and injury: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal Of Electromyography & Kinesiology [serial online]. October 2016;30:98-110. Available from: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2016.
Ellapen, T.J., et al. 2013. Common running músculo-skeletal injuries among recreational half-marathon runners in KwaZulu-Natal. South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 25 (2), 39-43.
Fredericson, M., & Misra, A.K. 2007. Epidemiology and aetiology of marathon running injuries. Sports Medicine, 37 (4-5), 437-39.
Lopes, A.D., et al. 2012. What are the main run- ning-related musculoskeletal injuries? A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 42 (10), 891-905.
O'Toole, M.L. 1992. Prevention and treatment of injuries to runners. Medicine &Science in Sports & Exercise, 24 (9 Suppl.), S360-63.
Tonoli, D.C., 2010. Incidence, risk factors and pre- vention of running related injuries in long-dis- tance running: A systematic review. Sport and Ceneeskunde, 43 (5), 12-18.
van Gent, R.N., et al. 2007. Incidence and determi- nants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: A systematic review. British JournalofSportsMedicine,41(8),469-80.
van Middelkoop, M., et al. 2008. Prevalence and incidence of lower extremity injuries in male mar- athon runners. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 18 (2), 140-44.
Please add your bio info through your member profile page, or through your dashboard.