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Running Pearls

Last updated on May 2, 2016 By Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT Leave a Comment

young woman running on wilderness highway
Any great course or lecture needs to have a few “take home” messages that stick with you. I had the pleasure of taking a course this weekend that dealt specifically with running. Here are some pearls that I picked up…

1. Cadence is a measure of how many steps a runner takes per minute. For example, Elite level runners have a cadence that approaches one hundred eighty (180) steps per minute. That is very fast. If you want to count your own cadence, take a thirty-second sample of your running, count every time the right foot touches the ground, and multiply by four.

running in 5k2. A faster cadence will typically lead to shorter steps. In many cases, shorter steps are good things as this may change the way in which the foot makes contact with the ground. We are more able to make initial ground contact with the mid-foot or the forefoot when our steps are shorter.

3. Many people who have problematic knee pain from running find relief when their running style is changed to a mid-foot or forefoot initial contact. (Another words, making initial contact with the heel can equate to a harder impact.)

4. If you want to change your cadence, do it gradually. The body does not like to change movement patterns abruptly.

5. Certain shoes are designed to work best with a mid-foot or a forefoot initial strike. These types of shoes would include the “less supportive” types (Vibrams, the Nike minimal support shoes, etc.). It therefore makes sense that these less supportive shoes are not very good at absorbing shock through the heel.

6. If you are going to stay with a “heel contact first” running style, you might want to try a more stable shoe that absorbs shock well.

7. If you find all of this confusing, you should probably have your running style evaluated by a physical therapist.

Image credits: Top © Maridav/Fotolia; Second © Rafał Olechowski/Fotolia.

Filed Under: Exercise & Fitness, Featured Tagged With: Ankle & Foot, Knee, Leg



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About Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT

Dan is a licensed Physical Therapist in the District of Columbia, license #PT2916. He has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dan specializes in sports medicine & upper extremity rehabilitation. He is a Certified Hand Therapist, certified by the American Society of Hand Therapists (initial certification date 11/6/2004, certification #1041100023). Dan has extensive continuing education in manual therapy from the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
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DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC insists that all patients receive approval from a prescribing physician prior to starting a structured exercise program involving any of the exercises included on this site. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.