Tackle Hidden Form Flaws
Spot and solve your running barriers to increase spreed and banish injury
Clue: The horizon appears to bob up and down.
If the skyline seems to move up and down while you run, it may be a sign that you overstride and therefore have too much vertical motion. When you overstride, you spend more time on the ground than necessary, increasing your risk of knee injuries, says physio Robert Wayner.
Fix it
To help eliminate the moving-horizon sensation, Wayner recommends that you quicken your cadence to 170-180 steps per minute.
Increasing your cadence eliminates overstriding because it makes your foot land underneath you or only just ahead of you, rather than way out in front of you.
A shorter stride and faster cadence will also decrease the time your feet are on the ground and therefore increase your overall speed. ‘When your foot makes contact with the ground, if you think about releasing that foot as quickly as you can, and even say the words “touch, lift, touch, lift” while you run, this can help to eliminate some of the bobbing,’ adds Scott.
Picture credit: Vast Photgraphy/Getty Images
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