.png)
How do you correct your running form?
In our last post, we talked a lot about signs that your running for was off. We mentioned that the reason it might be off could be a handful of things: range of motion limitations, skill limitations, and strength limitations (or sometimes, all 3!).
If you’ve identified what your problem is…what should you do?
Ideally, you are working with a physical therapist who is an expert in running. They will be able to design a custom program to get you back on track.
Here are some facts, tips, and tricks to help in your running form journey:
Running does NOT improve strength! Running is great for a lot of things, but building strength isn’t one of them. The forces from running are not enough to strengthen your muscles, you need to do specific strength work outside of running. Runners who do strength work are less commonly injured.
Running puts lots of force through your calf. Specifically, the soleus (deep calf) takes as much as 8x your body weight, and the gastroc takes 2-3 times your body weight. What does this mean? Doing body weight calf raises might not be enough, adding some weight can be helpful. Plyometrics will be the most similar force to running to help train your calves.
Try to stay relaxed when you are running. Holding your core in, squeezing your glutes, and scrunching your shoulders together isn’t going to help your form. If anything, it will negatively impact it!
If you have pain with running and you are trying to alleviate it by clenching your core…please come and see a PT! There are better strategies!
It’s not normal to leak urine when you run. It is common, but not normal. Many patients will report that they leak some urine with running, this is often after childbirth but not limited to that group. This is a sign of a pelvic floor issue, and it's also annoying to be all wet! You can address this with PT - and often times addressing running form makes a huge difference.
Increase your cadence. Majority of my patients who have pain with running have a cadence (steps per minute) of less than 150. Research shows that a cadence closer to 180 is optimal. Try increasing your cadence by about 10%, you can use a metronome set to that many beats per minute to help you practice.
About the author: Dr. Caitlyn Hauswirth-Varis, PT, DPT, OCS, CFMT, CF-L1
Caitlyn is board certified as an orthopedic specialist and an expert in pelvic floor physical therapy. Beyond her PT accolades, she is a track and field coach, working with hundreds of new and experienced runners each season. She ran track in college, and since then has run multiple half marathons and completed in masters track and field.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
Comments