GAIT COMPONENTS

A typical, useful gait anlalysis will assess your running form in slow motion through a series of observations and a few measurements.  Here are some highlights of the most useful information that you can receive

• Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute. High cadence is generally considered good, but there is a normal range where most recreational runners live.  Below a certain number, slow cadence can identify problems in your running form. 
• Running posture is important because your arm position, forward lean, and trunk bend can affect efficiency and forward momentum in long distance running.
• Hips alignment is very important in predicting injury risk.
• Your assessment will reveal if your gait is geared towards conservative shuffling or aggressive performance. This can help you make changes if you are trying to run faster times.
• Footstrike is a very important measurement. There are several footstrike observatins that can help predict overstriding, running efficiency, and foot and ankle tightness.   
• Your gait should be assessed in different points in the gait cycle, in different angles.
• Gait evalution setups can be very sophisticated, with multiple cameras, foot sensors, biomechanical markers, and 3D computer programs. However, for practical advice you only really need a single camera and a simple way to generatie a few measurements.  It is the quality and expertise of your reviewer that will make the biggest impact on the benefits you receive from your gait evaluation.