GAIT FIXES

Once you complete your gait analysis, you will receive information with the opportunity to make some changes to improve the way you run.  You cannot just get up one day and change the way you run.  IT would require you to think about what you are doing at every step, thousands of times per run.  This is impossible!  Here are practical ways to utilize your gait analysis to make meaningful, sustainable changes:

There are 3 types of gait fixes. 

Gait fix 1:  SHOE CHANGE —   Your gait evaluation can suggest what type(s) of running shoes are best suited to your biomechanics, foot type, and running style.   This can make a huge difference for your running.  Getting the right shoes can make you run more efficiently, take stress off hotspots where you get frequent injuries, and can make your running more enjoyable.  

 Git fix 2:  CHANGE FROM WITHIN–  Your running evaluation can show deficits in your flexibility, strength, balance, and stability that affect your gait pattern.  By addressing these issues with a prescribed set of exercises, your gait can automatically transform without you having to think about making changes.  For instance, stronger hamstrings can make your gait more efficient by getting your feet under you better as you run. 

Gait fix 3:   DRILLS– Observations in your running form can show various tendencies that limit running performance.  Doing prescribed drills a few times a week can improve leg turnover, coordination, cadence, and footstrike to make your running stronger and more efficient. 

Gait fix 4:  CONSCIOUS CHANGES– there are a few examples of interventions you will have to think about during your run, to correct bad habits that cannot be fixed with exercises or drills.  For instance, some runners unnecessarily clench their fists when they start to get tired.  Those runners will have to regularly check for that when they run, and consciously relax their hands.  Eventually, this habit will fade away.  Other examples include looking down, tightening up at the shoulders, and decreasing arm motion for no good reason.