Shortening Your Running Stride

There are many benefits to shortening your running stride. It improves your body mechanics, reduces your risk of injury, and increases your cadence. But there are a few drawbacks, too. Here are some things to consider before shortening your stride:

Reduces Risk of Injury

Shortening your running stride is one of the easiest ways to reduce the risk of injury while running. A recent study from the University of Wisconsin examined 10 previous studies and found that running with a shorter stride reduces the impact on joints and muscles. This in turn reduces the energy that is absorbed by the joints.

The study also found that shortening your stride can improve your efficiency and reduce the risk of injury. However, an injury study is needed to verify the benefits of shortening your stride.

Improves Body Mechanics

Proper body mechanics are essential to running efficiently. Proper body mechanics will help you run faster, prevent injuries, and maintain a healthy running posture. For example, if you run with your head parallel to the wall, you will run more efficiently. Your feet should also be in line with your forward motion. Turning your feet outwards decreases the distance you cover in a stride and puts more pressure on the knees and lower leg.

Another way to improve body mechanics is to keep your arms relaxed and slightly bent. This will counterbalance pelvic and hip rotation. If your arms are crossed, you will hunch forward and have trouble breathing. Instead, your arms should be parallel to your body to prevent bouncing, which wastes energy and causes fatigue.

Improves Footstrike

There are several different ways to strike your foot when running. In heel-to-toe running, your forefoot strikes the ground first, while mid-foot striking makes your foot strike the ground midway through the stride. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right footstrike can help you avoid injury and maintain good running form. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort when running, try adjusting your footstrike and work on other aspects of your running form, like posture, arm swing, and stride.

It's also important to note that different foot strikes absorb shock differently. Mid-foot strikers tend to absorb impact in their ankles, while rearfoot strikers tend to experience the force of repeated impact in their knees. Changing your foot strike doesn't prevent injury, but it does shift the force of impact to a different joint. Podiatrists recommend changing your foot strike only if you are suffering from knee or ankle pain or other injuries related to running.

Increases Cadence

One of the easiest ways to increase your running cadence is to shorten your stride. Shorter strides can help you run faster and avoid injuries. Shorter strides are also easier to maintain, and will give you a better stride. It's also important to understand the importance of proper running form.

Shortening your stride increases cadence by adjusting your foot's landing position. This will make your foot more likely to land at your center of gravity, which will increase turnover. It also conserves energy by wasting less energy going up and down. You'll also have more energy available to focus on running forward.

Increasing your cadence is very beneficial for running. It will reduce the load on your joints and will prevent common running injuries. A recent NCBI study evaluated 45 runners and found that runners with higher cadence had a lower risk of common running injuries.

Improves Speed

Developing a shorter running stride can improve your running speed. But it's important to keep in mind that a longer stride can increase your risk of injury, and it may also increase the amount of time you spend in the air. In addition, a long stride increases the amount of ground reaction force, which slows down your running speed. To improve your speed, consider incorporating agility drills and plyometrics. These exercises can improve your agility, allowing you to take smaller steps, leaps, and jumps with speed. You can also invest in striders or other equipment that can help you achieve a shorter running stride.

Running with a shorter stride can improve your pace, and it can also increase your aerobic capacity and running economy. You may think that shortening your running stride is only a small difference, but it can have big impacts on your running speed.