A good gait develops over time and if you are relatively new to running, your gait might not be all that economical as yet. Every person has their own style of running or “Gait” and if you are not suffering from a lower body injury, there is no cause for alarm.
Adjusting your running style to improve performance and decrease the risk of injury will come with some muscle soreness that lasts for about a week while the muscles adjust to the change in position or movement. However forcing a proper running gait on you that does not feel natural for your particular body can cause new problems.
The “Chi” style of running will prolong your running days as this style tends to shift the stress of the continuous pounding of your knees and hips to the lower leg muscles and soft tissues. Running on softer surfaces such as a track, grass or level trails will also help.
Keep in mind that an ideal gait also varies with speed too. Walking, power walking, easy running, fast running, speed training and race pace. The Sun Run training program offers a good variety of paces to work with and any additional race pace training is of great benefit, even if it is low interval training such as 400 meter sets at 5K or 10K pace.
Tilman von der Linde, RMT.
Muscles in Motion – Vancouver
