Take Smaller Steps
While the goal is literally to take smaller steps, figuratively taking smaller steps by increasing your cadence only slightly, will help train your body into a new running form. Approach with caution. Repetition and symmetry are key. For example, you don’t want to over stride on your left side and overcompensate by short stepping on your right.
A gait-analysis study performed in 2019 at the University of British Columbia found that by runners who increased their cadence (and decreased step length) saw a 15 percent decrease in brake forces as they ran, meaning less impact on their joints and a healthier run overall. This group, lead by Dr. Christopher Napier, PT, suggests that restricting the gait to shorter, more frequent steps may be a viable injury prevention method for recreational runners of all ages.
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