Physics...Physiology...Physical Therapy

Video: Are your arms tattling on a bad habit somewhere else?

//  by //  1 Comment

You’ve heard it said that ‘the hips don’t lie’ — which I’m sure is true in it’s context! But today we’re talking about the movement of your arms when running. In order to run efficiently, we use our arms to help drive our legs forward and properly engage our core muscles.

Essentially, our arms counter-balance our legs, and because of this, any bad habits we have in our feet, hips, core, etc, will often show up as poor movement of our arms. So, if you’re suspicious that your arm swing could be more of an asset to you, first try to address any weakness of your bottom half. There are plenty of videos on runphys.com that can help with that!

But the cool thing, is that we can use our arms to help fix bad habits in our hips and core as well! Check out today’s video for simple suggestions on how to gain better efficiency using the zombie drills mentioned.

As always, fire away any questions you have and please share this with a friend!

Video: Should You Forefoot Strike While Running?

//  by //  Leave a Comment

What part of your foot should hit the ground first when running? The question has been asked exponentially more frequently over recent years. For many years, a heavy heel strike was the normal acceptable way to run, which is a big reason why traditional running shoes have typically had a high heel stack height (around 12mm higher than the toes). This was done to provide cushioning for heel thumpers before the whole minimalist shoe craze.

The attention to foot strike patterns is a good one, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all for everyone. Rather, when considering your feet, it’s most important to consider them in the context of your whole body movement patterns. In other words, don’t sacrifice hip and spinal posture just to attain some ‘ideal’ position of your feet.

Still, I frequently hear the arguments for a forefoot strike being the best way to go for everyone, so I felt the need to chime in with today’s video. Hopefully you find this helpful when considering whether it’s the right thing for you. Please check out the Facebook page for a recent live video on the same topic. Please also share this with a friend who will find it helpful. Run fast friends!