Body lean & running efficiency

When we observe a gait, we are looking at the compensations and not the causes of the issues. So to try to get rid of the compensations immediately is not possible because then, your body just won’t be able to move. To organically change your gait, you need to work on your muscular imbalances for the body to rewire a more effective way of movement.

This runner demonstrates a right sided lean. His right shoulder appears more depressed and it seems to be reaching forward each time he pushes off on his right leg. This is one way in which the body tries to create a similar stride length to the opposite limb. Because his right hip is more limited in range of motion, his body tries to increase his reach via a forward thrust of his right shoulder.

In my book, I discussed a research in which runners ran on a split belt of different speeds. The body eventually calibrated itself and managed to achieve a smoothness to cope with this new environment. Similarly, your body is always calibrating for the environment together with its internal capacity and resources.

As such, this runner may experience greater instability running on a treadmill compared to overground running. The more unstable you are, the harder it is to acquire a stability on an unstable surface. It might take you a longer time to warm up to it.

Now back to his gait, you can observe his right leg rotating in more than his left. When he pushes off, his hips appears maintained but drops the minute he bends his knees. He isn’t lifting and picking up at his hips and instead demonstrates more of a swinging action.

He can benefit alot with unilateral hip mobility work. For example, single leg deadlifts focusing on a squared alignment throughout the motion. Be sure to keep the tailbone lifted throughout the deadlift motion. There’s a sitted chair exercise in the prehab chapter that’s helpful in teaching your body to lift at the tailbone.

If you’d like a commentary of your gait, send me videos of your running! All angles, both overground and treadmill running work!