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Improper technique when covering long distances can lead to serious injuries. The greatest risks will be running on your heels (too big steps), putting your foot on the ground with significant hip advance (called overstride), lifting your knees too low, lack of shoulder work (affects hip sway).
Another element contributing to the onset of injury may be a disturbance in body symmetry caused by: a difference in limb length, weakness of one of the limbs due to past injuries or osteoarthritis.
Improper running technique and biomechanics can lead to injury.
- runner's knee
- goose’s foot syndrome
- chondromalacia patella
- overloading of the lumbar spine
- fatigue fracture of a metatarsal or shin bone
- Achilles tendon and sole tendon tendinopathy
It is virtually impossible to detect these elements on your own. It is therefore worth consulting a coach and having your running technique analysed at the Rehasport clinic. The Conscious Runner programme consists of a test lasting approximately one hour and including three components: biomechanics assessment, technique assessment and asymmetry assessment.
This is done on a moving treadmill and the assessment uses a camera and a specialised application that analyses the components of the running technique. During the examination, the foot will be assessed (at what angle it touches the ground, pronation or supination may occur), as well as what part of the foot touches the ground and at what angle. Similarly, the shank - at what angle it sets to the ground during contact with the ground. An important part of the product is to check the biomechanics of the run and also to check the asymmetry of the legs.
Assessment of running biomechanics
We assess running biomechanics by accurately measuring ground contact time and non-ground contact time during 9 consecutive running steps on a moving treadmill. Based on the above data, body mass and leg length of the examined person, we can calculate additional parameters such as: running cadence, vertical oscillation of the centre of mass or the so-called leg stiffness, the maximum relative force generated during contact with the ground. These parameters affect running economy, which is one of the fundamental values in predicting running performance.
Running technique assessment
During this stage, for each leg at the time of contact with the ground, we evaluate 3 key parameters: pronation / supination (at what angle the foot touches the ground in the frontal plane), which part of the foot the runner touches the ground: heel, toes, mid-foot and at what angle (in the sagittal plane), the angle of the shin in relation to the ground during the contact of the foot with the ground (in the sagittal plane). Parameters outside the designated scale can affect running economy, or potentially become the cause of overload injuries.
Running asymmetry assessment
Leg asymmetry, measured as the percentage difference in the time each leg is in contact with the ground during running, enables rapid detection of any existing functional lower limb imbalance, as well as its possible change over time, e.g. in the recovery process from injury. Asymmetry of the legs during running can lead to overload injuries in the lower limbs over time.
Benefits
Assessment of running mechanics and technique is an important part of the prevention and rehabilitation of running injuries, as well as monitoring running economy. It helps minimise the risk of running injuries and helps you make the right adjustments to your training. The programme is aimed at all beginners and intermediate runners, and in particular at those planning to start an adventure with this increasingly popular sport.
Guidelines
You will need sportswear (t-shirt, shorts, running shoes) for the tests. The programme is performed at Rehasport Poznań, Rehasport Gdańsk and Rehasport Warsaw.
