Running is one of the most popular and participated sports worldwide. In 2017 an estimated 60 million people participated in running in the US. Health related reasons remain the primary motivation for most Americans to start running; 2017 estimates of 24% of people start to run for exercise, while 80% continue to run for health and fitness. Relieving stress and having fun are still top reasons as well to why people continue to run as a sport in the United States. Running related injuries are the main reason people stop running.
There are many different styles of running and each individual has their own “perfect” form based on anatomy and general fitness. Running incorrectly or with bad form can lead to decreased performance and injury. Its thought that up to 79% of runners will experience an injury in their lifetime. Changing the way you run can be difficult to say the least. Running mechanics are difficult to understand, and takes years of training to be able to analyze and effectively train other runners. Not to mention, focusing too much on mechanics can lead to a more stiff and robotic like run. That is where video running analysis comes in.
I’ve done extensive continuing education on running mechanics and video analysis, and worked with many runners over the years. We work on improving performance, injury or post surgical recovery, injury prevention, or even just finding the right shoe. We recently upgraded our video system with motion analysis software from Hudl Technique. The change has been a great benefit for my patients. The software allows us to create a video for the patient with written and voice notes, and on screen measurements. This all works to create a more thorough analysis, individual care plan, and improves your understanding of what you need to work on. Here are a few screenshots of the videos and a link to an edited one.
