What is Running Gait?

If you’ve ever done any amount of running, or spent time around somebody who is a runner, chances are you may have heard the term “running gait”. So, what is it running gait? The word gait is a term used to describe the way in which somebody walks, including the movement of their legs, arms, and even their trunk. Running Gait is the way that somebody moves when they run, encompassing all their bodily movements, including their legs, trunk, and arms.

Why Should You Get a Running Gait Analysis?

People come in all shapes and sizes, and because of our individual differences, we each have our own preferred running technique. If you’re an experienced runner, you may have a pretty good idea of what your running gait looks like, or maybe you haven’t given it much thought (which is ok!).

A running gait analysis (RGA) is used to break down your running form into parts to identify things you’re doing well, and areas where you can become more efficient. RGA is a powerful clinical tool to help runners and health professionals to manage, and potentially reduce, the risk of common running-related injuries such as knee pain, shin splints, achilles tendinopathy, and IT Band issues.

It doesn’t matter if you are a new runner who is working towards their first 5k, an experienced marathoner, or are just looking to rehab an injury, we can help you reach your goal!

What is Involved in a Running Gait Analysis?

It begins similar to a standard physiotherapy appointment – our physiotherapist, Roman Zaliskyy, will begin by sitting down to ask targeted questions about your running experience, prior and/or current injuries, and most importantly your short and long-term goals!

Following the history-taking portion, we will move on to our objective exam by testing some of your functional movements (such as squat, lunge, hopping) and performing some strength tests.

Finally, we get to the exciting part of the assessment – you hopping on the treadmill for a run! Once you find a comfortable pace and get in your comfort zone on the treadmill, we will record a video of you running (with your consent, of course!) from various angles to allow us to analyze your running style and movements in slow motion. We will review the video together and analyze your running form and biomechanics, looking at things such as foot strike, foot supination / pronation, stride length, cadence (steps per minute), and potential asymmetries.

The final portion of the assessment includes us forming a plan based around your running goals. We will provide you with a home exercise program, running drills and cues to help optimize your running, discuss the need for new or different running shoes (if necessary), and plan future sessions where we can review and monitor your progress over the coming weeks and months.

What Should I Bring with Me?

The most important things to bring are comfortable clothes and a pair of running shoes! If you have several pairs that you rotate through, you are welcome to bring extra shoes for us to look at, but it’s not necessary.

Additionally, if you use a smartwatch (Apple Watch, Garmin, FitBit, etc) to record your activities, please bring it with you to your appointment. While it is not going to be the most important factor of the running assessment, some of the data such as your average cadence, stride length, and vertical oscillation can be beneficial and can help us be more objective in tracking your progress.