Run Like This — Not That — If You Want to Avoid Foot and Ankle Problems

If you’re a regular runner, your risk of injury is higher. In fact, more than half of runners sustain an injury each year, usually because of overuse. 

Overuse injuries develop because your running puts too much strain on certain parts of your body. Fortunately, you can adjust your running form to reduce the likelihood of overstraining your feet, ankles, and knees. 

We can support you with the information you need. While our team has expertise in treating sports injuries, we also want to help you avoid them. 

That’s why we offer gait analysis at our Rogers Foot & Ankle Institute offices in American Fork or Saratoga Springs, Utah. This allows us to analyze your form, how your foot strikes the ground, and other aspects that impact your runs. 

However, you don’t need to wait until your gait analysis appointment to improve your form. We have a few tips to help you run in a way that protects your feet and ankles.  

Listen

A lot of us run with headphones, but we encourage you to try running for a few minutes without music, a podcast, an audiobook, or anything else. Your ears can help you figure out if your running stride could be taxing your body.

What do you hear as your foot makes contact with the ground? If it’s a loud thump or thwack, you’re probably moving up and down a lot as you run. That can add extra strain to the joints in your feet and ankles. 

Instead, aim to run lightly. As you listen, you shouldn’t hear much other than a soft sound as your shoe connects with the earth. 

Don’t just do this at the start of your run, either. Taking a few minutes to tune in later in your run tells you if your stride adjusts as you get more tired. 

Focus on where your foot lands

There’s been a lot of conversation around trying to land on the middle of your foot as you run, and for good reason. This encourages you to focus on distributing your weight across your foot instead of striking the ground with your heel ― a common practice in new runners. Heel striking increases the impact on your foot and ankle and makes you more likely to develop problems like shin splints. 

Stand up straight

Don’t hunch or lean forward. Keeping your center of gravity over your feet instead of extended in front of you minimizes the strain on your body as you run. You can have a gentle forward lean, but make sure you’re keeping your feet under your hips. 

As an added benefit, standing up straight as you run elongates your chest, helping you maximize your lung capacity. 

These are some general tips. If you want more personalized suggestions based on your gait, come see our team. Contact us by calling (801) 756-4200 to schedule your gait analysis today.