Those who run leisurely or competitively can benefit from turning bad gait habits into good ones. Smarter training methods can improve speed and how one feels after a run. Trotting is the hardest on the body and expands large amounts of energy. If you are running at an 11-minute mile you are trotting as the motion is up and down and you take many steps with high levels of impact at the ground. Most people who run this slow are also inflexible but bad gait habits may be why you are so slow. The repeated impact and reduced shoulder and arm motion are highly inefficient and you may be more likely to have a running injury due to impact. You will get a good workout but your amount of mileage is very work-intensive. Running at a pace between 9.5 min miles is a comfortable pace for many of us. Stride length is better and it is easier on the body. It is also easier to accelerate from this pace to a new faster pace. The importance of symmetry with running. Symmetry improves efficiencies when running. Years ago, Brother Colm O’Connell, an Irish missionary came to Kenya to work with Indigenous people. Many of them naturally ran barefoot and would run with homemade sandals to school. He initially introduced them to Nike Running Shoes and would have them run on a track at a standard pace for a couple of years before they learned to accelerate. Being Kenyans had adapted with naturally great body mechanics for running, they had an athletic edge. Genetics and adaptation play a part in how we adapt. Learning better adaptations and reducing bad habits makes running less painful and more enjoyable. Typical features that can cause pain and slow you down Over and under striding. – This is typically found in people who are built asymmetrically. Sometimes this is corrected by adding a foot orthotic to the shoe which levels the hips. I have done many videos with runners showing marked improvements in stride and form just by adding the right device. I often prefer off-the-shelf inserts as you can place them in the shoes and immediately improve your running and walking gait. Running with the arms crossing the abdomen when you run. The forces of running should be going in the same direction you are. Arms that are moving across the abdomen waste energy, reduce your speed and may be responsible for abdominal stitches. Keeping the arms at slightly less than 90 degrees as the arms swing forward is optimal. Not moving the shoulders or keeping the shoulders back – This often can cause over and under-striding and reduces efficiencies as well. Your stride ideally should be from the shoulder to the foot on the opposite side. The running form should look like an X from above. Also, holding the shoulders back increases your pulse which means you are working harder. Pulling them back means you are breaking while trying to accelerate or maintain pace. This is a featured running style I have seen and shown in videos I use for lecturing to other doctors. Best ways to train away bad running habits. Bad running habits can be retrained over time. The process is tedious but the payoff is huge, as your times will improve as your efficiency improves. Treadmills are in my opinion the best way to train away bad habits. Having a watch that can measure your pulse is also part of how you can monitor your efficiency. Years ago I noticed that my pulse increased 12 beats per minute when I was not properly moving my shoulders when running. When I relaxed my shoulders, my pulse was reduced by 12 BPM. Our office performs treadmill evaluations which help us understand why some running injuries occur. I then send the patient the videos and give them a second video with instructions on resolving their bad habits. Patients notice the difference in how the improved running form improves but it can take months to reteach running habits that are causing problems in the legs, shoulders, neck, or back. We are all individuals. We all have unique adaptations over the years which with some help can result in better form, function, and fewer problems when running. Patients reduce ground impact reducing foot and back issues caused by the impact of training. Once you improve form, running is easier on the body, you will naturally run faster paces that are easier on the body and if you are competitive, you may P.R. (personal record) more often. Train smarter, not harder. Need help with running problems? I was the medical director for USATF NJ for 26 years and have experience with helping hundreds of runners solve running problems and reduce injuries. We are a one-stop shop for most running-related problems. Book online today.