YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Spring 2017 | Page 16

1 Put a stop to heel-striking
Heel-striking is a common error in
running technique, which is found in
both novice and experienced runners
alike. Heel-striking occurs when your
heel is the initial contact point with the
ground. This means the heel is in front
of your hips at ground contact point,
and the angle of your body is either
upright or slightly backwards; ideally it
should, in fact, be forwards.
RECIPE
TO RUN
Strengthen your running performance with
these helpful tips from nutrition and
exercise expert, Amy Giannotti.
Question: If you were to run 100m as
fast as you can and then ‘put the
breaks on’, what do you think you
might do? You’d probably lean back
and heel-strike. Therefore, heel-striking
throughout your entire run is kind of like
running with the breaks on. Heel-
striking also contributes to over-
striding, which results in a body
position that put s greater pressure and
loading through your spine, particularly
your lower back.
A great way to see if you are heel-
striking is get someone to video you
while you run, and then watch it back in
slow motion.
Ideally, you want to aim for a mid- to
forefoot foot strike when running. This
can be achieved by applying a greater
forward lean. To do this, simply lean
forwards from your ankle rather than
bending over at the hip. Another cue is
to think about your chest being in line
with your foot contact while running (if
you were watching from a side view).
2 Speed up your cadence
Cadence refers to the rate in which your
feet turn over while running. A slower
cadence is often associated with
over-striding and heel-striking. For middle
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YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE SPRING 2017