Running: The Mid-Foot Impact

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Running is not only about training endurance nor counting how many times we go around the field before that marathon. We cannot leave for granted that running also has it specific types of techniques when practicing the sport. One of the most important techniques here is the mid-foot impact. This is a part about running that will increase our energy efficiently, and lower risk of injuries when going for either a short or long run.
Landing on the heel could result with a very long number of traumatic injuries in the foot and be really inefficient when running. This is because we need to take in count that we are using a very small part of our entire foot in order for it to absorb a really strong and aggressive shock with every step that we take. …show more content…

Try running barefoot on a hard, natural surface, you’ll notice almost instantly that it hurts to heel strike! This is because the human heel pad cannot cushion much of the impact force (Lieberman). Running barefoot can be the best way to practice mid-foot strike. Practice by slowly running barefoot or with a thin sole shoe around the grass and you will notice the difference when your feet literally asks you to land on the mid part of your foot, to reduce pain and …show more content…

When going out for a long run, we tend to do long strides in our route with the purpose of finishing with a better shorter time or the idea that we are saving more energy to elongate our run. This long strides tend to move forward our center of gravity, which force us to have a hard landing on our heels. An upright postural alignment with a slight forward tilt, a compact arm swing and short strides that results in a cadence of 180 steps per minute or higher (Metzler). Go out for a run and try to shorten the strides with every step until your feet feels the most comfortable, increase the frequency of strides landing just below your hips, and you will notice how the landing comes closer and closer to the mid-foot area.
Lastly, another exercise to practice a good mid-foot landing technique when running, is the common warm up exercise of skipping. In static or slowly slightly forward movements, try making small jumps with the forefoot while interchanging right and left. This way you’ll be more consistent on the zone of landing and you will improve the proper movement of landing route for your feet, improving you mid-food landing

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