Once you have been running for a while it is easy to chase miles, races and paces and quietly ignore how you move. Your running gait sits at the centre of performance, comfort and long-term resilience. Small changes in posture, cadence, strength or foot strike can create a big difference in how you feel. It might mean finishing a long run smoothly rather than hobbling home on tight calves or getting through a training block with fewer niggles and more confidence.
Posture, foot placement and cadence
For better form and performance, focus on improving your posture, foot placement and cadence. When you work on these three together you can improve your gait slowly over time.
Aim for a tall, relaxed posture with a gentle lean from the ankles rather than a fold from the waist. Think of your ribs sitting over your pelvis and your head stacked above your shoulders instead of drifting forwards. A simple cue is to imagine a string lifting the crown of your head as you run, helping you feel light rather than braced.
Next, look at where your foot lands. Overstriding, where your foot hits the ground well in front of your hips, increases braking forces and stress at the knee and hip. Instead of worrying about heel or midfoot, focus on landing the foot closer to under your body. You can encourage this by thinking about stepping down beneath you rather than reaching out in front with every stride.
A very low cadence often goes hand in hand with overstriding and heavy impact. A small increase in your cadence can make each step feel lighter and a little more controlled. If your cadence is low, use short sections of a run to practise a slightly quicker, softer rhythm, then let it settle back. Over time your comfortable cadence will rise a little without feeling forced or unnatural.
Strength, mobility and yoga
As you run more, gaps in strength and flexibility can begin to show up as stiffness or aching, which could lead to future issues. Two short strength sessions a week can make a real difference. Focus on movements that carry over directly to running:
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Single leg squats or split squats for hip and knee control
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Hip hinge work such as Romanian deadlifts for hamstrings and glutes
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Calf raises with straight and bent knees
Add some dynamic mobility work for the hips, ankles and upper back. Walking lunges, leg swings and gentle ankle rocks help keep the key joints moving freely.
Supporting your training with yoga can also improve your gait, as it combines mobility, strength and balance. Dynamic poses like low lunges, downward dog (walking variation) and gentle spinal twists open up areas that tend to limit your stride, such as hips and hamstrings. Standing balance work builds strength around knees and ankles, testing your balance and controlling the wobbles will stabilise your stride. Even just 10-15 minutes of yoga a couple of times a week can get you feeling noticeably less stiff.
Shoes, gait and data led analysis
Shoes will not fix your form, but they play a big role in how forces travel through your body. Stack height, cushioning, rocker shape and stability features all interact with the way you land and push off when running. The right shoe can help improve your gait, whilst you work on your strength, flexibility and alignment.
It is difficult to judge how well a shoe works for you based on feel alone. A structured, in person look at your gait becomes very useful. Data-led gait analysis uses video from several angles and pressure data to show how your foot lands, how your joints align and how your mechanics change at different speeds or in different shoes.
At our Merthyr Tydfil store, in person gait analysis is designed for understanding your individual gait. We then use that insight to guide you towards shoes that support how you move and help you run more comfortably. For an experienced runner, that can mean fewer issues, less chance of injury and more confident training.
If you are ready to refine how you move, an in person, data-led gait analysis is a great next step. Book your gait analysis here and get the cost of your analysis off any pair of shoes purchased in store.