A gait analysis is a review of your running style, often focused on foot placement for purchasing the correct shoes. There are various methods but always the idea is to ensure you’re landing well on the foot, with a comfortable and correct angle of the ankle and knee when the foot lands.
The upside is you get the right shoes from this which means you’re less likely to injure yourself, at least not because of the shoes you’re wearing. Here are some occasions it would be good to have a review.
When you start running
If you’re new to running or you’ve had time away from the road, trail or track it’s a good idea to get a gait analysis done. Sports shops often offer this for a small charge or waive this fee if you purchase shoes from them.
When you’ve been working on your technique
Another good time to have a gait analysis is if you’ve been changing your running style. Whether your hips are further forward than they used to be, your heel lift is making you land further forward in your foot or a better arm movement means you’re now not swinging your legs across your body, your gait will have changed.
Strength and flexibility work can also have an impact on how you run, either making it better or worse, depending on the combination of the two and how appropriate what you do is for you as an individual.
To check new shoes
You’ll undoubtedly update your shoes as new models come out, I’ve gone through various models of Asics and Brooks shoes in the past. Although the shoes are very similar from one model to the next, usually with slight changes to materials, sole and pattern/colour, it’s worth trying out the updates before you buy in my view. I had two pairs of Brooks Launch 5s previously, and bought the Launch 6 without trying them on. They were significantly harder and although a decent shoe for shorter races due to their weight, I didn’t like them and barely used them.
Go get your gait analysed if you’re in any of the situations mentioned above and you’ll be set to clock up those miles with few if any issues. In Norwich we have the team at Sportlink who I always point people towards.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk.