Proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise are three common factors associated with optimal health. These make sense since nutrition and sleep give you much-needed energy throughout the day while exercise strengthens your body to accomplish your daily goals.
But what if we told you the way you exercised also mattered if you ran or walked regularly? Today’s article will look at exactly how it works and what running analysis can improve your health miles above the rest.
The Statistics
The past ten years have shown a tremendous increase in cardiovascular fitness injuries, especially outdoor walking and running. The scale rate has been calculated between 26 per cent to a whopping 92 per cent!
While stamina and endurance were the top evaluating factors, today’s completely different perspective is needed. A running analysis observes an individual’s entire chain of motion from the foot, ankle, legs, and whole body to properly locate what is causing the discomfort.
The Treatment
A running analysis surveys beyond foot pronation (landing motion) and foot motion. Given the connection of these joints and muscles, physiotherapists today examine from the top-down, particularly at the hip and pelvic region where the legs start. These areas are just as important as the lower extremities in diagnosing the causes of running- and walking-related injuries.
The Process
The running analysis begins with a gait video. The patient will walk and run on a treadmill at a set speed with various cameras recording their gait from every angle.
The collected data is sent to a device that can analyse specific trends.
The physiotherapist then conducts a hands-on, non-running examination. The exam may also include a history of your physical activities and accidents contributing to the overall analysis.
Afterwards, the physiotherapist will review the gait video in slow motion to note pertinent details and combine them with the information gathered from the non-running examination, leading to a personalised diagnosis and prognosis for each patient.
The Solutions
After your running analysis, the physiotherapist will recommend suitable solutions to address a specific condition or discomfort you are feeling. These may include the following:
- Physical therapy: The most common solution is immediate physical therapy to alleviate the stress. This may include mechanical and manual procedures such as laser therapy, massages, and even deep tissue manipulation to loosen the tightened nerves, muscles, and ligaments that impact your form.
- Rehabilitation exercises: After or during your physical therapy, you may be prescribed a series of strengthening exercises to improve muscle strength and prevent the issue from returning.
- Stretching: Often, pain in the joints are merely a symptom of tight, tired muscles and ligaments, not a skeletal condition. Ask your physiotherapist to give you area-specific stretches to loosen those muscles and improve joint health. Pro-tip: Stretch only after working out, never before.
- New shoes: Perhaps your aches and pains are partly due to wearing the incorrect pair of shoes with your pronation:
If you have under pronation, you need to wear neutral running shoes.
If you have overpronation, you need stability or stability+ shoes.
If you have neutral pronation, then neutral and minimalist pairs will do.
- Cessation and switching of exercises: Weightlifting or extreme load-bearing workouts also cause injuries due to muscle strain. If so, your doctor will tell you to stop those and transition to lighter activities that achieve the same results with lesser injuries.
- Diet: As with the previous solution, excess body weight also adds unnecessary stress to your joints. A diet helps you lose weight and relieve those areas for an improved gait.
Run the Race Well
Your external and internal processes contribute to overall health. It’s not just what you eat, do, or wear but also how your muscles, ligaments, and joints function together. Include regular visits to your physiotherapist and other related practitioners to ensure your entire system is in tip-top shape. Remember, walking and running shouldn’t hurt you in the long run, especially in this race we call life!
Contact Invigor Health right now to ensure your body is at optimal health! We’re a physiotherapy provider that fixes your pain and future-proofs your body with movement screening, massage therapy, and running analysis in Bondi. Book a session with us online now!
