Gait Analysis

The free video editing software I have only has the very basic features, so I’m not able to point things out like I wanted. (I guess that is why the software is free.) I was able to slow down the recording. Hopefully, you will be able to better see what I explain.

In a normal running gait, your heel hits on the outer side first and then rolls toward the inside. As the heel starts to lift, the foot rolls back out so that the ball of the foot is flat on the ground providing the spring necessary to propel forward.

When I wore my clearance, “running” shoes, I did not have the adequate support, so my foot remained rolled in too long. I was already starting to spring forward before it rolled back out. This put extra stress on the fibula contributing to my break. The sports medicine doctor already figured this out before the gait analysis.

There was one new thing discovered that also probably contributed to the break. There is a weakness in my hips. The weakness is shown by the way my hips dip when I run. Normally, the hips stay in a horizontal line – parallel to the ground. On this video, you can see that my hips dip down into a 45-degree angle when I run. This also places stress on the fibula. I had the perfect triangle for a break – lack of experience, wrong shoes with an overpronation, and weak hips.

What does all of this mean? First, I restarted running gradually. I used the elliptical a lot and completed just a few short runs every other day. I slowly built up to a mile. The movement of my ankle was corrected by purchasing the proper running shoes, and the physical therapist prescribed strengthening exercises for my hips. Nothing that can’t be corrected.

I am now up to fifteen miles a week, but I still keep the running to every other day. On the off days, I cross train with P90, elliptical, and water running. The cross training helps me continue to work on the cardio and work my muscles without the added stress of continuous impact.