Want to walk further without pain? Run faster? Breaking down the mechanics of gait can show dysfunction and weakness with each step. A professional running or walking gait analysis breaks down gait and movement mechanics into several components.
The ground force reaction for a walker is around 1-1.5x bodyweight, a runner can reach up to 3x bodyweight. Multiply this load times the thousands of steps taken over a day and any weakness or imbalance will lead to pain and injuries over time. Poor movement patterns from limited range of motion, strength deficits, and even poor neuromuscular control can all have a significant impact on your body.
A professional running or walking gait analysis breaks down gait and movement mechanics into several components. It includes investigating full body mechanics including arm swing, body lean and head position. The finer details of hips, ankles and feet are looked at in great detail.
A gait analysis can be especially helpful in selecting proper footwear. Shoes can be a tremendous help or hinderance to proper gait mechanics; it’s critical to make sure you’re in the right style shoe for your needs.
Hyatt Training professional gait analysis in Portland
The process is broken down into two appointments each lasting approximately 60 minutes. The first appointment includes a structural and movement assessment involving strength, flexibility and mobility components that may affect running or walking efficiently and could lead to injury. We will videotape your gait from multiple angles while you run or walk on the treadmill; both with shoes and barefoot. Videotaping allows us to slow down the movement and look at your mechanics in great detail, pinpointing possible structural inefficiencies. We’ll put together all the observations from the movement assessment and video analysis to complete the evaluation and craft a plan and suggestions. At the second meeting we will discuss all of the findings and you will leave with a defined set of suggestions and changes to implement.
Tips to stay injury-free
Clients walk away from our evaluation with cues for better form, exercises to keep (and improve) their strength and recommendations on the type of footwear that best suits their unique movement style.
Mechanics change over time, and we recommend an updated running gait analysis every few years. The process is especially helpful for newer runners or walkers, athletes battling injuries or those considering changes in footwear.
Do you have questions about your form, mechanics or footwear? Contact us to see how we can help you today!
At Hyatt Training, your optimal health and wellness is our #1 goal. We blend art and science to create programs that are applicable to life and sport. We bring together strength and conditioning, cardiovascular health, range of motion and nutrition to deliver a comprehensive lifetime health and wellness strategy made just for you. Running and walking injury free is a huge part of a healthy life! To learn more about Amanda’s gait analysis, email us at Go@HyattTraining.com.
