Can Gait Analysis Improve Your Running Form

If you're a runner, jogger-or even a walker-you know that form matters. A stride that's uneven or "off" in any way can easily lead to sore muscles, strained tendons or other injuries. But how do you know if your gait is causing trouble?

"A gait analysis can pick up on asymmetries that lead to inefficient running or walking technique," says Stefanie Heyser, PT, DPT, ATC, a physical therapist at Henry Ford Health. "It can also pick up on other issues that are likely to cause injury."

What Is Gait Analysis?

A gait analysis is a test to assess your movement patterns. "First, we watch you run on land to see what your form looks like on the ground," says Heyser. "The way we run on a treadmill can look different because the ground is moving beneath you."

You'll run on a treadmill during gait analysis. But the treadmills used are different than the ones at the gym. They have force plates that can track how you land and they measure how much force you put through your foot and where it's distributed.

The test also uses high-speed cameras with 3D software. These tools help to evaluate your body mechanics and assess posture, stride and control.

What Can You Learn From Running Gait Assessment?

"There's no one 'right' running form that everyone needs to aspire to," says Heyser. "Good form is a spectrum." Getting a running gait assessment can reveal where your form is on that spectrum-and give you the tools you need to improve it.

"One of the most important things a gait analysis measures is asymmetry," says Heyser. "If you push off or land differently on one side, that can affect stride length and other aspects of form." Because asymmetries change your gait, they can increase your risk of injury.

A gait analysis also measures several joint angles while you're in motion. And that can reveal a lot about your form. For example, the way your knee bends can change how your foot hits the ground and how well that impact is absorbed by your body.

"A common issue we see during a gait analysis is overstriding," says Heyser. That's when you land with your foot too far out in front of your center of gravity.

"You may not notice it, but it can cause you to land with a stiff ankle and stiff knee," she says. "You want to land with a soft bend in your knee so that your body reacts like a spring to absorb the impact of striking the ground."

What Happens After Gait Analysis?

If you're injured, you'll need to work with a specialized physical therapist or rehab clinician. They'll use the information from the gait analysis to help guide your rehab program.

If you're using the test to learn how to boost running performance, you'll work with a sports performance specialist. They can create a program to help you maximize your running efficiency.

"My goal is to make a runner more efficient and more durable," says Heyser. "I put together strengthening, mobility and stabilization exercises to work on the weaknesses and asymmetries that may feed into injuries or may have caused a current injury."

Who Can Benefit From Gait Analysis?

You may think that professional, high-tech gait analysis is just for elite runners. But anyone who runs or walks for fitness can benefit from the test. "We see new runners, weekend warriors, high-end athletes-and everyone in between," says Heyser. "A gait analysis can help people at all levels."

If there's one group that may benefit the most, it's runners who've been injured in the past. "The biggest predictor of a running injury is previous injury," says Heyser. "Even if you're fully healed, you may still be compensating in some way." And even the tiniest compensation in your stride or running form can predispose you to getting a new injury.

Getting a gait analysis-then getting a personalized exercise prescription-can help keep you running stronger and more durable for life.

Reviewed by Stefanie Heyser, PT, DPT, ATC, a physical therapist at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine.