Overstriding is a common issue in runners, where the foot lands too far ahead of the body. This can lead to inefficiency in your stride and can increase the risk of injury. Luckily, there are ways to fix it, like paying attention to form or running to music or a metronome to increase cadence. As a running coach, here are some of my top tips and helpful information about overstriding.
Disclaimer: This post was written by Chrissy Carroll, RRCA Running Coach and ACSM Certified Personal Trainer. It is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as individual training advice. Consult a doctor prior to starting any new exercise routine.
Why is overstriding bad for runners?
Overstriding happens when your foot lands too far in front of your body’s center of mass. In other words, it means you’re taking large steps during your run, extending your leg far out in front of your body. Your foot ends up hitting the ground earlier than it should.
Because you’re landing at an angle, it increases the force exerted on your joints. This may contribute to common running injuries, such as shin splints or runner’s knee, due to the impact on joints.
Excessive stride length may also contribute to bone health issues. In fact, research suggests that decreasing stride length by approximately 10 percent may decrease the risk of stress fracture among female runners.
Overstriding may also cause a braking effect in some runners, disrupting your momentum and making each step less efficient. This means potentially wasted energy and increased fatigue on a run.
Note thought that not all studies have found this particular link though; a recent systematic review, for example, did not find an association between stride length and running economy. (Interestingly, though, that same study did find a link between higher cadence and improved running economy). It is likely that the impact on running economy may vary based on the individual.
How do you know if you’re overstriding?
The easiest way to see if you’re overstriding is to record a video of yourself running, and then play it back in slow motion or look at it frame by frame.
Look for whether your foot lands ahead of your hips. If it’s considerably out in front, you’re likely overstriding. Also, if you’re knee is very straight when landing, it’s likely you’re overstriding. Generally, your knee will have a slight bend when you’re landing around center mass.
You can see an example of overstriding in this photo of myself from several years back, versus a good stride length in my kiddo – notice the difference? His foot is clearly landing under his center of mass, while mine is far in front of my body.
While not as easy as reviewing a video, you may be able to spot overstriding during a run too. Try glancing down at your foot placement every so often and see if it looks like it’s landing out in front of your body. You can also see if you feel a braking sensation with each step, which may be another indicator.
Why do runners overstride?
Several factors contribute to overstriding, including:
- Lack of awareness of form: You generally run in line with what feels right to your body, and usually that’s completely fine. Running is pretty intuitive! But sometimes, running form can be affected by things like years of inactivity or even sitting all day and dealing with issues like lower cross syndrome. This may cause you to overstride without realizing it.
- Trying to increase speed: When runners start to increase speed, they sometimes default to a longer stride rather than quicker cadence. Generally (though not always), it’s more effective and better for injury risk to increase cadence (the number of steps per minute). Because of this, it may be helpful to take a peek at a video of you on an easy run versus a track workout to see if your run form is affected by the type of run.
- Weak glutes, hamstrings, and/or core: When these muscles are weak, it can cause changes to form, sometimes causing overstriding.
- Fatigue: As you run longer distances, you may start to fatigue during the end of the run and form can begin to breakdown. Sometimes this leads to overstriding. While some of the fatigue is inevitable at the tail end of a long run, the best way to avoid it is with a training plan that has gradual increases in mileage rather than big jumps.
How to fix overstriding
It’s not always essential to “fix” running form. If it’s a slight overstride and you’re not having any issues with it, it may actually be OK to continue to run like that. Everyone’s anatomy is different and you’ll even see some pro runners that look like they’re overstriding.
However, for those with significant overstriding, those worried about joint health or bone health issues, or those with performance goals, it may be worthwhile to make small changes. The key here is small – you never want to completely overhaul your running form, but instead, you want to aim for subtle shifts that can help overtime.
Shortening your stride slightly can reduce the load on the joints and improve your form. Here are some tips to help you do so:
1. Use a metronome or music to increase cadence.
Cadence refers to the number of steps per minute on a run. A metronome app can be set to a certain number of beats per minute, and produces an audible sound at that rate. You can use this to work on your feet hitting the ground in coordination with those sounds.
You could also find music that has a beat at the cadence you’re trying to achieve.
With any increases to cadence, just be sure to work on this slowly over time – don’t try to go from 145 steps per minute to 170 steps per minute.
Instead, aim for about 5% more steps per minute than you’re currently taking, and don’t focus on this for every single run (run some workouts at what naturally feels right).
Also keep in mind there’s not one exact cadence that fits all runners. The most important part is figuring out a cadence that feels natural and helps you keep that shorter stride length.
2. Use cues to shorten your stride.
As an alternative to above, you can use cues to help remember to shorten your stride while simultaneously keep yourself moving at your preferred speed. Something like “feet on fire”, “fast feet”, or “quick steps” are all helpful cues my runners have used in the past. Think light, quick steps!
3. Strengthen your glutes, core, and hamstrings
Strength in these muscles is essential for maintaining good form and preventing overstriding. Many runners are quad dominant and lack strength in these other areas. Here are some helpful exercises in each category:
- Squats
- Marching or single leg bridges
- Monster walks
- Clamshells
- Bulgarian split squats
- Deadlifts
Hamstring exercises:
- Good mornings
- Romanian deadlifts
- Kettlebell swings
- Hamstring curls on a machine or physio ball
- Lateral lunges
Core exercises:
- Plank
- Bird dog
- Dead bug
- Crunches
- Russian twist
If you’re not currently strength training, try starting to incorporate 1-2 strength training sessions per week, building up to 2-3 per week for ideal health. (During peak race training, you can always drop down to 1-2 sessions per week again, and then pick back up during lighter training or the off season).
4. Consider (maybe) incorporating some trail runs
Because of all the obstacles on a trail run – like all those rocks and roots – it generally forces you to shorten your stride a bit. You may find yourself naturally shortening your stride to navigate those obstacles and keep yourself from tripping.
Trails also generally have more frequent subtle changes in hills, which can be useful too. It’s pretty hard to overstride going up a hill, and generally runners will take shorter strides on a downhill trail (compared to road) to avoid slipping and falling.
Obviously if you’re a competitive runner in peak training for a major road race, don’t suddenly start trail running. The last thing you want is a twisted ankle or another injury if you’re not comfortable on a trail. But for recreational runners who enjoy it, mixing in some trail runs can be useful.
The Bottom Line
Overstriding is a common issue for runners. With a little self-assessment on video, you can likely see if you’re struggling with it. If so, work on ways to shorten your stride in a manner that still feels natural and comfortable for your body. Also make an effort to incorporate regular strength training to help maintain good form. You’ve got this!
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