Running Foot Health: Self Assessment

While your overall running technique (posture, cadence etc…) dictates where and how the foot lands, and therefore the loading experienced, your foot and ankle biomechanics and proprioception determine how effectively this loading occurs.

Poor biomechanics and proprioception around the foot and ankle can result in unwanted compensatory movements. These compensatory movements often lead to injury with time and repetition.

Jay Dicharry, MPT has produced the video below to show some great self assessment and treatment techniques to promote foot health in runners.

About The Author James Dunne

James has an academic background in Sport Rehabilitation and a special interest in Applied Biomechanics. He currently coaches a large number of Runners and Triathletes across all levels of ability and performance. He's grown a strong reputation for enabling athletes to improve their running performance and overcome running injuries through improving their Running Technique and developing Running Specific Strength.

1 Comment

• 
  Lexie Williamson March 31, 2013 at 8:25 pm

  Hi James, fantastic and informative video on the feet, thank you. I’m a yoga instructor specialising in Yoga for Runners and Cyclists (and run and cycle myself) I teach variations of these co-ordination/mobility exercises (‘Toe Yoga’) with the running club I work with. Strong, mobile feet are fundamental in yoga and many yoga foot techniques are great for runners.

  My issue is that while doing these type of exercises – and especially stretching the plantar fascia – one of two runners always suffer from cramp. We begin the session right after they have run (average eight miles on pavement) so I’m wondering if the foot stretches are too much too soon?

  I try to warm up the feet gradually (e.g pointing and flexing, ankle rotations etc before moving on to deeper foot stretches (e.g all fours, shifting on to the balls of the feet and gradually sitting back towards the heels) but perhaps these stretches are too deep. I was interested in the section in the video on massage – perhaps this should preceed stretching?

  Any advice gratefully received!

  Lexie Williamson
  pulseyoga.co.uk

  Reply