Modifying Footstrike to Reduce Injury Risk

There is probably no one Footstrike type that is optimum for all runners, but current thinking suggests that paying attention to the foot landing pattern may help some runners with injuries in specific body locations. Forefoot striking is known to reduce loads at the knee and possibly hip joints but will likely increase loads in the calf / Achilles region; Rearfoot striking is likely to transmit loads further up the body to the knee and hips. Therefore, runners with knee pain may benefit from a move to Forefoot striking, whereas runners with calf issues may wish to stick with Midfoot or Rearfoot striking.

Through Footstrike Profile and Footstrike Trainer, NURVV Run has the tools to help you firstly understand what Footstrike pattern you are actually using for your left and right foot and then monitor whether you are managing to sustain any intended changes during the course of your runs. If you have decided which Footstrike pattern you want to aim for then you can acclimatise to this pattern using Footstrike Trainer and then monitor whether your changes translate to longer runs using Footstrike Profile, identifying whether your Footstrike changes due to fatigue or whether imbalances between left and right emerge during the run.