Gait Analysis

All , can someone advise is it worth having a gait analysis done on new trainers ?

 

Comments

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Why would you want to do that?

  • Running club advise having gait analysis done before buying new trainers

     

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    What is the reason for that advice?  There's no clear evidence that gait analysis is effective for injury prevention.  Although some people swear by it...

  • TownerTowner ✭✭✭

    depends.... if your new to running and just doing a few gentle miles then there's no hurry, but as you build up your distance then its definately something that you should do....it only needs to be done once, then you will always know which trainers are suitable for you and you limit your chances of injuries...image

  • Thanks Towner ,that makes sense .not new to running been at it for a while , defo will have it done image

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Like I said...  There's no clear/conclusive evidence that gait analysis is effective for injury prevention image

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Casey2 -- Each to his/her own; however, given that there is no conclusive evidence that gait analysis is effective for injury prevention...  In what way does Towner's advice make sense?

  • TownerTowner ✭✭✭

    maybe not TD, but i ran in nuetral shoes and was plagued with calf problems, podiatrist said i overpronate, so had gait test which confirmed i needed support shoes and ive had no calf issues since...could be coincidence i suppose, but......

     

  • thanks taxi , I will have it done , all advice is worth a go ,you nevr know I could run even faster !!!image

  • couple of club members had gait test, both said makes a diff , I also overpronate so new shoes for me .........thanks towner

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Towner -- Like I said...  Some people swear by it image  There have been loads of people on these fora saying "I started running, got loads of injuries, had gait analysis and been fine since"...  But there are also people, such as me, who had gait analysis and started running in stability shoes, got loads of injuries, have since run in neutrals and not had a problem...  In my case I doubt the running shoes made much difference one way or the other, it was probably more to do with running frequency and/or intensity.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Casey2 -- For sure give it ago and see if it works for you image

  • Plenty of runners buy gait analysed running shoes and still end up injured.  I think running form is more important than what we wear on our feet.

    You know, humans ran for thousands of years before over-engineered running shoes were invented; I understand that a minority of people may need specialist footwear, but I can't help thinking we've fallen for some great marketting by the running shoe companies.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    As far as I know there is no conclusive evidence that gait analysis either prevents or causes injury...  Gait analysed running shoes (stability?) don't cost any more than non-gait analysed running shoes (neutral?) do they?  I wonder where the idea of gait analysis was concocted...  And then there's also barefoot running of course...

  • It's a bit like religion, Taxi Driver; I'm in the 'Natural Running Sect', not because it's fashionable, but because I joined the army in 1986 and just ran in whatever it was I was issued with, which was Plimsols (slaps) and boots and never had a problem.  Later we were issued with Silver Shadows, which I remember running into the ground.  I never had an injury caused by running in 17 years service and I ran at Regimental cross country standard (not really high, but not bad either).

    I'm half Japanese too - I've got the classic Japanese bow legs - I underpronate; the wear pattern on my running shoes is always on the outside.  On the whole I run without any problems or injuries; I once had a touch of ITBS - stretching seems to keep that at bay.  Had a touch of plantar faciatis - running barefoot around a track and minamalist training shoes seems to have sorted that one.  But in reality it's almost impossible to say what fixes what.  Or what prevents what.  And because much of the science is funded by Nike and the ilk, it can't always be trusted.

    So should the OP get gait analysed?  It can't hurt, but there's a school of thought that over-engineered running shoes can cause injuries.  It goes along the lines that too much support weakens the feet and creates problems; like wearing a permenant neck brace would hamper the neck muscles from developing and cause injuries.

    And there's a huge range of things to do to avoid injuries; good running form, sensible training, a sensible race schedule, running on different planes and surfaces, warming up, warming down, stretching (although I know there's different camps on this one too); and probably lots of other stuff that doesn't quite spring to mind.

    It's late, I'm rambling; hope I've at least let the OP know there's some different schools of thought he/she may wish to investigate further.

     

  • Also-ranAlso-ran ✭✭✭

    If the 'gait analysis' is backed up by a decent returns policy then there is little to lose. Lets not kid ourselves that looking at the level of pronation is a gait analyis though. A proper gait analysis can be very informative, but it is likely to cost as much as a pair of shoes.

  • Before I went on holiday I was getting a really weird muscle pain on the side of my shin. No amount of stretching was working and it would always just hurt all the way round whatever distance I did.

    So I went into Go Outdoors recently to have mine done. We walked toward the machine and when we got there he asked to look at my flip flops I was wearing. Looked at the wear down the sides and just said "I don't need to get you on the machine, you need these"

    I was hesitant at first as he recommended a pair of 100 quid Salomon trail shoes even though I told him I'd be doing almost exclusively road running. But it became clear he knew what he was on about.

    It took a week or so to get used to them as the support in the arch was basically forcing my foot to run with better form, but a month later I'm used to them and have none of the pain I had before.

  • u know what mattywar that is just the reply I needed , its so confusing sometimes , I wear heels all the time and I just think its doing something to my shins , I do get a pain occasionally .

     

    DW sports have a gait analysis upstairs so u have made my mind up !! defo !!

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