Adequate recovery of the swing leg is important as it allows for optimal foot strike placement. Poor recovery may lead to overstriding & a resultant increase in braking forces.
What is good leg recovery?
Ideally, we like to see the tibia (shin bone) of the swing leg break parallel with the ground. In the first clip, we see ideal leg recovery, followed by 2 clips of runners displaying a low recovery path.
So how can you improve leg recovery?
Firstly have you got sufficient strength in your hip flexors?
The hip flexors are important for recovery of the swing leg as they store & release energy that essentially slingshots the leg forward. We've previously discussed here how to test the strength of the hip flexors, which at home includes an Anterior Powerline Bunkie test, or for greater accuracy, we use our in-clinic AxIT technology.
For a selection of exercises to strengthen the hip flexors, head to our blog here
Running drills
There are a variety of drills that can be utilized to improve leg recovery. We like to have runners begin with a progression of A-Drills which include:
For further assistance with your running needs, please don't hesitate to contact us at www.healthhp.com.au
⚠️It is important that you seek advice from your health professional before making changes to your running technique to ensure that any changes are right for you.
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