Running is one of the most natural and accessible forms of exercise—but it’s also a repetitive, high-impact activity that can easily lead to injury or performance plateaus if your body isn’t moving efficiently. Whether you’re training for your next 10K, pushing for a marathon PB, or just trying to run without discomfort, gait analysis can offer game-changing insight.
At Worthing Osteopathic & Wellbeing Clinic, our specialist manual therapist uses clinical gait analysis to help runners of all levels improve the way they move—boosting performance, reducing injury risk, and yes, even helping them run faster.
What Is Gait Analysis?
Gait analysis is a detailed assessment of how your body moves while you run. It looks closely at your biomechanics—things like stride length, foot strike, hip alignment, and joint motion—allowing us to see how efficiently (or inefficiently) your body is working.
For runners, this information is especially valuable. Unlike walking, running involves more impact, more force through the joints, and more demand on the muscles and tendons. Even small flaws in your running mechanics can:
- Reduce your efficiency
- Lead to recurring injuries
- Affect speed and endurance
- Cause compensatory pain in other areas (e.g., lower back, hips, or knees)
How Gait Analysis Helps Runners
Here are just a few of the things gait analysis can help uncover and correct:
✅ Overstriding or Heel Striking
If your foot lands too far in front of your body, it acts like a brake and slows you down—leading to higher impact forces and slower running times.
✅ Hip Drop or Pelvic Imbalance
Weak glutes or poor core stability can cause hip “sway” or drop, which increases stress on the knees and can limit stride efficiency.
✅ Asymmetries or Limb Dominance
Many runners unconsciously favour one leg, leading to unequal workload and long-term imbalances.
✅ Poor Foot Mechanics
Flat feet, high arches, or instability in the ankles can create issues that travel up the kinetic chain—causing shin splints, Achilles issues, or knee pain.
How Our Manual Therapist Can Help
At Worthing Osteopathic & Wellbeing Clinic, our manual therapist is highly trained in clinical gait analysis specifically tailored for runners. She doesn’t just observe your technique—she uses a structured approach to assess your biomechanics from head to toe.
What to Expect During a Gait Assessment:
- Video or Observational Analysis of your running gait
- Assessment of joint mobility, posture, and alignment
- Evaluation of muscle strength, flexibility, and control
- Discussion of your training routine, injury history, and goals
From this comprehensive assessment, she identifies movement inefficiencies, potential risk factors, and any underlying causes of pain or performance limits.
The Next Steps: Optimising Your Running Form
Once we’ve gathered the data, we don’t just hand it over—we act on it. Our therapist will develop a customised plan to improve your biomechanics and performance. This might include:
- Hands-on osteopathic techniques to release tight areas and restore joint mobility
- Targeted strength and conditioning exercises, especially for glutes, core, and lower limb stability
- Running form coaching to retrain movement patterns
- Stretching and mobility routines tailored to your specific needs
- Footwear and orthotic advice if needed
Improving your running gait doesn’t just prevent injury—it makes you more efficient. With better alignment and balance, your body works with gravity rather than against it, reducing wasted energy and helping you run smoother, longer, and faster.
Ready to Run Smarter?
Whether you’re an elite runner chasing seconds or a recreational jogger tired of aches and niggles, gait analysis can help you move better and feel better. At Worthing Osteopathic & Wellbeing Clinic, we’re passionate about helping runners reach their potential—safely and sustainably.
Book Your Runner’s Gait Assessment Today:
Worthing Osteopathic & Wellbeing Clinic
📍 140 South Street, Tarring, Worthing, BN14 7NB
📞 01903 230066
📧 info@worthingosteopathicwellbeing.co.uk
🌐 www.worthingosteopathicwellbeing.co.uk