If you spend your time scrolling through running articles online, no doubt you’ll have heard that pronation is the devil. Everyone thinks that pronation is a problem they need to eliminate, but the truth is, it’s completely natural.

As well as being part of your body’s intuitive movement, it’s also essential for healthy, fast and balanced running, especially on uneven ground.

Our Run Analysis is the perfect way to get an expert’s opinion on your form and how you can improve it – and it’s currently discounted by 20%! Before you head over to our booking page, let’s talk a bit more about pronation and why it’s important.

Why Is Pronation Important for Long Term Running Success?

Whether you’re running regularly or hitting the track sporadically, it’s essential to understand the importance of pronation and how it affects your performance.

When you’re running on rocky or uneven ground, your whole body experiences a lot of impact. Pronation refers to the way your foot reacts to this impact, allowing for shock absorption and improved balance. Both of these factors contribute to long term running success by preventing injury and boosting performance.

What is Pronation and How Can It Improve My Form?

When you’re in the process of a run, your body experiences a cycle of lifting and landing. Pronation is part of the human body’s natural movement during this cycle and describes how the foot rolls inward. As a result, you should always land on the outside border of the sole for rigid support and best impact distribution.

Some important terms to know when talking about the mechanics of running include:

• Supination – landing on the outer border of the foot.
• Pronation – landing on the inner border of the foot.
• Midstance – the position your foot takes when it aligns with the centre of the body.

Everything’s Connected

When we’re talking about form or foot mechanics in particular, it’s easy to forget that they’re connected to the rest of our bodies. Weak glutes, poor core strength, and low hip flexibility all play a part in refining your form for better performance.

A vital example of this can be seen by observing the leg in your analysis. If your foot naturally opts for an inner border landing position and the leg rotates inward, you need to work on hip flexibility.

Footwear Makes a Difference

As a physical therapist, I often see runners’ pronation function being affected by the footwear they choose to wear. Young women often opt for chunkier, brick-like shoes which can prevent the foot from making the correct contact with the ground below. In turn, this means that your natural ability to shock absorb is restricted.

In the same vein, shoes that are too thin and don’t provide the right kind of support can cause your feet to overcompensate with an unnatural position. It’s all about striking the right balance and finding out what works best for you.

Ready to improve your running form for lasting change?

For a limited time only, you can get 20% off our RunSmart Run Analysis.

This is what one of our clients had to say about the service:

“The time and care that RunSmart put into my evaluation is something you rarely find anywhere, in any profession. To have a real, accredited professional who is an experienced expert in their field one on one and provide a tool you can keep. That’s value BEYOND what you’re paying for.”

Included in a RunSmart Analysis:

• Frame-by-frame analysis and voice-over to highlight imbalances and flaws in your form.
• Side-by-side comparisons with other runners to highlight strengths and weaknesses.
• Direct email access with our expert coaches after your analysis for follow-up questions.
• Complete download access to your analysis so you can refer back as and when you need to.
• Submit your videos for analysis over a full year, aligning with your personal training schedule.