Hey guys its JP and this time we are going to look at the last phase of the running cycle,
which is the SWING PHASE! This phase takes place right after foot leaves the ground,
and ends the moment it is about to land again. To make this really simple, this phase takes
place when the foot is currently in the air. Now, this phase can technically be further
broken up into 4 sections, which are preswing, initial swing, midswing, and terminal swing;
however, we will keep it simple here for now and group them together! Now, from a performance
standpoint, the goal in this phase is to basically get the foot forward as quickly as possible,
so you can take your next step! The faster this takes place, the more steps you'll be
able to take, which will ultimately increase your speed! Now, lets go over some things
to look for during this phase and optimize the way you run!
One of the most common things to look at in this phase is the heel recovery or foot clearance,
which is how high the foot is from the ground! While people typically look at the foot itself,
this is actually moreso a result from how much knee bend or flexion that occurs. During
the middle of the swing phase, the knee will typically bend a bit more than 90 degrees!
However, this increases as you run at faster speeds like in sprinting, which can end up
having angles around 130 degrees. It ends up looking like the heels are in very close
proximity to the hips! Now, the problem that many runners may get into is when they try
to replicate this "heel to butt" pattern. You may hear cues, such as "Try to kick your
butt with your heel"...however, the results of doing so may be subpar! By only ACTIVELY
trying to bend the knee during this phase, you may "look" like you are running like an
elite runner, but you you would be missing the point of WHY that knee bend actually occurs
in the first place! The reason the knee bend occurs may be to reduce moment of inertia
of the leg. By doing so, this may help the leg swing forward more efficiently and quickly!..And
that is the goal of this PHASE! So, FOCUS ON THE GOAL! Instead of trying to kick your
butt, you can work on the push off from the ground or driving the knee forward! Both of
these things will result in a quicker swing phase, which is what we want, and may result
in the knee coming up closer to the hips NATURALLY!
Now, the next thing we will look at is heel and foot alignment as the leg swings forward!
It is important to look at the swing phase from multiple angles. The best way to find
out if there is a heel whip is through the front or back view. When looking from the
front view, the knee should basically be lined up with the heel. If the heel moves excessively
to either side, this may be considered a heel whip! Now, how does this occur?...This can
be due to multiple reasons. One reason can be the way you push off the
ground. If you push off the ground more on the inner or outer part of the foot, it may
cause a heel whip in either direction. The second reason is that it could be coming from
the hip. Lacking hip mobility, strength, or coordination of muscles around the area could
cause a heel whip to occur as well! With heel whipping occuring, this may indicate excessive
forces being directed side to side. By addressing this, it may help optimize force directed
forward and improve efficiency and overall speed!
Now, the last thing I want to go over during this phase is arm swing. Remember that running
does not only just involve the legs. You run with YOUR WHOLE BODY! Now the more difficult
thing about looking at this is that there could be a lot of VARIATION with arm swing;
however, this is not something to be too concerned about as long as the purposes of the arm swing
are fulfilled! One of the biggest reasons for arm swing are to COUNTER rotational forces
coming from the leg pushing off the ground! By doing so, this may optimize force directed
forward rather than side to side! It is also important to remember that the body works
together as a team. Big variations in arm swing may clue in on deficits occuring in
the legs! For example, if you see one arm farther from the body, this may indicate pain
or decreased tolerance to running on the opposite leg. Another example could be when you see
movement to where the arms are excessively crossing the midline of the body. This could
possibly hint at limitations in mobility and control of the lumbopelvic hip region or increased
forces generated side to side.
And those are a few things to look for during the swing phase! Now, we basically went over
each phase of the running cycle. Next time, I will explore certain running deviations
and how I typically address them! Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts and any feedback
you may have. And as always, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!