How to Run Light on Your Feet & Avoid Injury

The AHA! Team — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:15:40 +0000

Joe Boland via Dr. Axe – Running is one of the best full-body aerobic exercises known to mankind, great for burning calories and working multiple muscle groups. Unfortunately, it also can lead to common running injuries, such as shin splints, stress fractures or heel spurs. The good news is there is research that may give runners a guide on how to run to avoid injury. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at why some longtime runners sustain many injuries while others never experience any injury at all. This is major, since up to 90 percent of runners sustain injuries that lead them to miss training time every year, according to some estimates. Conducted by folks at Harvard Medical School and other universities, the study involved 249 experienced female runners who were all heel strikers, meaning they all strike the ground with their heels when they run. Participants completed questionnaires about injury history and ran on a track with force monitors in order to measure impact loads. The runners were then tracked for two years, with the volunteers using a running diary and injury log during the study time. Over the two years, more than 140 runners reported sustaining injuries, with more than 100 of those injuries requiring medical attention. The other 100 or so reported no injuries, but of greater note to the researchers, 21 also had not had a prior injury either. To determine why this was the case, they turned to impact loading data, comparing the pounding metrics for those who have never been injured to those who have been seriously injured. Just as suspected, the runners who avoided injury landed far more lightly on their feet than those who had been seriously hurt. How to run light on your feet This is a huge breakthrough, since most runners are believed to be heel strikers. Turns out, this running technique does lead to more injuries because heel striking leads to a higher impact load on the foot, leg and body than landing near the middle or front of the foot. In fact, a 2012 study conducted by the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise examined 52 runners, 36 of whom primarily used a rearfoot strike and 16 of whom primarily used a forefoot strike. Researchers found that “approximately 74 percent of runners experienced a moderate or severe injury each year, but those who habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike.” They ultimately concluded that “runners who habitually rearfoot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike.” Another 2014 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy also found that rearfoot striking puts more pressure on the lower limbs, particularly the ankles, than forefoot striking. So if you’re wondering how to run optimally to avoid injury, you want to focus on avoiding landing on your heel. Those findings reinforce what was found in this more recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Dr. Irene Davis, the Harvard professor who led the study, said the findings also suggest that thinking about “a soft landing” can help. In addition, she provided some additional tips on how to run to avoid injury: Experiment with landing closer to the midfoot if you’re a heel striker. Most runners naturally land more lightly when they don’t lead with the heel. Slightly increase cadence — the number of steps you take per minute. This seems to reduce pounding from each stride. Imagine you’re running on eggshells or attempting to “run on water,” so to speak, trying to remain light on your feet. Davis’ Harvard colleague, professor Daniel E. Lieberman, had a few more tips on how to run properly as well: Don’t overstride. It places a big impact and shock wave that travels up your body. It also causes a deceleration of the body, so you have to work harder to keep your stride. If you focus on forefoot striking too much, you may overstride and cause more stress. Conversely, as we’ve noted, heel striking is bad. So focus on a flat-foot, midfoot strike. A very pronounced forefront or rearfoot strike is bad. Increase your stride rate. A high stride rate keeps your stride short and your bounce springy. Upright posture is important. If you lean forward, it puts big angular torque on your upper body, causing your body to want to fall forward, putting more stress on your lower body. Be relaxed. Don’t waste effort by tensing your upper body. If you’re a newer runner and wondering how to run from the get-go to avoid injury, keep these running tips for beginners in mind as well, in addition to this research: Warm up. Set a goal, and run consistently. Incorporate burst training. Cross-train. Get the right pre- and post-run fuel. Choose the right shoes. Watch out for uneven surfaces. Listen to your body. Stretch. Final thoughts Changing your running style is not necessarily easy, but it can really have an impact — no pun intended — on your injury incidence. Most people are heel strikers when they run, but this is actually detrimental and leads to more injury. Numerous studies have confirmed this, noting that rearfoot strikers put more impact and strain on their limbs than midfoot or forefoot strikers. Seeing as running injuries are so common and can interfere with exercise and training, it’s wise to focus on your running technique. Here are some tips on how to run with proper running technique by staying light on your feet to avoid injury: Warm up. Set a goal, and run consistently. Incorporate burst training. Cross-train. Get the right pre- and post-run fuel. Choose the right shoes. Watch out for uneven surfaces. Listen to your body. Stretch. Think about a soft landing. Focus on landing closer to your midfoot. Slightly increase your cadence, and potentially shorten your stride. Try imagining you’re running on eggshells or attempting to run on water to remain light on your feet. Don’t overstride. Land flat-footed or close to it. Run with upright posture. Be relaxed. To read the original article click here.

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Holy Fruit Turns on Healing Stem Cells

AHA Publisher — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:00:12 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – New research has found a way to dramatically increase the number of stem cells circulating in the blood using the “holy fruit of the Himalayas,” or seaberry. This bright orange fruit has been used for thousands of years to treat inflammation and infections, boost immunity, and slow the aging process. Modern research explains why it works. In the study, 12 healthy adults had their blood drawn before and after eating either seaberry extract or a placebo. Data on stem cell activity was analyzed following each blood draw.1 Within two hours of eating the berry, researchers found that: Progenitor stem cells capable of cardiovascular maintenance and repair increased 24%. Endothelial stem cells increased by 33%. These multipotent stem cells found in bone marrow, have the ability to develop into multiple specialized cells. Increasing the number of circulating stem cells in your body has been proven to potentially repair: Acute myocardial infarction2 Stroke3 Bone fracture4 Muscle injury5 Spinal cord injury6 Inner ear damage7 Boost Your Stem Cells Easily at Home First take seaberry extract daily. To get the results researchers saw in the study, take 500 mg daily. It’s available as a softgel, powder and juice. Look for certified organic, non-GMO products. Second, try fasting for two days every six months. A study from the University of Southern California shows that this kind of fasting causes stem cells to awake from their normal dormant state and start regenerating. This practice destroyed damaged and older cells, and caused new cells to be born, effectively renewing the immune system.8 Finally, workout intensely. A study in the European Heart Journal showed that vigorous exercise in mice activated 60% of their cardiac stem cells.9 In a human study, researchers proved that strenuous exercise leads to high levels of stem cells in bone, liver and other organs.10 To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS 1. Drapeau C, et al. “Rapid and selective mobilization of specific stem cell types after consumption of a polyphenol-rich extract from sea buckthorn berries (Hippophae) in healthy human subjects.” Clin Interv Aging. 2019:14:253-263. 2. Luo Y, et al. “Short-term intermittent administration of CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 facilitates myocardial repair in experimental myocardial infarction.” Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2013;45(7):561-569. 3. Wang L, et al. “Mobilization of endogenous bone marrow derived endothelial progenitor cells and therapeutic potential of parathyroid hormone after ischemic stroke in mice.” PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e87284. 4. Toupadakis CA, et al. “Mobilization of endogenous stem cell populations enhances fracture healing in a murine femoral fracture model.” Cytotherapy. 2013;15(9):1136-1147. 5. Stratos I, et al. “Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor enhances muscle proliferation and strength following skeletal muscle injury in rats.” J Appl Physiol. 2007;103(5):1857-1863. 6. Urdziková L, et al. “Flt3 ligand synergizes with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor in bone marrow mobilization to improve functional outcome after spinal cord injury in the rat.” Cytotherapy. 2011;13(9):1090-1104. 7. Elbana AM. “Role of endogenous bone marrow stem cells mobilization in repair of damaged inner ear in rats.” Int J Stem Cells. 2015;8(2):146-154. 8. Cheng CW, et al. “Prolonged fasting reduces igf-1/pka to promote hematopoietic-stem-cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression.” Cell Stem Cell. 14(6):810-823. 9. Gariani K, et al. “Eliciting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide repletion reverses fatty liver disease in mice.” Hepatology. 2016;63(4):1190-1204. 10. Valero MC, et al. “Eccentric Exercise facilitates mesenchymal stem cell appearance in skeletal muscle.” PLOS One. 2012;7(1):e29760. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles by Al Sears MD click here.

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How to Run Light on Your Feet & Avoid Injury

Holy Fruit Turns on Healing Stem Cells