Benefits of a Midfoot Strike in Running

by Jenny Sugar 12

Whether you're new to running or have been running for years, you want to do all you can to prevent foot pain, pulled muscles, shin splints, and runner's knee. Although running may seem like an innate skill we're born with, fine-tuning your technique is essential for avoiding injuries.

Experts may tell you that preventing pain and discomfort is as easy as running "correctly." There's a huge debate if it good to change your gait and exactly what part of your foot should make contact with the ground first: the heel, the midfoot, or the toes (also called forefoot). There are pros and cons to each so to see how they compare, keep on reading.

As you can see, there are benefits and disadvantages to all three techniques. If you're noticing pain or discomfort while running, then you may want to pay attention to what part of your foot you land on. The Pose Method and ChiRunning recommend moving away from heel striking and aiming to land more towards the front of the foot; it's the more efficient and leads to fewer injuries. With that said, if you're going to make any changes to your running technique, do so gradually to avoid injury.