At slower speeds, we are most efficient when our legs are stiff and inflexible, but at higher speeds, we must increase the degree of knee and hip flexion in order to improve shock absorption. These findings correlate with the clinical observation that walking feels more comfortable when moving slowly, while running is more comfortable as speeds inc

possible and focus on rapidly pushing off with your calf muscles to initiate a brief airborne phase. Almost all force associated with slow hybrid running comes from your calves and Achilles tendons.

To accurately describe the various anatomical interactions occurring while we walk and run, researchers have come up with the term “gait cycle.” Traced back to the 13th-century Scandinavian word gata for “road or path,” one complete gait cycle consists of the anatomical interactions occurring from the moment the foot first contacts the ground until

(e.g., healthy muscles and tendons store and return energy to enhance efficiency and off load our bones).

information is analyzed to calculate the metabolic cost of each running step and make changes to improve efficiency. Last but not least, fibers are subdivided into myofibrils, which are made of proteins called “actin” and “myosin.” These proteins are the motors that drive muscle contraction. New research shows that when muscles are exercised in the

we were to walk with our knees locked and our pelvis stiff (e.g., with a Frankenstein-like gait), the body’s center of mass would move up and down through a series of abruptly intersecting arcs, which would significantly increase the metabolic cost of locomotion because specific muscles would tense to accommodate the exaggerated up-and-down motions

stance phase motions, this portion of the gait cycle has been subdivided into

Because your stride length is so short, you don’t hit the ground very hard, and ground contact is typically made with the outside of the heel, with your foot only a few inches in front of you. To run fast while hybrid running, gradually increase your stride length and try to spend as little time on the ground as possible (you hit the ground like a

At slower speeds, we are most efficient when our legs are stiff and inflexible, but at higher speeds, we must increase the degree of knee and hip flexion in order to improve shock absorption. These findings correlate with the clinical observation that walking feels more comfortable when moving slowly, while running is more comfortable as speeds inc