By Eoghan Grace
How Fixing Your Running Mechanics Can End Aches, Injuries, and Excuses
With spring sunshine finally breaking through and longer evenings calling you outside, it’s time to talk about something that either excites you or fills you with dread.
Running!
Let’s be honest if your body hurts after a run, it’s not the run itself that’s the problem.
It’s how you’re running.
The Fear Isn’t Running, It’s Pain
People avoid running because they associate it with pain: aching knees, tight hips, throbbing shins, sore heels. But here’s the science backed truth:
Running isn’t bad for your joints. Running with poor mechanics is.
And 9 times out of 10, it starts with your feet.
Your Feet Are Your Foundation
Every single movement you make begins at the floor. Yet most of us spend nearly all our time in cushioned shoes or motion-controlled trainers that deactivate the muscles in our feet. Your toes don’t splay, your arches collapse, your feet forget how to grip, and you lose the bounce that good movement depends on.
Weak feet = unstable foundation = everything up the chain compensates.
This often leads to:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splints
- Knee pain
- Hip and lower back tightness
Why? Because your body is fighting to stay stable on a wobbly base. Imagine building a house on jelly, no matter how strong the walls are, it’s going to fall apart.
The #1 Mistake? Heel Striking
Here’s where most people go wrong—heel striking. It’s that braking motion we all subconsciously copy from the car pedal movement, right foot out in front, heel slams down, body gets jarred, and you drag yourself forward.
Sound familiar?
Heel striking:
- Sends a shockwave through your ankle, knee, hip, and lower back
- Halts your forward momentum
- Is biomechanically backwards, you’re braking, not running
Instead, think about how elite runners move, whether it’s marathoners or 100m sprinters, they all share one trait:
They land under their center of mass, on the ball of the foot, with a reactive “bounce.”
That bounce isn’t just for speed, it’s for efficiency and joint protection. The calf acts like a spring, the arch of the foot like a suspension system, and the glutes and core fire more effectively.
So What Can You Do?
- Train your feet.
Walk barefoot at home. Do foot-strengthening drills. Use your toes like fingers, spread them, grip the floor, load the arch. - Ditch the over-cushioned shoes (when safe).
Try minimalist or flatter shoes for strength and awareness, start slowly and build up. - Practice your mechanics.
Shorten your stride, land softly under your hips, and aim for that bouncy, elastic feeling. Think push not pull. - Warm up like a runner.
Do mobility drills for your hips and ankles. Bounce, hop, and build tissue resilience.
The Weather’s on Your Side………….Now Run Right
Don’t let another spring pass you by because you “hate running.” What you might really hate is how your body feels when your mechanics are off.
Running should feel free. Fluid. Energising.
So fix your feet. Master your mechanics. And get that bounce back.
Because the real fear isn’t running, it’s running wrong.
Want to learn how to run pain-free and powerful?
DM us on socials or email us thecrew@thestudiosalcombe.com
Let’s challenge your Spring/Summer Goals and make running feel good again