Natural Running Center

A recent study of less than 40 East African tribesman showed that most  land on their heels while running at a slow pace on a compliant surface (not pavement) and when they sped up most changed their pattern to midfoot landing.  Some in the media then grabbed onto this small sample and somehow arrived at [Read more...]

What is meant by “body asymmetry?”  The term is used to describe when both parts of the body don’t line up or appear in sync.  It could be as simple as having a left foot slightly longer or wider than your right one. For runners, body asymmetry can mean a drooping right shoulder or outward-turning [Read more...]

For the past 12 years, I have dissected and modified hundreds of pairs of shoes, taught running form clinics around the country, opened a minimalist store in my home town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, directed races (from 5K fun runs to marathons), got local children excited about running, and most importantly listened with all my [Read more...]

by Jim Hixson. 1. There is no correct way to run. There is no perfect way to hit a forehand in tennis, or to drive a golf ball, or to kick a soccer ball, but the degree of divergence from the accepted norm in each of these activities is relatively small.  When you look at [Read more...]

One of life’s simplest pleasures is going for a run outside. The late Dr. George Sheehan summed it up best: “Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be.” So once in a while let’s forget about footwear, performance standards, and high-tech gadgetry — and instead simply let your [Read more...]

Thank you, Barefoot Professor for this amazingly lucid, totally great video about proper running form. Harvard professor of evolutionary biology Daniel Lieberman gives five simple pointers on how he thinks you can run long distances better and injury-free. First of all, don’t overstride….

by Dr. Phil Maffetone. Walking is associated with first striking the heel, whereas a running gait involves landing farther forward on the foot—a midfoot strike in most cases with more forefoot landing as running speed increases. Making contact with the ground imparts impact forces—the foot literally collides with the earth on each step. While impact [Read more...]

The minimalist movement of the last few years has gotten runners focused on their feet. Many now know what research has shown: Foot-strike patterns are variable, and the specific interaction between the foot and the ground is influenced by multiple factors like speed, surface and footwear. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s [Read more...]

The Natural Running Center is privileged to republish this article, “What Can We Learn from Watching Children Run?”,  by Dr. Irene Davis, which originally appeared in the Fall 2011 Journal of the American Medical Athletic Association. Dr. Davis is one of the world’s leading experts on running mechanics, running injury, and research. Dr. Davis and [Read more...]

Mark Cucuzzella, MD, and director of the Natural Running Center regularly runs unshod as a way to strengthen his feet and legs, as well as improve form, cadence, and posture. This short training segment was filmed on location at the Antietam National Park.