Overstriding happens when your foot lands too far in front of your body’s center of mass. It is one of the most common mistakes runners make and it is holding you back. When you overstride, you are essentially braking with every step. That wasted energy could be propelling you forward and helping you run faster, smoother, and more efficiently.
How Overstriding Hurts Performance
Each time your foot strikes the ground, your body absorbs impact through the ankles, knees, and hips. The farther out in front you land, the greater the braking force and the more momentum you lose. Over time, this not only increases your risk for injuries like shin splints, IT band syndrome, and hip pain, it also keeps you from reaching your true speed potential.
Why It Is Hard to Fix on Your Own
Stride mechanics can be difficult to address without help. Running is a full body movement and no two runners are exactly alike. What feels normal to you may actually be limiting your performance. Often runners feel pain in one part of the body but the issue is rooted somewhere else. You want to be confident that your approach to resolving the issues doesn’t create a different set of issues, which we often see. Traditional physical therapists or athletic trainers are equipped to assist the general population, however a clinician who specializes in running mechanics can be much more specific and likely able to provide you the best chance to unlock your fastest, safest and most efficient stride.
Simple Cues to Run Faster
Here are a few performance-focused cues we use with runners to reduce overstriding and improve mechanics:
- “Squish a bug under your hip.” (Land closer to your center of mass.)
- “Push the ground behind you.” (Focus on propulsion rather than reaching.)
- “Pretend you are on a skateboard.” (Glide forward smoothly instead of braking.)
Build the Engine Behind the Stride
Cues help but performance gains come from strengthening the right muscle groups. For most runners that means:
- Hamstrings, core, and glute strength to generate more power with every stride.
- Hip mobility to unlock a fuller, smoother range of motion.
Physical therapy and training programs for runners is very specific, and should be tailored to your body and your goals. Research on running has advanced exponentially in the last decade and we no longer need to rely on a one-size-fits-all format of treatment.
Fixing overstriding is not only about preventing setbacks, it is about unlocking your full potential as a runner. With the right cues, strength work, and mobility, you can run faster, longer, and with less effort. If you are ready to take the guesswork out of your stride, the Prehab team can analyze your mechanics and guide you toward running at your best.
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