Is Heel Strike Proper Running Form?

Foot strike pattern really matters in running because its a direct source of impact generation and it influences your entire mechanics from head to toe, whereby landing heel-first when running causes the knee-joint to extend, which causes the leg to swing out farther ahead of the torso. At the same time, the increased knee-extension engaged by heel-striking was found to push the torso farther back behind initial foot strike position. This unfortunately results in a longer brake period at touchdown of which the knee decelerate the mass of the body for too long, which increases strain on the joint as compared with forefoot running. Also, there’s a strong correlation between heel strike running and other injuries, ranging from minor to severe, like long bone injuries, suggesting that heel strike running is not the proper way to run, and forefoot running must be as net impact forces are generally much lower and over-pronation is also eliminated. Running with less impact means less chance for an impact-related injury. Read more here!