running and leg goes out to the side?

marionette strings?

Side Kicker wrote:

I have a runner whose gait is really odd. When she pushes off her lower leg goes well out to the side, as opposed to straight back and underneath her butt.

Is this something drills can correct or specific weight training would help with?

I can't imagine how inefficient this is and is losing a lot of time because of it.

You mean like many elite women?

I'm interested in knowing more about this as well. I also have a female runner who does the same thing.

Well, if it's within normal limits, I won't worry about it. I don't notice it on any

of my other female runners.

It seems to be horribly inefficient and could cost her time and energy.

I'm also worried it could make her injury prone?

haha, the egg beater gait.

big q-angle at the knee, due in part to weak abductors at the hip (gluteus medius/minimus). also very weak hip flexors (rectus femoris and iliopsoas).

rather than driving the knee forward (so for a sprinter this would mean get the thigh parallel to the ground, distance runner not as high, but same motion) she is barely using her hip flexors to lift leg and rather is kicking her legs out to the side to drive forward, but for feet to clear ground they get kicked out to side.

do core strength exercises (hip drops, clams, planks, straight leg lifts for abs, etc), and more leg strength - single leg squat (opposite leg up on bench behind her), lunges (forward, back, side-side), hip thrusts, squats, step-ups, mountain climbers (these will be particularly helpful), etc.

then make sure you have her do form drills (skip A, skip B, straight leg bounds, etc).

Side Kicker wrote:

I have a runner whose gait is really odd. When she pushes off her lower leg goes well out to the side, as opposed to straight back and underneath her butt.

Is this something drills can correct or specific weight training would help with?

I can't imagine how inefficient this is and is losing a lot of time because of it.

Excessive hip adduction (HADD)?

Take a look at articles discussing this issue. Let us know if this is what you are seeing.

no difference wrote:

Side Kicker wrote:

I have a runner whose gait is really odd. When she pushes off her lower leg goes well out to the side, as opposed to straight back and underneath her butt.

Is this something drills can correct or specific weight training would help with?

I can't imagine how inefficient this is and is losing a lot of time because of it.

You mean like many elite women?

Not only women, also elite men like Geoffrey Mutai runs fastest this way:

Whatever you do, never ever take advice from internet idiots like "pfobmd".

She definitely looks like the runners in the youtube video, but more exaggerated kick flare than they have.

Plus she is more of a 400 runner than distance runner.

It sounds like it could be an issue with the external rotators. In theory, strengthening exercises like monster walks with a theraband could help.

Lots of fast distance runner's have this same gait so I don't think it is something that would impede her distance running. Max speed may be an issue. Watch successful sprinters...they turn running into a fluid art form. Sometimes distance runners look painful but their bodies have adapted to their gait.

That being said....single leg squats, step ups, short fast hills, short fast sprints and time will help. We forget sometimes that running is a skill. The more you practice a skill the better you become at it. Sprinting and hills help reduce form issues and make you more economical.

Alan

If it's only her right leg, then there is no problem. It's actually an advantage.

I see this fairly often in the runners I coach. Maybe one in 20 or one in 50 have it. I don't know if it's a purely neuromuscular issue or if it's structural. Some people kick out one foot, some people do both. If it's a neuromuscular issue, i.e. just a wacky stride pattern or the result of hip muscle weakness, it should probably be corrected. But if it's a structural issue, say, the result of the tibia sitting crooked with respect to the femur, it's definitely NOT something you'd want to actively correct.

I have not seen any mention of this in the research at all, so I imagine it'll be a while before we have any good information on this.

It's all skeletal conformation.

Japheth, the hebrew wrote:

marionette strings?

haha this is excellent. only a female would have this form