It is necessary to make a complete biomechanical and postural assessment to identify how your student runs concerning the step phases or what type of step your student has.
In the postural assessment, choose the most suitable protocol for you and look for postural deviations that can interfere with the movement of the lower limbs, change the center of mass, and generate co-contractions for dynamic stabilization.
All these deviations can generate injuries with the high impact loads promoted by running and generate neuromuscular patterns of activation that are inefficient. Try to correct muscle imbalances and shortening that can affect the range of motion and generate future injuries since running is a cyclical activity that overloads the body structures.
Keep an eye out for:
- Types of stepping;
- deviations in knees;
- Gluteal amnesia;
- Shortening of the soleus and knee flexors;
- piriformis syndrome;
- Low force in transverse and spine stabilizers.
An out-of-balance system expends a lot of energy to balance itself while running, which could be used to improve performance and achieve health benefits. Another critical assessment for a more specific view would be a running test.
Film your student running, whether on a treadmill or outdoors, at around 120Hz, so that you can analyze the angle of the foot on contact and release it, in addition to the trajectory of the lower limb during the swing phase, the positioning of the trunk and the movement of upper limbs during the step.
Conclusion
Biomechanics is the study of structures and muscles in the system of living beings from a mechanical perspective.
The study of running biomechanics is done with the aim of planning and improving your student’s training. By correctly understanding the weights and mechanisms involved in running, you can plan an ideal plan for your student, which will considerably improve their performance.
Therefore, the physical education teacher must diagnose their student, doing:
- A physical assessment;
- Complete anamnesis;
- Assess the anthropometric profile;
- Monitor the student’s development and their complaints.
Thus, the study of running biomechanics makes it possible to create a perfect plan to help your student in his running.