By Andrew Siyabalawatte and Sumaiya Farheen, March 2024.
Running isn’t just a sport – it’s a lifelong companion. Whether you’re a new runner or someone who’s logged many miles, doing it in alignment with your body is what makes the difference between pain and performance. As both a runner and an osteopath, I know that a strong, aligned spine, healthy joints, and well-supported feet are non-negotiable.
On this running journey, your hips, knees, calves, feet, and spine all speak to each other. Below, I’ll guide you through the principles of running well with your body – and how the services at Back To Health Wellness can support you every step of the way.
The Hips Need To “Give”
That sluggish first mile? It’s no accident. Hours of sitting tighten the hip flexors, which makes running feel awkward and disconnected at the start. To break free from that ataxic shuffle, your glutes – the hip flexors’ natural antagonist – need to step in.
Tight hips can affect your entire running gait, increasing the risk of injury over time. A strong posture and optimal alignment through the hips and spine can help your body move fluidly. That’s why working on hip mobility isn’t optional for runners – it’s essential.
Those first few stuttering steps in running? They’re often the result of hip flexors being tight from long periods of sitting, which starves the glutes of their power. In effect, your body is “locked up.” The glutes must fire to counteract tightness and allow smooth running.
But mobility alone isn’t enough in running- your spine needs to stay neutral, your pelvis stable, and your posture balanced. At Back To Health Wellness, we treat posture and spinal alignment as foundational – the hips won’t behave unless the spine is free to move in running.
It’s Ok To Pause, Stretch and Resume
A full warm-up is ideal, but sometimes you’ll feel a tight spot during the run. A short dynamic stretch – a quad lift, hip opener, calf mobilizer – can reset your stride. Don’t force it, but don’t ignore it either. Your body is giving you feedback.
These micro-pauses can protect your lower back and knee joints by preventing imbalanced compensation.
When you have momentum in running
Momentum in running feels like that sweet push from behind. But it takes getting through the grind. Begin with intervals (run/walk) and gradually extend the “run” portion. This helps build aerobic base without overloading structures.
This gradual build keeps your knees (the “brakes”) from absorbing too much shock too early.
The Sweet Spot of Running
Once you’re in rhythm, you’re in your “sweet spot” – where effort feels manageable, and endurance grows. For more advanced runners, Sweet Spot Training (SST) (88–94% of FTP) optimizes gains without burnout.
But you can’t hold that sweet spot in running if your spine is compensating or your hips, knees, or feet are misaligned. True sweet spot running comes from structural support – and that’s exactly what we help you achieve at Back To Health Wellness via postural correction and spinal alignment.
Overcorrecting Your running Can Be Dangerous
Overthinking your stride – trying to force forefoot/heel strike or correcting mid-running – often does more harm than good. Overstriding with a heavy heel strike is a common injury trigger. Instead, allow a balanced, natural footfall.
What helps enormously here is a personalized insole. Because your foot shape, mechanics, and posture are unique, a one-size-fits-all insole can’t provide optimal alignment. At Back To Health Wellness, we use in-clinic foot scans and 3D printing to produce custom insoles tailored to your gait – often in under a week.
The Trail and Road Running Shoe Of Choice (For Me)
A running shoe that feels right from day one is rare, but I’ve found On Cloud Cloudstratus to be one such option. It balances cushioning with responsiveness and supports arch stability – especially helpful for runners with collapsed arches or pronation issues.
Choosing the Right Running Shoe
When that running shoe is paired with a custom insole, you get a synergy: the shoe offers full-surface support and cushioning, and the insole refines alignment at the foot and arch level – helping prevent compensatory strain up the chain (knees, hips, back).
The Knees Are Your Brakes in Running
Your knees absorb load, stabilize motion, and transmit force. But misalignment, poor stability, or overuse can accelerate wear. Think of them like brake pads – if they’re not maintained, they degrade.
Good running posture, proper foot alignment (via custom insoles), and sound technique are your protective strategy. If you experience knee pain while running, it often signals upstream issues of running are- spinal alignment, hip control, or foot mechanics.
The Calves & Their Role in Running
Your calf muscles (gastrocnemius + soleus) are your engines for push-off. But the soleus, which doesn’t cross the knee joint, is often underworked and neglected. Weakness here causes strain to ripple upward – affecting ankles, knees, hips, and even the spine.
Also, tightness in muscles like the piriformis may irritate the tibial / sciatic nerve, causing calf or foot symptoms. Strong, supple calves are essential to maintaining the integrity of the kinetic chain.
Running for Life
Running should be sustainable, joyful, and injury-resistant. You don’t have to abandon it as you age – as long as your running concerns for alignment, posture, strength, and structure.
Here’s how Back To Health Wellness can support you-
Posture & Spine Alignment: We believe that visible posture issues are fixable, and that a well-aligned spine is central to healthy running.
Custom Insoles & Foot Scanning: We provide in-clinic foot scans and 3D-printed insoles in under a week to optimize foot mechanics.
Support for Knee / Back Pain: Many runners come to us because of chronic joint pain. We treat the root causes in running- not just symptoms.
Begin your running journey to pain-free running by booking a posture & alignment assessment at Back To Health Wellness. Let’s get your body running in harmony with you.