Trainer's Corner Week 5, Part I: Differences Between Walking & Running

This is the first part of a 3-part series:
Part I: Differences Between Walking & Running
Part II: Biomechanics & Running
Part III: Good Running Form

We'll begin with Part I. So what's the difference between walking or running?

Walking:
- Most of your time is spent in the STANCE phase of locomotion, and less in the swinging of your leg & the flight of your center of mass.
- Both legs are more often straightened out.
- Both feet step along seperate paths of travel, one for your left foot and antoher for your right.
- It's a more efficient means of travel in terms of the energy expended.




Running:
- Most of your time is spent in the SWING phase of locomotion and less in the stance position.
- You're essentialy jumping, flying, or gliding from one foot to the next in a more rapid manner.
- Both feet travel along the same path of travel, a mid-line, where your feet are landing on a center line beneath your center of mass.
- It's efficiently faster--more distance is traveled in the same given amount of time to walk.




But whether you are walking or running on October 14th, good training will not only make your running movements efficient--running faster and longer--it is also important to note that many running injuries are caused by faulty biomechanics. So having good running form--and good running shoes--will reduce your chance of injury.