Could Your Stride Be Adding Stress to Your Shins and Knees?

Dayna Player Robinson

16 hours ago

3 min read

Are You Reaching for Every Step?

Try This Before Your Next Run

You head out for an easy run, but your stride feels anything but easy.

Each step feels a little heavy.

When you try to pick up the pace, you reach farther forward—and somehow work harder without feeling much faster.

That reaching pattern may be part of the problem.

If shin splints or front-of-knee pain keep interrupting your training, how you land is worth a closer look.

Overstriding may be one piece of that puzzle. Research shows that taking slightly shorter steps at the same pace can reduce certain knee-loading measures. But recurring pain deserves more than a form cue—we also need to consider your training load, strength, recovery, and fueling.

These drills give you a place to practice a different movement pattern. They’re part of the process, not a guaranteed fix for pain.

What is overstriding?

Overstriding happens when your foot lands too far ahead of your body. It can increase braking: you move forward, then each landing slows you down a little.

It is not the same thing as heel striking. A heel striker can land without excessive reaching, and a forefoot striker can still overstride.

Through my running coaching and gait analysis education, I’ve learned to look at the whole movement pattern before choosing a cue. Drills give you a place to practice a different movement pattern. They’re part of the process, not a guaranteed fix for pain.

Try this warm-up

Start with 3–5 minutes of comfortable walking or easy jogging. Then practice these two drills, keeping the effort light.

1. Controlled forward march: 2 rounds of 10 steps per side

Stand comfortably tall with relaxed shoulders.
Bring one knee forward to a comfortable height.
Let the foot return beneath you rather than reaching it out ahead.
Alternate legs and use a natural front-to-back arm swing.

Think: “Knee forward. Foot down.”

The goal is coordination. You don’t need a dramatic knee lift or a hard stomp.

2. Wall march: 1–2 rounds of 6 repetitions per side

Place your hands against a wall around shoulder height.
Walk your feet back slightly and lean toward the wall with your body long.
Lift one knee without rounding your back or arching your waist.
Return that foot beneath your hip and switch sides slowly.

Think: “Stay long through the body.”

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Jg_YDExQp6s

My favorite cue: “Run on ice”

If you’ve ever tried moving across an icy sidewalk, you probably didn’t reach your foot way out in front of you!

That’s the picture I want you to borrow: a little less reaching, with your steps landing closer to your body.

Practice that feeling on dry, predictable ground for 20–30 seconds during an easy run. Then relax and run normally.

Keep your body relaxed—no stiff, cautious shuffling or forcing yourself onto your toes. If ice isn’t a familiar reference for you, try: “A little less reach.”

Take it into your run

During your first easy minutes, try 20–30 seconds of “a little less reach.” Then relax and run normally. Repeat a few times if it feels comfortable.

Research shows that modest increases in step rate at the same speed can shorten steps and reduce some hip and knee loading measures. That doesn’t mean every runner needs to chase 180 steps per minute.

Avoid forcing a forefoot landing or dramatically shortening your stride. Make a small change, then assess how you respond.

Try this as your warm-up

Your challenge this week: Practice the march before three easy runs. Notice whether your stride feels smoother without extra effort. And remember my favorite cue: Think "Running on Ice"

Want to know whether reaching is part of your running pattern?

Book a running assessment.

We don’t guess—we assess.

Happy Running and Happy "Running on Ice"!

~Dayna,

your fav. Exercise Physiologist & Run Coach

Want more help?

If you need help with your running, our Running Assessment has all the tools for you! Muscle imbalance testing, form help for injury prevention and performance goals, and 8-weeks of personalized strength exercises.