”Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” — Oprah Winfrey
Several friends and patients over the years have asked us about alternative exercises to running, as it was too hard on various joints of their body.
Despite the appropriate warm up and stretching exercises, not to mention regular use of anti-inflammatories and ice packs, they still had recurrent pain.
Medical management for some of these injuries is limited and occasionally required some length of abstinence from running. This was certainly disheartening for our avid runners, especially those suffering from chronic joint problems such as arthritis.
Recently we came across a medical article describing an ongoing study looking at a new running technique that may further reduce new or recurrent injuries while running.
This new running technique is called “ChiRunning.” The technique was developed by Danny Dreyer, a running coach and nationally ranked marathon runner, who has also co-authored a book titled “ChiRunning.” Both he and Katherine Dreyer also have written a book called “ChiWalking.”
A physician and avid runner in West Virginia recently conducted a survey asking runners who have modified their running mechanics to include this ChiRunning style, to see if there was any reduction in repetitive stress related injuries. Nearly 60 percent of respondents stated that there were improvements in their running within the first month. Of the respondents, nearly half had been nursing a running-related injury and had used this modified running style during their recovery.
Most of the respondents in the latter group indicated that this technique likely aided in their recovery process in addition to allowing them to continue enjoying the benefits of running.
ChiRunning is a technique derived from Tai Chi, according to Dreyer. Tai Chi is a fluid and graceful form of martial arts that has been around for nearly two centuries in China and is sometimes described as “meditation in motion.”
This running technique involves the runner leaning slightly forward while running so gravity can work for the runner. The runner maintains optimal running posture where the ankles, pelvis, and shoulders are in alignment due to the slight forward leaning, which reportedly increases efficiency and reduces the risk of injury. In this posture, the mid-foot or ball of the foot, rather than the heel, makes first contact with the running surface.
This is also combined with proper form, breathing technique, and using the body’s core section (abdominal and back muscles) to perform ChiRunning appropriately.
Obviously this is a simplified version of the technique, and one should learn more about it before using it. As with any exercise, if done inappropriately, it could result in injury.
A follow-up to the above-mentioned study is expected in the near future and is to include an actual comparison of injury rates between those using ChiRunning and those who do not.
Could this running technique be used in our current armamentarium of treating patients who have problems due to running or problems that are exacerbated by running? Possibly. We will certainly need to learn more about it before recommending and demonstrating it to our patients.
LEARN MORE
For more information on chi running and on preventing running injuries, visit these Web sites:
ChiRunning — www.chirunning.com
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine —
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons —
