What Happens to Your Running Stride When You Get a Professional Gait Analysis
If you're a runner, you've likely been flooded with a million and one ways to hunt down a new personal best. You've been promised the perfect carbon-plated shoe, handed a laundry list of mandatory strength exercises, and sold energy gels that swear they'll carry you past mile 16 with ease. While those tools certainly have their place, there is a far more powerful weapon that most runners completely ignore. A professional gait analysis can unlock performance gains that gear and supplements simply can't touch.
Typically, people treat a running analysis like an emergency room visit, utilizing it only when a chronic injury is already looming. I want to flip that thinking. Even for average runners, a running gait analysis can teach you a lot about how you run and ideally help you feel better while doing it. As a consistent 15-to-20 mile-per-week runner who has thankfully remained injury-free, I went into a recent analysis assuming it was a luxury. I walked out, realizing it was a roadmap.
"Technique changes occur across all sports, and running is no different," says Tim Hilden, MSPT, ATC, a gait analysis specialist at the CU Sports Medicine Lab and Performance Center. "The fallacy is that people settle into the running style that is best for them; the reality is that some people just get really good at being bad."
I never realized my stride was "bad" until something started to bother me. Read on to learn what to expect from a running-gait analysis appointment and how it can correct those hidden flaws, so you can finally get better at being a good runner.
What Is a Running Gait Analysis?
When I went in for my first gait analysis, I knew relatively what to expect-I'd run, get a video, see what didn't align or look wonky, and be on my way. What actually happened was so much more than that.
A running gait analysis has three components: a physical exam and movement evaluation, treadmill running video analysis, and coaching to correct movement quality, improve mobility, or address whatever needs to change. Below, I dive into exactly what happened during my analysis.
How Stride Tracking Unlocks Running Efficiency and Durability
For many runners, this type of analysis is a reactive measure used only after an injury or pain has already set in. However, you don't have to wait until you are hurt to get one. A proper assessment can dramatically improve your baseline performance and running efficiency. It's also incredibly valuable if you're at a transition point in your training, says Dane N. DeLozier, PT, DPT, LAT, ATC, NASM-PES of Revo PT and Sports Performance. If you are prepping for a marathon and need to ramp up your weekly mileage, an analysis is an excellent way to kick off that training block while building durability at the same time.
Related: How to Start Running: An Expert's Guide for Beginners and Returning Runners
Where to Find a Professional Assessment
Search for local physical therapy offices that specialize in sports rehab, as many will offer a running gait analysis. Some running stores offer gait analysis, as do other businesses that provide bodywork, such as chiropractic offices. In some cases, a gait analysis could be considered physical therapy and covered by insurance.
Inside the Lab and the Three Stages of a Stride Evaluation
The first part of the analysis is the physical exam portion, which looks at joint mobility and range-of-motion testing, along with strength and movement quality testing. At my exam, mobility in my hips, ankles, feet, and toes was assessed, as well as muscular force/tension, which is the pulling force of certain muscles against resistance.
"During this component, we are gathering data on single-leg stability, foot posture, and lower extremity motor control, among others," says DeLozier. This can point to any limiting factors that may be related to a runner's main complaint. Filming your running technique can be a helpful exercise, but linking it with what they find during the physical allows for a more comprehensive overall analysis.
After that, you'll hop on a treadmill to record a video of your running form from the front, back, and side, and analyze it in slow motion using video and various motion-capture systems. I was surprised by how little I had to run; the initial look at my physical structure and body mechanics lasted longer than the running part. Within a few minutes of walking slowly, walking fast, and then running at my regular pace, the videos captured my running patterns for analysis.
Hilden looks at the magnitude of movements as well as their timing or control. "Sometimes it is not how far a person moves into a movement but rather how quickly they get there," he says.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Interval Training: How to Suffer Your Way to a Faster PB
Next, it was time to watch myself run. With the help of the physical therapist, it was very easy and obvious to see where my form wasn't quite right. Using the computer screen and software, we looked at my stride and foot placement frame by frame. You can also see the angles of different joints, such as during a foot strike, how your joints line up from your ankle to knee to hip, or even horizontally from hip to hip. Other areas highlighted in the slowed-down frames include posture, arm swing, and hip swing.
With the help of movement analysis software, a running gate analysis can show different angles and assess the body's relative positional references on a frame-by-frame basis. As DeLozier says, to really fine-tune a runner's technique, high-speed motion capture is critical to be able to make accurate comparisons and slow the video down while observing.
"With high-speed cameras, we are able to slow down all movement and thoroughly assess movement at each joint, each segment, and so on to connect as many dots as possible," he says.
Last is the coaching part, where I was taught how to adjust my form to prevent any further foot pain. I hopped back on the treadmill, tried the new technique a few times while walking and running, and was then told how to implement this change gradually into my runs to avoid further injuries. In reality, this was an easy fix. I didn't need insoles (a common recommendation for various ailments), nor did I necessarily need to come back again and do more analysis or physical therapy.
The Specific Injuries and Flaws a Stride Evaluation Fixes
"The majority of runners I see in the Gait Analysis Lab are there because of injury or pain," Hilden says. Hopefully, that's not why you want a running gait analysis, but if it is, getting specific advice on how to change your form can be game-changing. "I will also see people who are either new to running and wanting to prevent injury, or those who are wondering if their challenges with improving performance may be related to how they run. For those individuals, the process is the same."
If you are experiencing pain, a gait analysis can help determine which mechanical influences are causing it and address the movement issues that may be driving it. The most common aches and pains that DeLozier evaluates during his analysis are anterior knee pain, plantar/achilles pain, and hip pain.
"If a runner is struggling with ongoing pain while training or they are looking to stop recurring knee pain from returning, a gait analysis is an excellent investment," he says.
Related: Experts Reveal the Best Running Workouts to Increase Speed and Endurance
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 9:33 AM.