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Most people who run have a strong heel strike when their feet contact the ground. This pattern feels very natural to us because this is how we walk. Although this may feel the most comfortable and natural, in reality, it is not an efficient running pattern. When running with a heel strike, the foot lands way out in front of centre of mass of the body. This causes the runner to sit back on their hips, which effectively pulls the runner lower into the ground. This pull downward translates into heavy running. Furthermore, when you have a heavy heel strike out in front of your center of mass it causes an actual braking action. You are actually applying force into the ground in a way that opposes forward progress and puts a lot of stress on the body. A perfect example is to think about Fred Flintstone stopping his foot powered car. In order to do so his heels are in the ground out in front of him.

A more efficient pattern is to land on the forefoot. Forefoot landing eliminates the braking action caused by the heel and the movement becomes more efficient and easier on the body. Runners also want to be tall while running. This places the centre of mass directly under the hips. A runner’s hips should be up, pushing forward (with pelvis tilted), rather than sitting back. One way to help you get into this position is landing more mid-foot or flat foot rather than on the heel.

I always tell my clients and athletes to think about running “tall and light” and to pretend that there is a string coming out of the top the head like a marionette. I then tell them to think about running on their toes and most people will end up landing on the mid-foot, right where they want to be.

All that being said, running solely on the toes is also not natural and an inefficient movement. If you are landing only on your actual toes then you don’t get the full ankle dorsi flexion and planter flexion that you need to propel the body forward efficiently. You will end up tiptoeing around nowhere fast.

There is a happy medium between heel and toe contact that needs to be found to help you become an efficient runner. When you find that sweet spot, you will be able to run farther and faster, all while reducing the stress on the body.