I recently came across these great videos from Dr. Shawn Allen of The Gait Guys. Their blog is a real favourite of mine when it comes to digging a little deeper into the science behind human gait patterns and biomechanics.

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The Cross-Over Gait Pattern

Do you ever clip your heel against your other ankle as you run, leaving muddy scuff marks on your inner ankle?

We’ve all seen runners who cross their feet over the midline of their body as they strike the ground. This comes in large part due to weakness and poorly paired activation of Glute Medius and the Oblique Abdominals.

Here’s a great example of typical results I see when working with a runner to improve this pattern:

.@sportinjurymatt I thought you'd enjoy this after our brief chat about cross-over gait. #cuesANDconditioning 🙂 pic.twitter.com/m5YOZQQvu2

— James Dunne (@KineticRev) February 28, 2014

If left uncorrected, this type of incredibly common running technique flaw can result in foot, knee, hip or back injuries when running volume or intensity is increased.

In the videos below Dr. Allen does a great job of explaining the importance of Glute Medius and the Oblique Abdominals working in unison during running gait. He works with a young elite runner to demonstrate key coaching points for developing paired Glute Medius and Oblique Abdominal strategies in running gait.

Part 1

Part 2

Running Technique Quick Guide >>
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Last updated on March 2nd, 2021.