Woes of Running Downhill

Woes of Running Downhill

Running downhill - Not as easy as it looks:
KT Tape clinicians and athletes love hitting the hills.  We all know that a few decent hills on our running route can be a challenge, depending on how steep the hill and how long the climb.  But running downhill, that's easy, right?  Not necessarily.  As fun as it is to speed down a hill, running down a major decline can sap your energy and leave your quads sore for days afterward.


"Everyone underestimates downhills, generally because they don't present much of a challenge to negotiate," coach and exercise physiologist Jack Daniels, Ph. D. told Active.com. "But they can leave your running muscles pretty stressed out."

But just as you can train for uphill climbs, you can improve your form for downhill runs as well.  And running downhill can improve your overall pace.  

According to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, when sprinters trained on both uphills and downhills, their speed and foot turnover improved more than sprinters who trained on uphills or flat surfaces alone.  

Here are 6 tips to improve your downhill runs from Active.com.

 

Man running down mountain


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