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Running cadence is the frequency of steps per minute and can improve efficiency and reduce the risk of injury.
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There is no universal ideal cadence; it is influenced by factors such as height, experience and personal running dynamics.
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Gradually increasing cadence in small increments if necessary can improve performance and prevent injury, but always listen to your body.
How manysteps do you take per minute when you run?
If you are able to answer this question, it means you know the meaning and importance of running cadence.
Cadence identifies the frequency of your steps.
It is a useful but little considered piece of data that nonetheless can make a big difference and help you reach your goals.
The “ideal” cadence
No one-size fits all would say an English speaker.
There is no universal cadence that you should strive for.
You may have read or heard someone say that the “ideal” cadence is around 180 steps per minute.
But that is entirely a figure because it is very sensitive to several factors, such as height, leg length, and running experience.
What you need to do is to find the ideal cadence for you, your characteristics and your running dynamics.
In fact, cadence can have a significant impact on both your running efficiency and the onset of issues that, in the worst case, could lead to injury.
The higher the cadence, the more you reduce the impact on your joints, much to the relief of your knees, which will be eternally grateful.
So we could say that, in a sense, the more steps the better!
How to improve your cadence
The first step is to determine your running cadence.
Many Garmin models or sports watches have functions that can give you a rough estimate of this figure.
If you are not convinced of your result and want to double check, you can try counting your steps for 30 seconds while you are running and then double that number.
A cadence that is too low can affect your stance time, that is, the time your foot remains on the ground before coming off again.
The risk is to overload muscles and joints.
In that case it would be worth trying to increase the frequency of your steps a little at a time.
If you run while listening to music you can use this to your advantage: there are songs and even playlists created specifically to naturally lead you to run at a certain pace.
Proceed gradually (but only if needed)
It is important not to upset the way you have been running until now.
Proceed unhurriedly, in stages.
If you have realized that you need to increase your step frequency a bit, do it a little at a time.
Increase your cadence by 5 to 10 percent over weeks, focusing on taking shorter, faster steps.
With an abrupt increase you can only risk injury.
That said, if you are training well, seeing improvements and gradually achieving the goals you set for yourself, you don’t necessarily need to change the way you run.
Everyone can be efficient at running in their own way.
What works for one person may not work for another.
The best thing to always do is to listen to your body and, should it request it, sending you signals of various kinds, make small adjustments only where necessary. (Via Running magazine)