Do you bounce when you run?

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run bounce, vertical oscillation

Run Bounce or Vertical Oscillation

Improving your running form can help you to run faster and more efficiently. Having good running form also means you will put less stress on your body and reduce your risk of running-related injuries. There are multiple running form metrics: cadence, stride length, run bounce/vertical oscillation, contact time, power, rotation, etc.

For this discussion, we’re going to focus our attention on the run bounce metric of running. But before we do that, we like to stress that good running form means using the correct muscles at the right time to decrease the impact on your body. You’re going to have your running style. The goal is not to conform to one set way of running. Instead, you want to uncover the weak running metrics within your running form and find ways to make small incremental changes. Over time, these changes will have you running more efficiently and injury-free.

What is run bounce, and why does it matter?

Bouncing while running, also known as vertical oscillation, refers to your body’s up and down movement while running. The larger your bounce, the more energy is taken away from propelling you forward. Just how much power is lost?

Consider a 4:00:00 marathon runner with an average run cadence of 165 strides per minute. This runner will take 39,600 steps throughout 26.2 miles. If each of these strides contains an excess of 1 inch of vertical oscillation, the runner will spend over a quarter-mile going vertical during the race! That may not sound like a lot, but when considering the energy expenditure for that quarter-mile, you start to understand the importance of keeping your run bounce under control.

How do you measure vertical oscillation?

There was a time when we could only measure vertical oscillation in the lab or give a rough estimate using the visual eye test. Thankfully, technology has evolved, allowing many mobile devices to provide us with a run bounce value.

Many Garmin Running Wearables, for example, measure run cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation. These watches and a heart rate monitor measure “bounce” by tracking the number of centimeters your torso moves from a fixed point during each stride. Garmin then provides you with a vertical oscillation ratio which is vertical oscillation divided by stride length. Stride length is your movement horizontally, while bounce is your movement vertically.

The vertical oscillation ratio from a Garmin device provides you with an easy-to-understand percentage. The lower the vertical oscillation percentage, the less bounce in your stride and less wasted energy during your run.

Other Running Dynamic Products:

How do you reduce bounce?

Run bounce and stride length are intertwined. Once you know your vital running metrics, such as cadence, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time, you should first look to improve your run cadence. Typically, if you can run with a higher, more efficient cadence, this will naturally decrease vertical oscillation.

Your body position also influences bounce while you are running. A more upright (standing) running style is going to result in more vertical oscillation. In comparison, a running style that leans more from the ankles (and maintains a straight line through the knee, hip, back, shoulders, and head) is going to propel your body forward more significantly and reduce the bounce in your stride.

Running uphill or downhill can also impact vertical oscillation. Just as running on level ground, the way vertical oscillation responds to uphills and downhills will vary from one runner to the next.

Try these visual cues to reduce bounce:

  1. The Egg – Imagine you have an egg on your head, and you are trying to keep it from falling.  This will engage your core and minimize excess up and down movements in your stride.
  2. Low Ceiling – Imagine you are running under a low ceiling. Try to avoid hitting your head.

The key is to make gradual changes, slowly working towards a faster cadence and a more efficient running style. With consistent practice, you will improve efficiency and running speed.

A Training Plan that Works for You.

Our collection of running plans will help you train year-round. From 5k to a 100-mile ultramarathon, we have a training plan built for your experience level and goals. Every plan is delivered via Final Surge, allowing you to sync workouts across devices, receive daily reminders of workouts and activities, and analyze workout and target zone details. Get started today with a training plan built for you, view our running plans here.

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