LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
As the roughly 15,000 Air Force Marathon runners who competed Sept. 21 can attest, form and efficiency are key to running. Mentoring and guidance can mean the difference between finishing and suffering an injury.
One of Service members' most vital duties is to maintain physical fitness to complete any mission. As medical technology advances and transforms, it offers increasing uses to improve everyday life. At the Health and Wellness Center at Langley Air Force Base, the staff uses advancing technology and gait analysis to help Service members improve their running, from their foot angle to their arm swing.
According to Tony Arroyo, HAWC exercise physiologist, gait testing is an assessment used to determine biomechanical abnormalities that may impact performance.
The 30-minute test allows an exercise physiologist to observe a patient's running method to determine deficiencies and inefficient techniques with the aid of a treadmill, specialized computer software and high-speed cameras.
At the HAWC, exercise physiologists use three cameras to observe a runner's gait, frame-by-frame, to provide advice and personalized information to improve running fundamentals, giving Service members the tools they need to increase performance with the same energy output, said Arroyo.
"Our goal is to find [the patient's] most efficient way of running," said Arroyo. "We have gather information to help them correct their form or give them advice to improve it."
To accomplish this, analysts use footage of patients walking, jogging and running on a treadmill, each with and without shoes. The runner performs each segment for approximately two minutes.
Once the recordings are completed, the exercise physiologist goes through footage with the runner to give an in-depth analysis, identifying posture, stride and foot angle.
"We look at the runner's overall performance to provide personalized, individual advice," said Arroyo. "We strive to give runners the tools and resources they need to run at their optimum ability."
With the footage, the exercise physiologists not only offer advice to improve performance through proper running style, but they can determine which type of running shoe will benefit the patient's style and foot arch.
Although increasing efficiency is important, Arroyo said the testing can offer much more important results.
"Inefficient running slows down your run time, but more importantly, it can lead to injuries," said Arroyo. "Our ultimate goal is to save our patients from hurting themselves."
Once the walk-through is complete, the analyst sends the patient footage and exercises to improve running form.
Arroyo said it is paramount for runners to take full advantage of the HAWC's services.
"Gait testing is a huge benefit for our active-duty population," he said. "[This assessment] is here to help [Service members] improve and maintain readiness and reach their full potential - and be safe while they're doing it."
For more information or to register, call the HAWC at 764-6321.