Running form app for beginners

A beginner should run with short steps that land under the hip, a tall upper body and relaxed arms. That is the whole list. You do not need to learn a foot strike, a lean angle or a cadence target in your first month. You need to see what you do now, pick one thing, and check again in four weeks. Caden does that from one 15 second phone clip.

What beginner form problems usually are

New runners tend to share the same three habits. None of them are your fault. They come from walking, sitting and not yet having the strength to hold a running shape.

1. Reaching forward with the foot. The leg swings out ahead of the hip and lands with a nearly straight knee. Every step brakes a little. This is called overstriding, and it is the most common thing Caden flags on a first clip.
2. Slumping. The chest drops, the shoulders round and the head pokes forward. This often gets worse as you get tired, so a clip at the end of a run looks different from the start.
3. Stiff or crossing arms. Elbows lock near 90 degrees or the hands swing across the body. That makes the trunk twist and wastes energy.

Some beginners also run at a low cadence, often under 160 steps per minute at easy pace. Low cadence and reaching forward go together. Fix one and the other usually improves.

What to film

Film a side view outdoors on flat ground. Put the phone on a bench or lean it against a bag at hip height, about 6 to 8 metres from where you will run past. Run at your normal easy pace for 10 to 20 seconds. Do not run "nicely" for the camera. The point is to see what you do when you are not thinking.

If you only have a treadmill, that works too. Place the phone beside the belt at hip height, filming side on. See how to film yourself running for framing and light.

Caden rejects clips it cannot read. Too dark, runner too small, under 5 seconds, or more than one person in frame. Better to film again than to get a wrong score.

What Caden shows you

You get a form score out of 100. 85 and above is excellent, 75 to 84 is good, 60 to 74 is fair and under 60 needs work. Most beginners land in the fair range on a first clip. That is normal.

Under the score are six dials. Where your foot lands, knee bend on landing, knee bend at push-off, upper body lean, arm bend and head position. For a beginner the two that matter are foot landing and upper body lean. Foot landing shows how far ahead of your hip the foot touches down, as a fraction of leg length. Upper body lean shows how far your torso leans in degrees.

Tap Breakpoints to see freeze frames at foot strike, midstance and toe-off with a skeleton drawn over you. Foot strike is the one to look at. If the circled ankle is well ahead of the hip, you are reaching. The coach's tip puts all of this in plain words, one cue per metric.

Cadence appears at the bottom in steps per minute. Do not chase a number yet. Just note it.

A sample 4-week plan for a beginner

Caden builds a 4 or 8 week plan on the Exercises tab from your lowest scores, three short sessions a week at a session length you choose. Here is what it usually looks like for a new runner whose foot landing score is lowest. Sessions sit on days you do not run or after an easy run.

Weeks 1 and 2: learn the landing.

• A-march, 3 × 30 seconds. Lift the knee, step down under your body.
• Slow calf raises, 3 × 10. Two seconds up, three seconds down.
• Single-leg balance, 2 × 30 seconds each side.
• Dead bug, 2 × 8 each side.
• On two runs, use one cue for 30 seconds, four times.

Short, quiet steps.

Weeks 3 and 4: add a little speed.

• A-skip, 3 × 20 metres.
• Quick-feet strides, 4 × 20 seconds, then walk back.
• Glute bridge, 3 × 10.
• Hip flexor stretch, 2 × 30 seconds each side.
• Keep the cue on for one minute in every ten of an easy run.

Then film again. Same place, same pace, same view. Open Before and after in Stats and compare the two foot strike frames side by side.

What Caden will not do for a beginner

It will not tell you how far or how often to run. It measures form, not training load. A beginner plan like Couch to 5K or a coach handles that part.

It will not tell you why something hurts. A video cannot tell you the cause of pain. If a knee or shin hurts for more than a few runs, see a clinician.

It measures in 2D from a phone. It cannot see pronation, foot pressure or how your hip rotates. It sees where your foot lands, how much you lean and what your arms do. For a beginner that is enough to work with.

How to do it in Caden

1. Download Caden on your iPhone and tap Run a new analysis.
2. Prop the phone at hip height 6 to 8 metres from your path and run past it side on for 10 to 20 seconds at easy pace.
3. On the results screen, read the score and the Where your foot lands dial first. Ignore the rest on day one.
4. Tap Breakpoints and then Foot strike. Look at where the circled ankle sits compared with the hip.
5. Open the Exercises tab and start a 4 or 8 week plan built from your lowest dial. Do the first session today.
6. In week 4, film again and open Before and after in Stats.

FAQ

How should a beginner run?

Short steps that land under your hip, a tall chest and arms that swing forward and back with loose hands. Run at a pace where you can talk. Everything else can wait until those three are habits.

Should a beginner worry about heel striking?

No. Where your foot lands matters more than which part touches first. Many good runners heel strike with the foot close under the body. Fix the reach and the strike takes care of itself.

How often should a beginner check their form?

Every four weeks is plenty. Form changes slowly. Filming every run makes you tense and gives you noise, not a trend.

Can I use Caden on a treadmill as a beginner?

Yes. Put the phone beside the belt at hip height, filming side on. Treadmill steps are often a bit shorter than road steps, so check outdoors too once you run outdoors.