Question to Pose: An Overview of The Pose Method® for Running
Meghan MacPherson, Staff Physiotherapist, BSc.Kin, MScPT, CSCS, Certified STOTT Pilates Instructor
The Pose Method® is a method of teaching efficient and effective movement as a series of Poses. It was developed by Dr. Nicholas Romanov, a two-time Olympic coach and sport scientist. The Pose Method® theories and concepts are based on harnessing natural forces through natural movement.
The mantra for Pose Running Technique is "Pose, Fall, Pull". These three words describe the essential elements of the technique.
Pos
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- The shoulders, hips and ankles are aligned vertically. You should be able to draw straight line perpendicular to the ground through the shoulders, hips and ankles of the runner.
- The supporting knee is bent.
- The non-supporting foot is directly under hips, not behind them.
Fall
- In running, one moves forward by falling forward. From the Pose, the runner must lean forward allowing himself or herself to fall. The actual job of the legs is to provide a platform from which to fall
- Falling is how one moves forward when running. Most people are under the impression that moving forward is accomplished by pushing with the back leg. Any pushing by the back leg will result in vertical movement, which is undesirable because vertical motion waists energy and time that should be applied to moving horizontally (forward)
- It is accomplished by the runner leaning forward with his or her hips and letting gravity pull him or her forward using gravitational torque.
- Speed and stride length are determined by of the angle of the lean. The greater the angle, the faster the runner falls forward and the longer the stride becomes. So naturally sprinters lean more than middle distance runners, and middle distance runners lean more than Marathon runners.
Pull
- The pull is very simply pulling your foot off the ground towards your hips.
- Ideally the foot is pulled up at the same time the lead foot begins to descend from the Pose "figure 4" position. Your feet should pass by each other in mid air
- According to Dr. Romanov, the pull is the most overlooked aspect of Pose Running, and at the same time maybe the most important. Most people who take up Pose Running focus more on the landing than on the pull and as a result they end up with a "late pull".
Research shows that Pose running is associated with shorter stride lengths, smaller vertical oscillations of the sacrum and left heel markers, a neutral ankle joint at initial contact, and lower eccentric work and power absorption at the knee than occurred in either midfoot or heel-toe running.1
As a physiotherapist, I find the pose method very interesting, and biomechanically speaking, it appears to make a lot of sense from an injury prevention point of view. As a runner though, I find it very difficult to change my style – especially running at higher speeds. Our bodies seem to adopt a natural rhythm which can be very hard to change and even more challenging without professional coaching. However, when you are pounding the pavement you want to make sure you are giving your joints the best protection and your body the best advantage. So the question you have to pose is; is this the running method for you?
For more information on the Pose Method, visit www.posetech.com
References:
- ARENDSE, R. E., T. D. NOAKES, L. B. AZEVEDO, N. ROMANOV, M. P. SCHWELLNUS, and G. FLETCHER. Reduced Eccentric Loading of the Knee with the Pose Running Method. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 272-277, 2004.
Table Of Contents
- THE EDGE
- Do you know SQUAT?
- Stubborn Strains – How to Heal the Hamstring
- Hardcore Core
- It’s All About Balance: The Importance of Dynamic Balance Training With Age
- Question to Pose: An Overview of The Pose Method® for Running
- Stretching the Truth: Clarifying what we know and don’t about a stretching routine
- Take Five – How to Prep for Exercise
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