Finally, summer is here! The sun is shining, the weather is warm. No more icy sidewalks or bundling up before walking outside.

If you’re a runner, this probably means that you’ve started racking up the miles in your neighborhood or on your favorite trails. If you are running a fall marathon (i.e., Chicago or New York), you have more than likely just started your training or will be starting soon.

That’s right; you finally get to lace up your favorite running shoes (hopefully not the same pair as last year) and get lost in the miles while you enjoy your favorite playlist and a cool, summer breeze on your face.

But, as many runners know, the summer sunshine doesn’t just signal the return of all your favorite things about running. It also means the return of those nagging injuries that you put up with year after year.

You know, the plantar fasciitis, or the shin splints, or the runner’s knee, or any of the other myriad of injuries known to plague the running community. If this sounds familiar, the fault may lie in your gait, or the way you are running.

Maybe you’re running in the wrong shoes for your foot type, or you may have a stride that’s too long. Maybe you’re just picking up the hobby and want to ensure that you can accomplish your running goal without having to worry about any of these pesky aches and pains.

If you want to have a joyful, pain-free running season, why not let an expert with you to prevent these all-too-common running ailments before they start? Come to the Edward-Elmhurst Health and Fitness Center in Naperville to schedule your Video Gait Analysis.

In this session, you’ll work with a highly-trained professional on running and biomechanics to do a video breakdown of your running form.

The software used allows for frame-by-frame and slow motion analysis, in addition to joint angle measurement, to provide a precise assessment of the biomechanical patterns involved in your running form.

From there, you’ll receive some individualized tips and exercises for correcting any faults noted in the video. Even if you don’t have a history of injury, the information provided in this analysis can help you become a more efficient runner; shaving seconds off your time, and reducing the risk of injury!

Drive your health forward at Edward-Elmhurst Health & Fitness.