Our Clients

Recreational and Competitive Runners

Over the last quarter century Running has taken North America by Storm.  With the appearance of numerous social running groups and “fun” running events the sport has become appealing to people of all backgrounds and body types.  The benefits of a consistent running program are well documented and include stress release, reduced body fat, and increased self esteem; to name a few.  Many individuals count on their regular runs as time to socialize, to enjoy nature, or to be alone with their thoughts.  It is for these reasons that recreational runners have a hard time accepting an injury.

Unfortunately, the current statistics on injuries do not reflect favorably on runners, with estimates of up to 70% of Runners experiencing an injury each year.  To understand why this happens consider this; runners typically take over 10,000 steps in one hour.  With 2 - 5 times body weight impacting each step, it is clear that considerable stress is placed on the muscles, tendons, bones, and joints.  Although the body can adapt to repetitive force, certain movement patterns are associated with a limited ability to do so. 

At Stride Evolutions we use the latest in digital video recording and analysis software technology to ensure that our clients receive a comprehensive evaluation of their movement patterns.  We provide detailed explanations of movement inefficiencies and how they contribute to poor performance and increased instances of injuries. Further, we fabricate a comprehensive list of corrective measures that includes treatment options, tips to help coach our runners to a smoother and faster stride, stretching and exercise programs, shoe wear recommendations, and training advice.  As a result our clients are able to enjoy their favorite pastime pain free for many years to come.

Walking has become one of the fastest growing activities in Canada.  It’s low impact, fast learning curve, and low cost make it appealing to both men and women of all ages.  Also, the documented health benefits of a consistent walking program seem to be endless, and include; reduced body fat, increased metabolism (energy), reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stoke; to name a few. 

Participants in this activity range from health conscious recreational walkers to full fledge competitive athletes.  In fact, walkers make up a majority of the participants in many road-racing events!!

Although injury risks appear to be much lower in walking than in many other activities, the repetitive nature of this activity does put those with inefficient movement patterns in danger of an overuse injury.  Areas of trouble tend to be centered more on the lower back, hips, shins, and feet.  This is why it is important that avid walkers implement proper technique and use proper footwear when exercising.  

At Stride Evolutions our goal is to assist walkers in reaching their individual goals by helping them stay both injury free and efficient.  Using advanced video imaging of individual stride patterns we can pinpoint inefficiencies in technique and use this information to guide walkers to better performance.  We also perform a full biomechanical analysis of each client’s stride to find any alignment, muscle strength,  or flexibility concerns that may contribute to an inefficient walking pattern or to an increased risk of injury.

For most sports running is a fundamental component either as part of the activity itself or as an important conditioning tool.  Athletes are required to be quick and agile, meaning that efficient movement is essential.  The top players are often the ones with the highest running speed. Also, in field sports such as soccer, rugby, and field hockey, players may run the equivalent of 5 – 10km a game! In these cases athletes become more at risk of overuse injury if their running mechanics are less than optimal.

Many coaches already know the benefits of using video footage as a way of providing feedback to players.  They can better analyze the effectiveness of certain plays and relay this visually to a team or individual.  At Stride Evolutions we take this concept to the next level.  Using advanced digital video and software technology we can break down an athlete’s running stride into slow motion and freeze-framed shots.  This allows us to confirm proper movement patterns, pinpoint inefficiencies and visually relay this back to the athlete. 

Sports specific movement patterns affiliated with various sports also tend to cause imbalances that contribute to running inefficiencies.  With a comprehensive Running analysis and a full biomechanical assessment, we can also isolate individual areas of weakness and inflexibility and provide specific corrective measures to improve performance and reduced the likelihood of injury.