5 Running Form Mistakes That Are Slowing You Down Without You Realizing It (and How to Fix Them)

You train consistently. You increase your mileage. You stretch and recover.

But somehow, progress stalls—or injuries return.

The problem might not be how much you run, but how you run.

Even experienced runners often make subtle form mistakes they’re unaware of. These technical errors can drain performance, increase fatigue, and raise injury risk.

Because they’re hard to feel, you likely won’t spot them without visual feedback.

Here are five common running form mistakes that could be holding you back—along with how to fix them.

1. Overstriding: Reaching Too Far With Each Step

Extending your stride may feel like the way to run faster—but landing with your foot far ahead of your body actually slows you down.

What it causes:

• Impact overload on landing
  
  
• Reduced propulsion
  
  
• Higher risk of knee and heel injuries
  
  

How Ochy helps:‍

Identifies foot strike position and angle relative to your center of mass—key metrics for stride efficiency.

‍

2. Knees Collapsing Inward (Dynamic Valgus)

When your knees drop inward upon landing, it throws off alignment from hips to ankles. It’s subtle but often leads to chronic pain.

What it causes:

• Lower limb instability
  
  
• Joint stress (knees, hips, ankles)
  
  
• Risk of runner’s knee or TFL irritation
  
  

How Ochy helps:‍

Visualizes your leg-knee-ankle alignment during ground contact using front and side views.

‍

3. Poor Core Stability and Pelvis Control

Swaying side to side, tilting forward, or dropping the pelvis—these are all signs of weak posture control and core engagement.

What it causes:

• Loss of energy with each step
  
  
• Inefficient force transfer
  
  
• Risk of back and hip pain
  
  

How Ochy helps:‍

Analyzes torso alignment, pelvic stability, and full-body movement control during your stride.

‍

4. Uneven Ground Contact Between Legs

You may unknowingly favor one side, spending more time or effort on one leg. This often comes from past injuries or imbalances.

What it causes:

• Overuse on one side
  
  
• Asymmetrical movement
  
  
• Compensation injuries
  
  

How Ochy helps:‍

Tracks left/right step time, contact duration, and propulsion asymmetry—precisely, from just a video.

‍

5. Too Much Vertical Bounce

If you bounce too much while running, you waste energy moving up instead of forward.

What it causes:

• Energy inefficiency
  
  
• Higher effort for slower pace
  
  
• Quicker fatigue on long runs
  
  

How Ochy helps:‍

Measures flight time, stride length, and vertical vs. horizontal motion to improve running economy.

‍

Are You Making These Mistakes?

👉 Probably — but it’s hard to know without video feedback.

Even experienced runners can’t see themselves run objectively.

That’s where Ochy comes in.

With just a simple video from your smartphone, you get a full gait analysis in less than 60 seconds.

You’ll receive:

• A clear visual breakdown of your running form
  
  
• Detailed biomechanical metrics
  
  
• And practical recommendations to improve your posture and reduce injury risk
  
  

📲 Ready to become a better runner?

At Ochy, we believe better performance starts with better movement.

Download the Ochy app and try your first analysis today - see how much more efficient and injury-free your running can be.

‍