Listen Up, Parents: Running With a Stroller Might Make You Less Prone to Overuse Injuries
Runners often experience conditions like shin splints, runner’s knee and plantar fasciitis, which causes pain in the bottom of the heel. But pushing a stroller’s handlebar seems to make you distribute your weight differently
New research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that running while pushing a stroller may help parents avoid overuse injuries. The study, conducted by biomechanist Allison Altman-Singles and her colleagues at Penn State University, compared injury rates among 196 parents who ran with strollers and 53 who ran without them.
The findings indicate that parents who ran with strollers were less likely to experience overuse injuries, with just 19 percent reporting any injuries compared to 30 percent of non-stroller runners. This difference may be due to the way strollers change a runner's biomechanics, distributing some of the force through the hands and reducing stress on weight-bearing joints.
Previous research has also shown that parents who run with strollers tend to take shorter strides and move at a slower pace, and that jogging strollers can decrease the vertical impact force of each step by 16 percent. The study, which had some limitations including a small sample size and lack of consideration for certain factors, suggests that strollers could be a safe and practical way for new parents to stay active.
Written by urgent.news from Smithsonian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
