Every year, 85% of recreational runners sustain injuries. This statistic remains consistent regardless of advancements in technology, such as watches, shoes, and gear, leading us to question, “Why?” The answer likely lies in the fact that many runners are not strong enough, flexible enough, or simply lack knowledge about proper form.

In 1977, Dr. Nicholas Romanov, a Russian sports scientist and high-level athlete, began questioning this alarming statistic. Surrounded by fellow track athletes, he observed the high injury rate and analyzed film strips of runners to identify common patterns—both good and bad—in their movements. This marked the beginning of a deeper understanding of running and its form, as prior to this, definitions of running varied widely and lacked clarity.

Through his research, Dr. Romanov identified three basic elements of running, alongside numerous individual variables. From these, he constructed the first comprehensive definition of proper running form: the running position (“Pose”), the utilization of gravity for acceleration (“Fall”), and the action of lifting your foot off the ground (“Pulling”). He developed a systematic approach to teach these elements through a series of drills, which enhance awareness of how to move through space. With a better grasp of transitioning between positions, runners can improve efficiency while minimizing the risk of injury.

The Pose Method of Running has been widely adopted by Olympians and elite athletes. In 2008, the US Army, facing a troubling injury rate among new cadets, implemented the Pose Method as a foundational training technique, particularly for running.

As a physical therapist with over fifteen years of experience treating runners, I often felt a crucial component was missing in my rehabilitation programs. While I could alleviate injury symptoms, they would often recur once the runners resumed training. The breakthrough came when I discovered Dr. Romanov and the Pose Method. This approach shifted our focus from merely reacting to injuries to preventing them altogether. By incorporating drills, video analysis, and hands-on guidance, I could teach proper running technique through the Pose Method. This allowed my patients to understand the optimal foot placement relative to the hip, how to use their shoulders for a lighter stride, ways to leverage nature’s forces for faster running, and how to maximize biomechanics for endurance.

Once the body learns to modify ingrained habits formed from years of unthinking running, grasping and maintaining the principles of the Pose Method becomes straightforward.