As Dick Vitale would say, “It’s March Madness, Baby!”
To celebrate, I’d like to share some marching madness.
Reflecting over the past two decades of my physical therapy, coaching, and sporting career, if there’s been one constant aside from swim, bike, run, lift, it’s undoubtedly a shit ton of marching.
Marching is a drill that challenges runners from an upright, single-leg standpoint that can be modified in several ways to challenge the performer pending the goal.
I tend to weave in some combination of marching drills throughout most days and encourage you to do the same unless there is some medical precaution or contraindication.
Early in my career, I prioritized static single leg balance drills to a greater degree, but I quickly learned that runners check out pretty damn quick if you don’t put them into motion.
In general, static single-leg balance work for runners is like having a cyclist practice balancing their bike in place — perhaps appropriate if you’re a bike messenger in New York City. Otherwise, there’s probably not a lot of bang for your buck. With that said, I do still incorporate some single leg balance work using my friend Jay Dicharry’sMobo Board, especially after a lateral ankle sprain or if people need to restore foot and ankle capacity following a leg injury.
This blog post will take you through the 7 most common marching drills I prescribe while unpacking the rationale and discussing how to implement them into your routine.
Prepare for Marching
To get started I often have people march barefoot on firm, level ground. This helps you appreciate what your “little piggies” are doing by giving your nervous system more input through the high concentration of mechanoreceptors on the sole of our feet. Otherwise, aim to progress by using a thin, firm-soled shoe.
When performing the marching drills, the goal is to initially find a tempo or pace that feels smooth and fluid. From there, you can work on slowing it down or speeding it up from there. Also, know that it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit wobbly unless you perform in Cirque de Soleil.
Strive for mastery and grace, and remember that mistakes drive (motor) learning.
Baseline Marching – if you’re new to marching, start here. March forward in a smooth, fluid manner. A practical and straightforward way to progress this drill is by rotating your head side to side or by closing one eye at a time. Stick the high knee position for a second, and when going to lower the non-balancing leg to the ground, initiate contact with the ball of your foot before gently lowering the heel to the ground. You can also march to a metronome at different beat frequencies. I often start at 30 beats per minute (bpm) and work up to 120bpm in 30 beat increments. As you go from 30 to 120bpm, you’ll appreciate the greater coordination requirements, not to mention having to hit the ground harder, which is an essential part of the rehab process in preparation for running.
Prisoner March – the prisoner march is a simple progression from the baseline march in that you’re taking the arms out of the equation. This drill promotes getting tall, a common denominator among the world’s best runners. I often find myself prescribing this variation for high school runners.
March to Overhead Reach – this marching drill is sometimes referred to as a “vertical bird dog.” It’s a staple for triathletes I work with because it engenders a sense of being long while challenging overhead mobility. It kind of sounds like freestyle swimming, eh?
3-Way Mini Band March – another variation I often incorporate into a triathlete’s programming. It challenges the shoulder musculature and demands a rhythm and timing element to coordinate/synchronize the movement of the arms and legs.
March w/ Weight Overhead – a great marching drill to challenge a runner’s trunk control. There is no need to get carried away with the weight…a 10-25lb dumbbell or bumper plate is sensible. Holding a dowel rod or broomstick also works well for adolescent athletes.
March w/ Punch – although the arms generally don’t break the plane (forward) of the body with distance running, I like this drill as it promotes a skosh of spinal rotation, which is healthy for your back. Some athletes like holding lightweight (5-10lb) dumbbells when doing this. Perhaps I’m just challenging my inner Bruce Lee by incorporating the punch.
Marching Matrix – this drill is for you if you’re looking to get FONCY by combining a handful of different marching variations in a series. A lightweight (10-15lbs) med ball, dumbbell, or equivalent is all you need, and you’re in business.
How To Incorporate Marching into Your Routine
When it comes to training, I often have runners and triathletes use marching drills at the beginning of a strength training session or the end of a run as part of a walking cool-down to engender a sense of being tall.
Programming marching drills at the beginning of a strength training session is great as it affords an excellent way to check out from your daily grind and segue into your strength session.
For example, I routinely pick one of the marching drills above and have an athlete complete 2-3, 1-minute passes before getting into the crux of the lifting session.
Those athletes who trust me to coach them can attest that I often prescribe a one-minute pass of the march to overhead reach as part of their walking cool-down post-run. There is nothing like having runners wrap up their run with a drill that promotes getting tall and upright.
I also incorporate the marching drills randomly throughout the day as “movement snacks.” Shoutout to Ben Cormack for this phrase. For example, I use the Pomodoro method, where I work in a 25-minute block then take a 5-minute break. During the break is when I do the marching drills. Since many people are working from home, this has become easier, and you don’t need to worry about your colleagues making fun of you. By day’s end, I’m willing to bet that you’ll feel better by implementing a similar approach and be more productive.
So there you have it, Marching Madness. Please reach out with questions. Otherwise…FORWARD MARCH!
It’s become clear a good chunk of physical therapists have become disenchanted with the profession and are suffering burnout.
Can’t imagine it has anything to do with the insurmountable levels of debt and pressure from employers who lack core values and prioritize patient churn out.
“How can this already be happening,” you think to yourself as I’ve only been practicing for a couple of years?
I must confess the situation has me distraught to the point where it’s brought me to tears.
Is what I’m experiencing normal or are these unjustified fears?
I went into this field to help others reclaim a life of movement and get back to the things they love.
I thought this was gonna be rewarding but I’m starting to feel like I’ve had enough.
Every day I run around a clinic throwing tips and tricks at complex, volatile situations.
Then I have no choice but to stay long after my shift writing notes, which are nothing more than overexplaining.
How in Sam Hill am I ever going to pay off $100k+ in loans and where does starting a family, enjoying some leisure reading, and pursuing my hobbies fit in.
Please throw me a lifesaver because I’m drowning in all these nonsensical explanations patients are given about why they’re in pain…what a sin!
Before I forget, do you know how I can get out of a non-compete?
Is it something I’m locked into because I’m on the verge of conceding?
I don’t know bout’ you but I can’t sit through one more compliance meeting.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I feel like it’s time to switch professions or jump ship.
And don’t get me started over the fact some states still require a PT script?!
Why is it that when we know there’s a leak in the ship we sit there and watch it sink (thanks Johnny!)?
I don’t know about you but if we stay on the current trajectory, I’m genuinely concerned the physical therapy profession could go extinct.
Now more than ever physical therapists are looking for purpose and patients desperately need individualized care.
Unfortunately, clinicians are having their passion(s) crushed thanks to a soul-sucking system and employers who’ve created a sense of despair.
It’s time we stop feeling sorry for ourselves, reclaim our profession, and get back to the things which matter most?
What happened to creating an unparalleled patient experience, clinical excellence, and simply being a gracious host.
Let’s take a moment to revisit the wise words of George Patton, who once said, “Courage is fear holding on one minute longer.”
I’m sure you probably feel like things are going bonkers.
Now’s the time to double down on your situation so you can position yourself to break through and conquer.
Do your best to put your fears and worries aside while getting crystal clear on your core values then rework your narrative as a person and clinician.
I’m excited for you to discover the opportunities that await and look forward to following your mission.
Remember to immerse yourself in and connect with your local community while pouring your hands, heart, and mind into your craft.
Only then will you get established as a trusted resource at which point there’ll be no looking back.
Please stop worrying about all these new-age marketing platforms characterized by suspect strategies and tactics.
At day’s end, they’re nothing more than a racket!
Rather, focus on doing the best job you absolutely can day in and day out.
Remember in case you forgot…the best marketing is still word of mouth.
By no means will this be an easy journey as you’ll surely encounter some obstacles along the way so remain patient and revel in the process.
Over the past several years, a wealth of research has emerged pertaining to the myriad of benefits of step rate (AKA cadence) manipulation when addressing various running related injuries (RRIs) and lower extremity pain.
The fundamental principle behind step rate manipulation is that by keeping running velocity/speed constant and taking more steps per minute, one is able to effectively reduce their stride length, and in turn the magnitude of each individual loading cycles at the expense of taking more loading cycles. This is readily apparent when stopping to consider the following equation.
Speed= Stride length X Stride frequency
Furthermore, research shows that music serves as a great external auditory cue, especially for endurance athletes, as it results in spontaneous entrainment to the tempo or beat with a greater effect noted in women. One approach to help you apply step rate manipulation to your running involves making use of the RunCadence and Spotify App. Below I will take you through how to use the combination of these Apps to reduce the magnitude of loading of each individual gait cycle if that is indeed the desired goal. Research has shown that as little as a five percent increase in step rate while keeping running velocity constant can reduce shock absorption at the level of the knee by upwards of 20 percent. That’s astronomical!!!
It should be noted, however, that the information presented in this post should not suffice nor serve as a substitute for professional medical advice in the event you are dealing with pain and/or functional limitations. In such instances, we advise you to seek consultation with a trusted medical provider, who specializes in the rehabilitation of runners.
Equipment Requirements:
Calibrated Treadmill
Iphone with the RunCadence App
Spotify App
Let’s Get Started
The first item of business it to determine your step rate or cadence for a given running velocity. To do this, you will have to complete a one-minute test. We suggest conducting this on a treadmill to obtain the most accurate results provided that you are comfortable running on a rotating belt. This is where the RunCadence app comes into play. Prior to completing the test we encourage folks to start with a 5′ brisk walk followed by a 6′ run to get familiarized with the treadmill. From there, stand on the runners of the treadmill and open up the RunCadence App (assuming it’s already been downloaded) on your smartphone and click “TEST.” You will be given a 5s countdown before the test officially starts though we encourage folks to start running once the countdown ensues to settle into your running gait. You will have to hold the phone in your hand for the duration of the test. To avoid compromising the accuracy of the test, we encourage you to avoid looking at the timer on the App. Rather, simply use the treadmill timer and make a note of when you start the test and plan for 70-75s of continuous running to ensure that you fully capture your foot contacts for the entire minute.
How to Determine Your Step Rate for a Given Speed Using The RunCadence App:
Tap the RunCadence App
Select “Test”
Tap Ready & Start Running
Run for 1′ w/ phone in hand
Once you have finished the one-minute test, this screen will appear which shows your average step rate as well as +2.5, +5, +7.5, and +10% above your avg step rate. We generally recommend starting with +5% when it comes to gait retraining. This is the value that you will plug in to the Spotify app when prompted. We’ll cover this in more detail below. In the event that you are able to readily adopt the +5% step rate, feel free to increase it to +7.5% if not +10%. While you can increase your step rate above 10%, apppreciate that doing so occurs at a great metabolic cost.
How to Use the Running Feature on Spotify and Plugging in Your Step Rate:
Step 1:
Once you have downloaded Spotify from the app store, simply tap the icon to open it.
Step 2:
When the homescreen of the Spotify app appears, tap the search button centrally located at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3:
In the searchbox, type in “running” then click the search button at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4:
Scroll down until you see “Genres & Moods.” Tap the icon with the running man.
Step 5:
You will have the option to select various types of music so pick the one that suits your fancy 🙂 We often encourage folks to select a style of music with a distinct beat as it lends to better sychronization in terms of your foot contacts.
Step 6:
When you arrive at this screen and are prompted to start running, simply click the “skip” button at the bottom of the screeen and plug in the value obtained from using the RunCadence Test. Consider starting with the “+5%” value.
Step 7:
You are ready to roll/run! Aside from periodic advertisements, you will now have a continuous playlist based on the beat frequency you plugged in. Bear in mind that maintaining a consistent/steady step rate for a given running speed is most easily accomplished on level ground. Hills and softer surfaces may cause you to deviate from the target.
Wishing you HAPPY, HEALTHY, & STRONG Training. Please reach out if you have any additional questions regarding how step rate can be applied to your training. Onward!!!
Disclosure: RunCadence is a for profit IOS App that I developed along with my good friend and business partner, Ben Wobker. It is currently priced at $2.99 and can be found on the App store.
I recently received a call from a young guy (late twenties), who was recommended by his friend to contact me as he was in need of acute post-operative rehabilitation following a recent knee menisectomy. Upon asking him, “What instructions were you given to manage your situation until your first follow-up appointment with the doc?” He responded by listing off the following recommendations given by the physician’s assistant (PA)…
Take pain pills as needed (prescription for 40 percocet)
Don’t do anything that hurts or causes pain
Don’t bend your knee past 90 degrees
This represents a microcosm of our current state of affairs in relation to pain management and opioid addiction. The potential societal repercussions of this situation are disconcerting. I’m hopeful we can do better!
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Over the past several years, a wealth of research has emerged pertaining to the myriad of benefits of step rate (AKA cadence) manipulation when addressing various running related injuries (RRIs) and lower extremity pain.
