Your Guide To Injury-Free Running: How To Be a Better Runner

This course is presented to you by South African Physiotherapist Christoff Smit.

Running is one of Christoff’s great passions and he has spent most of his life pursuing this passion. For the past 10 years, his focus as a physiotherapist has been mainly on the treatment and prevention of running injuries. He also coaches and advises runners of every level.

Common mistakes are often made because people don’t understand the rules of running…just like there are rules to driving your car to prevent engine problems or crashes, there are rules to running…that is if you want to prevent engine problems and crashes! Not following these rules is the primary reason for injuries and limitations on improvement.

In this course, Christoff introduces you to these running rules and shares the most important things he has learnt over the years, both as a runner himself and as a practising physiotherapist. These lessons, will not only help you improve as a runner, but also allow you to find greater joy in your running.

“The person from whom you seek help must understand the importance of your running to you. It’s patently ridiculous to accept advice from someone who is antagonistic or indifferent to your running in the first place”.

— Prof. Tim Noakes

Christoff’s personal message to you:

“Running is special. It is just you, a pair of running shoes and the time or distance you are trying to beat.

Most other sports include a ball, a bike or whatever else you fancy. The “ problem” here is that with running, you are providing the forces, the suspension and the stability… and more than 80% of those that regularly run will get injured.

That is what statistics tell us.

So what if there was a way to lower your risk of injury and still make improvements?

Well there is!

There are rules or guidelines that can help you do both, but unfortunately many, if not most runners don’t know the rules, or simply don’t follow them.

This course is an attempt at helping every runner to understand the rules of their engine and mechanics. It also serves to evaluate your current state and to evaluate yourself on a regular basis in the process of making long term improvement.

There is a lot of information out there on running and exercise, but much of it is very opinionated and does not really help us to see the big picture.

Most of what I present in this course is based on sound principles and evidence, and a bit of trial and error.

So maybe the frustration of injury or struggling to make improvements have made you forget why running is special? Maybe you just need some perspective or just some information to guide you in the right direction.

Let me help you to understand, evaluate and improve your running.”

This course aims to help you understand, evaluate and improve your running on both a systemic and mechanical level, and it is around these three pillars which the course is structured:

Systemic: Refers to the physiology of your running and developing your runners engine

Mechanical: Refers to the biomechanics of your running and assessing your levers and connective tissue development

1. Understand your running at a systemic level

Students are introduced to Aerobic and Anaerobic training and how differences between these two forms of training affect you at four different levels: Metabolic, Stress, Musculoskeletal and Skill/Technique.

2. Understand your running at a mechanical level

You learn the mechanics behind what should, ideally, be happening at each of your joints as you run.

3. Evaluate your running at a systemic level

Students are taught how to evaluate their running using Christoff’s 3 point self-evaluating tool.

4. Evaluate your running at a mechanical level

You are taught how to evaluate your running posture and technique.

5. Improve your running at a systemic level

Students are shown how they can improve on previous training mistakes .

6. Improve your running at a mechanical level

You are taught how to overcome the bio-mechanical limitations that have prevented you from improving in the past.

So. are you ready to get cruising with Christoff? Then come join us in the course below!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have access to the course materials?

You can view and review the lecture materials indefinitely, like an on-demand channel.

Can I take my courses with me wherever I go?

Definitely! If you have an internet connection, courses on Udemy are available on any device at any time. If you don’t have an internet connection, some instructors also let their students download course lectures. That’s up to the instructor though, so make sure you get on their good side!