Running may appear to be a natural movement pattern, but that does not mean it is straightforward. When you think about it, the running stride is quite complex. Your arms and legs, for example, should move in a coordinated yet reciprocal pattern, you should land on your mid-foot, and your stride should be long enough to be efficient but short enough to allow you to take lighter and faster strides.

Running economy and performance are influenced by your running form, foot strike, and cadence. While most runners are very knowledgeable about running form and foot strike, running cadence is rarely discussed, despite the fact that it can have a significant impact on your pace, injury risk, and efficiency as a runner.

We’ll look at running cadence, which is your stride rate, or how many steps per minute you’re taking when running. We’ll talk about why it matters, what elements influence running cadence, whether there is an optimal running cadence, and how to change your running cadence.

What is the meaning of running cadence?

The amount of steps you take per minute when running is your running cadence. STP stands for steps per minute, and it can also be referred to as stride rate or stride frequency.

Your cadence and stride length combine to determine your speed. To put it another way, the longer your stride, the more ground you cover; the more strides each minute, the more ground you cover.

How to figure out your jogging cadence.

You can figure out your running cadence by counting how many steps you take in a minute while jogging, or by counting how many times one foot falls during a specific time interval and then extrapolating that rate for both feet for a complete minute.