Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention

An ART chiro who treated my IT band problems prior to my Olympic-distance triathlon last fall recommended "Ready to Run." I checked it out the library and I liked it enough to buy it. While looking for it online, I came across Anatomy for Runners. I'm very glad I bought it, and I wish I'd read it first. Lots of science, but still very readable. It's far less preachy than Ready to Run. I can't stop gushing about this book. I've recommended it to everyone, including non-runners. I ran my first half marathon this past weekend. While I still have plantar fasciitis in both feet, and a bunion in one big toe, they rarely hurt anymore. I've eliminated a lot of foot pain by strengthening my feet and lower legs. I've also managed to keep my IT band woes in check. Ready to Run is also helpful, but I strongly recommend reading this book first. It may be all you need.

This may be the best book ever written for amateur Runners who are self coached. I bought the book 2 years ago and I've read something out of it every single day. Jay's second book Running rewired puts everything together in a more coherent end-user format. I still refer back to both books on just about a daily basis. if you are ready to get rid of your niggly running injuries or prevent injuries in the future this is one of the two books that you should buy.

This book has great information for runners, and I like periodic hints of the author's sense of humor. It's definitely dense reading for me since I don't have much of a bio/anatomy background but I'm able to understand the key takeaways. The first 2/3 or so of the book is more expository, laying down the principles of how to use your body efficiently when running, and the remainder of the book contains assessments and exercises. My only complaint is I'm suspicious that the physical book shipped by Amazon is either a counterfeit or sloppily printed using some just-in-time algorithm. The binding and paper seem atypical and many of the pictures are printed off the edge of the page. All the information appears to be there, but it leaves me with a sour taste.

Contains some good tips, but each tip is wrapped with poor analogies ("like warming up a car engine") and condescending almost angry tone ("Why would you think that elongating your muscles would help your running?"). So you have to wade through a challenging tone to get to what amounts to basically non specific recommendations expressed in poor analogies. Some science please? Some research please?

The entire tone of this book feels like an entitled person telling you what you're doing wrong. It seems like it's intended for a person with absolutely no running experience and a complete lack of understanding of biomechanics, and with a condescending tone. Most of the ideas that he's trying to get across are common knowledge in the running community, so I don't see why this tone was necessary. If you are fairly new to running and body maintenance, then this book will likely help quite a bit, and even if you're a seasoned runner there are a couple of good tips here and there to add to your bank of knowledge. The other thing is that this book is riddled with grammatical errors. It's pretty easy to tell what the author intended to say, but it amazes me that someone with such a condescending tone makes so many mistakes themselves.

The author is very clever and makes reading the book. I know that sounds crazy but it really is fun to read. And if provides tons of great examples and analogies so you can immediately apply the info to real life. There is also an entire back section of exercises and self tests. I recommend for any avid runner or running coach!

The information presented and outlined in this book is of good quality and sensible. I will definitely be incorporating some of the testing and phase 1 exercises. However, that said; some pieces of information were without definition such as the 180 rpm. Whats an rpm as it relates to two legs striking the ground? Is it the cadence of right heel-strike to right heel-strike or right-left? There were also misused grammatical errors that had then tendency of skipping any reading fluidity off-track.

Although it uses some technical language it is concise, to-the-point, interesting, extremely well written and well-organized. Some books and advice for runners are too vague and don't highlight fine points that can make a big difference (ie, what precise steps you can take to make sure you use your glutes and don't arch your back). Others give highly specific advice but often jump too quickly to false conclusions - they fail to point out where their solutions may not apply to all types of runners and all bodies. This book skillfully steers a course between both these mistakes. For instance, what's the ideal cadence for you? Anatomy for Runners tells you why some people say it's 180 (and briefly why) then goes further to explain why your own ideal cadence depends on both your running goals and your body. The most efficient cadence, the best cadence for a top athlete to win a highly competitive race, and the best cadence for a recreational runner who places top priority on enjoying runs for decades to come may all be quite different. Due to the particulars of your body, your own best cadence may be 10 or 20 higher or lower than other people with the same goal and fitness/speed. He manages to convey this complexity and still do it clearly and concisely. That's a great writer who really knows his stuff. By contrast I also bought the book "The Running Injury Recovery Program" at the same time as this one and was very disappointed in the "program." It felt like reading the same vague generalizations repeated over and over in a circular fashion and ultimately left you feeling like what you really need is to get an appointment with the author at his clinic. It left me thinking he might be the best clinician in the world, and an engaging writer, but not so good at explaining the complexity of what he knows in specific terms (other than specific exercises/stretches), and it wasn't a particularly helpful book for me. I just want to get better. Do I honestly need to read a chapter on the structural and biological and functional differences between bone, tendons, ligaments and muscle. Maybe not. But do you know why eccentric exercises are highly effective to help your body heal after mobilization and soft tissue work? Do you know why exercises with resistance help tendons heal while lots of light reps do not? Do you know there are two totally different reasons to stretch that must be done in quite different ways to be effective, one done before running and the other type is best done when muscles are warmed up? Do you know when each type may benefit runners, and when stretching could be worse than not stretching? Do you know the reason many runners THINK they are stretching in fact only works when stretches are done for at least 3min for at least 4-5 days a week for at least 6-8 weeks? (and why you may not need it anyway) Do you know whether drills and running will help you build more muscle mass for that big race five weeks from now? Do you know whether drills and running will train your mind and nervous system to mobilize more of the muscle fibers you already have for that big race five weeks from now? Wow. Maybe understanding a little about these things can make you do the exact same exercise differently with far faster and better results. Maybe understanding "why" will motivate you to do those exercises more regularly and give you more confidence you're doing them right so they'll really help. Reality check: do you have a cookbook body made with standardized mass-produced parts? No? Then don't expect a simple cookbook injury recovery book. That's why Anatomy for Runners stands head-and-shoulders above most other books on this topic. (remember: "to every complex problem there's a simple solution ... and it's wrong") You want a simple cookbook answer that might or might not fit your circumstances, go elsewhere. If your body or injury happens to match the author's particular cookbook and the "simple" book works for you that's absolutely fantastic. But ... if it doesn't, you really haven't learned much about why. Second important lesson: people's bodies are not made of identical unchanging parts like cars or toaster ovens that can wear out but never get better. We are made up of complex ever-changing living parts that respond and change day-to-day and week-to-week according to each stimulus we apply to them. People get this where it comes to developing more strength in muscles, but understanding usually stops there. When people overdo it or get injured for other reasons they tend to go to extremes of pushing too hard or else too much rest. More is not always better. Mobility is also good up to a point, but a gymnast needs more than a runner. Too much mobility in a joint can also be bad, and a "sloppy" joint may not be as controlled. You want a book that helps you figure out the complexities of your own body, then roll up your sleeves and be prepared to do a little work on your own instead of placing all the responsibility on someone else's shoulders (either an author or a medical professional who has between 10min to 60min, tops, to pay attention to your symptoms and come up with solutions). The author on simplistic one-size-fits-all solutions: "It's fine to have opinions on many things. And since no two humans are exactly the same, it's even fine to adjust how you interpret advice if it works for you. However, it's not OK to spread the same old mantra that more miles are always better. It's not OK to think that rest will fix all your problems. It's not OK to think that more running will fix all your problems. It's not OK to think that every person on earth should run the same. Specific interventions improve your parts. New skills help those parts work as a system. More skills help the body deal with different paces, terrain, shoes, and competitive environments. The impetus here is on you." There are plenty of things I knew about myself and my running for years, but I didn't necessarily know why. This book was full of "aha" moments for me. Some things about your body are inherited and can't be changed. Others may be the result of patterns and bad habits which can be overcome. Still others may be the result of tightness which can be overcome with soft tissue work and mobilization. This book helps you figure out which things you can change with some work and which you can't, and what you can try. I bought this on Kindle when it first came out because there was a possible long delay in shipping out the paperback. It's such a good book I'm going to buy it in paperback now too. I liked reading it on the Kindle paperwhite because it's so quick and easy to look up a handful of terms I didn't know, and I highlighted key parts all over (which I don't like to do in my books). Now that I'm focused on doing more of the tests and exercises I'd like to also have the paperback (and I can loan it to friends). Some of the best things in life don't come easy. If you want to be spoon fed some quick and easy solutions to every complex problem, you'll probably be disappointed with this book. You probably have to read it more than once. You'll have to do the work. If you're willing to work on learning the technical aspects of how your body works as a runner and then really follow through learning specific exercises, skills and running adaptations focused specifically on your personal goals, I'm convinced you will not find a better book on the subject.

I have read many running books trying to learn to how to become faster and stay injury free, but this book was a step up in understanding tissues and the loads we carry while running. This book also helps identify your personal strengths and weaknesses so you can work on very targeted areas. There is a lot of great information and form tips to be sure exercises are performed properly. Highly recommend this book to all runners and anyone involved in high impact sports as well.

If you're an injury-prone runner, you need to get this book.The author explains the mechanics of how your body moves when running, and why you may have chronic injury. There are extensive chapters on anatomy, physics, diagnosis and exercises to improve what's not "right" in your body. I recommend the print version over the Kindle version for a more "hands-on" reference guide when working thru the diagnosis and exercise chapters, that you can flip back & forth thru, and bookmark as necessary. Excellent reference tool- i highly recommend it.

An ART chiro who treated my IT band problems prior to my Olympic-distance triathlon last fall recommended "Ready to Run." I checked it out the library and I liked it enough to buy it. While looking for it online, I came across Anatomy for Runners. I'm very glad I bought it, and I wish I'd read it first. Lots of science, but still very readable. It's far less preachy than Ready to Run. I can't stop gushing about this book. I've recommended it to everyone, including non-runners. I ran my first half marathon this past weekend. While I still have plantar fasciitis in both feet, and a bunion in one big toe, they rarely hurt anymore. I've eliminated a lot of foot pain by strengthening my feet and lower legs. I've also managed to keep my IT band woes in check. Ready to Run is also helpful, but I strongly recommend reading this book first. It may be all you need.

This may be the best book ever written for amateur Runners who are self coached. I bought the book 2 years ago and I've read something out of it every single day. Jay's second book Running rewired puts everything together in a more coherent end-user format. I still refer back to both books on just about a daily basis. if you are ready to get rid of your niggly running injuries or prevent injuries in the future this is one of the two books that you should buy.

This book has great information for runners, and I like periodic hints of the author's sense of humor. It's definitely dense reading for me since I don't have much of a bio/anatomy background but I'm able to understand the key takeaways. The first 2/3 or so of the book is more expository, laying down the principles of how to use your body efficiently when running, and the remainder of the book contains assessments and exercises. My only complaint is I'm suspicious that the physical book shipped by Amazon is either a counterfeit or sloppily printed using some just-in-time algorithm. The binding and paper seem atypical and many of the pictures are printed off the edge of the page. All the information appears to be there, but it leaves me with a sour taste.

Contains some good tips, but each tip is wrapped with poor analogies ("like warming up a car engine") and condescending almost angry tone ("Why would you think that elongating your muscles would help your running?"). So you have to wade through a challenging tone to get to what amounts to basically non specific recommendations expressed in poor analogies. Some science please? Some research please?

The entire tone of this book feels like an entitled person telling you what you're doing wrong. It seems like it's intended for a person with absolutely no running experience and a complete lack of understanding of biomechanics, and with a condescending tone. Most of the ideas that he's trying to get across are common knowledge in the running community, so I don't see why this tone was necessary. If you are fairly new to running and body maintenance, then this book will likely help quite a bit, and even if you're a seasoned runner there are a couple of good tips here and there to add to your bank of knowledge. The other thing is that this book is riddled with grammatical errors. It's pretty easy to tell what the author intended to say, but it amazes me that someone with such a condescending tone makes so many mistakes themselves.

The author is very clever and makes reading the book. I know that sounds crazy but it really is fun to read. And if provides tons of great examples and analogies so you can immediately apply the info to real life. There is also an entire back section of exercises and self tests. I recommend for any avid runner or running coach!

The information presented and outlined in this book is of good quality and sensible. I will definitely be incorporating some of the testing and phase 1 exercises. However, that said; some pieces of information were without definition such as the 180 rpm. Whats an rpm as it relates to two legs striking the ground? Is it the cadence of right heel-strike to right heel-strike or right-left? There were also misused grammatical errors that had then tendency of skipping any reading fluidity off-track.

Although it uses some technical language it is concise, to-the-point, interesting, extremely well written and well-organized. Some books and advice for runners are too vague and don't highlight fine points that can make a big difference (ie, what precise steps you can take to make sure you use your glutes and don't arch your back). Others give highly specific advice but often jump too quickly to false conclusions - they fail to point out where their solutions may not apply to all types of runners and all bodies. This book skillfully steers a course between both these mistakes. For instance, what's the ideal cadence for you? Anatomy for Runners tells you why some people say it's 180 (and briefly why) then goes further to explain why your own ideal cadence depends on both your running goals and your body. The most efficient cadence, the best cadence for a top athlete to win a highly competitive race, and the best cadence for a recreational runner who places top priority on enjoying runs for decades to come may all be quite different. Due to the particulars of your body, your own best cadence may be 10 or 20 higher or lower than other people with the same goal and fitness/speed. He manages to convey this complexity and still do it clearly and concisely. That's a great writer who really knows his stuff. By contrast I also bought the book "The Running Injury Recovery Program" at the same time as this one and was very disappointed in the "program." It felt like reading the same vague generalizations repeated over and over in a circular fashion and ultimately left you feeling like what you really need is to get an appointment with the author at his clinic. It left me thinking he might be the best clinician in the world, and an engaging writer, but not so good at explaining the complexity of what he knows in specific terms (other than specific exercises/stretches), and it wasn't a particularly helpful book for me. I just want to get better. Do I honestly need to read a chapter on the structural and biological and functional differences between bone, tendons, ligaments and muscle. Maybe not. But do you know why eccentric exercises are highly effective to help your body heal after mobilization and soft tissue work? Do you know why exercises with resistance help tendons heal while lots of light reps do not? Do you know there are two totally different reasons to stretch that must be done in quite different ways to be effective, one done before running and the other type is best done when muscles are warmed up? Do you know when each type may benefit runners, and when stretching could be worse than not stretching? Do you know the reason many runners THINK they are stretching in fact only works when stretches are done for at least 3min for at least 4-5 days a week for at least 6-8 weeks? (and why you may not need it anyway) Do you know whether drills and running will help you build more muscle mass for that big race five weeks from now? Do you know whether drills and running will train your mind and nervous system to mobilize more of the muscle fibers you already have for that big race five weeks from now? Wow. Maybe understanding a little about these things can make you do the exact same exercise differently with far faster and better results. Maybe understanding "why" will motivate you to do those exercises more regularly and give you more confidence you're doing them right so they'll really help. Reality check: do you have a cookbook body made with standardized mass-produced parts? No? Then don't expect a simple cookbook injury recovery book. That's why Anatomy for Runners stands head-and-shoulders above most other books on this topic. (remember: "to every complex problem there's a simple solution ... and it's wrong") You want a simple cookbook answer that might or might not fit your circumstances, go elsewhere. If your body or injury happens to match the author's particular cookbook and the "simple" book works for you that's absolutely fantastic. But ... if it doesn't, you really haven't learned much about why. Second important lesson: people's bodies are not made of identical unchanging parts like cars or toaster ovens that can wear out but never get better. We are made up of complex ever-changing living parts that respond and change day-to-day and week-to-week according to each stimulus we apply to them. People get this where it comes to developing more strength in muscles, but understanding usually stops there. When people overdo it or get injured for other reasons they tend to go to extremes of pushing too hard or else too much rest. More is not always better. Mobility is also good up to a point, but a gymnast needs more than a runner. Too much mobility in a joint can also be bad, and a "sloppy" joint may not be as controlled. You want a book that helps you figure out the complexities of your own body, then roll up your sleeves and be prepared to do a little work on your own instead of placing all the responsibility on someone else's shoulders (either an author or a medical professional who has between 10min to 60min, tops, to pay attention to your symptoms and come up with solutions). The author on simplistic one-size-fits-all solutions: "It's fine to have opinions on many things. And since no two humans are exactly the same, it's even fine to adjust how you interpret advice if it works for you. However, it's not OK to spread the same old mantra that more miles are always better. It's not OK to think that rest will fix all your problems. It's not OK to think that more running will fix all your problems. It's not OK to think that every person on earth should run the same. Specific interventions improve your parts. New skills help those parts work as a system. More skills help the body deal with different paces, terrain, shoes, and competitive environments. The impetus here is on you." There are plenty of things I knew about myself and my running for years, but I didn't necessarily know why. This book was full of "aha" moments for me. Some things about your body are inherited and can't be changed. Others may be the result of patterns and bad habits which can be overcome. Still others may be the result of tightness which can be overcome with soft tissue work and mobilization. This book helps you figure out which things you can change with some work and which you can't, and what you can try. I bought this on Kindle when it first came out because there was a possible long delay in shipping out the paperback. It's such a good book I'm going to buy it in paperback now too. I liked reading it on the Kindle paperwhite because it's so quick and easy to look up a handful of terms I didn't know, and I highlighted key parts all over (which I don't like to do in my books). Now that I'm focused on doing more of the tests and exercises I'd like to also have the paperback (and I can loan it to friends). Some of the best things in life don't come easy. If you want to be spoon fed some quick and easy solutions to every complex problem, you'll probably be disappointed with this book. You probably have to read it more than once. You'll have to do the work. If you're willing to work on learning the technical aspects of how your body works as a runner and then really follow through learning specific exercises, skills and running adaptations focused specifically on your personal goals, I'm convinced you will not find a better book on the subject.

I have read many running books trying to learn to how to become faster and stay injury free, but this book was a step up in understanding tissues and the loads we carry while running. This book also helps identify your personal strengths and weaknesses so you can work on very targeted areas. There is a lot of great information and form tips to be sure exercises are performed properly. Highly recommend this book to all runners and anyone involved in high impact sports as well.

If you're an injury-prone runner, you need to get this book.The author explains the mechanics of how your body moves when running, and why you may have chronic injury. There are extensive chapters on anatomy, physics, diagnosis and exercises to improve what's not "right" in your body. I recommend the print version over the Kindle version for a more "hands-on" reference guide when working thru the diagnosis and exercise chapters, that you can flip back & forth thru, and bookmark as necessary. Excellent reference tool- i highly recommend it.

Overall content in this book is excellent. Jay gives great diagnostic tests you can do yourself, and gives specific instructions on how to correct your shortcomings. It's hard to comment on efficacy of his methods, because there are so many variables in running. It's done me well, though.

Packed with actionable info to start diagnosing and fixing issues ASAP. I was tempted to subtract one star due to the lack of video resources explaining some of the more difficult exercises. Highly recommended.

Want to be a stronger, better, happier, faster runner? That might be a little optimistic, but this book is as close to the holy grail of running mechanics as anything else that I have found. The self-assessment tests presented in Chapter 9 are enlightening and worth the read on their own. These are followed by exercises to correct any flaws in mechanics revealed by the self-assessment tests. After the inherent wisdom of this approach is revealed, you will feel compelled to read the preceding eight chapters to better understand the logic behind the approach. Combine this with compatible exercise videos from the Natural Running Center and you will have a souped up chassis on which to mount your aerobic motor.

This book seems kinda boring at first though very educational on what your body goes through with the challenges of runners. Very informative and good advice with some pictures and ways to prevent injury

Well written and the perfect balance between informing and entertaining. The author is renowned in the running died and delivers an easy to digest book that will help guide healthy running for all populations.

This book is one of best books I have read so far for runners who want to stay fit and healthy. It separates out the myth from the science with sensible advice for runners. The portion that I keep using is the series of assessments and exercises to mitigate my physiological weakness. I agree with other readers that the book could use a better index and cross reference tables between the assessments and the associated exercises to address the weaknesses.

I am honestly not all the way through this book and typically don't have the same standard for Ebooks, but this one may change that. The flow and writing style of the book, along with the wealth of knowledge and data is really refreshing and helpful. If you are a runner of any level, grab this read and do yourself and body a favor!

I've been an active age-group runner for 30 years. I've read many books on run training, and this one tops them all. The title doesn't describe the book at all. It is much more than a book about anatomy. As a scientist, I appreciate the author's objective approach to applying the findings of running research and opening my eyes to run training dogma that is poorly supported by research if at all.

I'm a few chapters in so far and its a great book! It has really given me a full picture on exactly why its important to cross train and the best way to do it. They break down concepts so that a non science mind like myself can understand how my body works.

In my constant pursuit of good running resources, research, training methods, etc... I came across this book by Jay Dicharry and decided to give it a chance. This is an excellent read for the science behind the body, basic tests anyone can perform on themselves and most importantly, corrective measures you can take to ensure quality gait and stride while running. I've recommended this book to everyone I meet in the running community. Whether in great physical shape with ease of movement while running or just feeling the aches and pains the body can go through when running it is a good resource for all runners.

This book was recommended to me by my physical therapist. I am a dedicated runner who was suffering from some Achilles pain and a heel spur. I found this book, although very detailed, also very accessible even though I have no previous medical or anatomy training. I definitely learned more about my body and how it works related to running. One of the exercises also helped me get past my Achilles pain. I recommend this book to any runner who wants to have a deeper understanding of how it all works together.

Great information ! As a PTA I totally enjoyed the book. Great exercises for correcting posture and various muscle imbalances ! If your going to run why not have good form, decrease injuries potential and run run run Recommended for all, easy to read and simple enough to understand. Thank you J Dicharry

As I've ramped up my mileage this year I've beey hampered by various injuries that never used to get me in my younger days.. This book helped me to ID problems with my "chassis" so I can target those weak areas and better handle the horsepower I've developed over the years... Loved it.

The ABSOLUTE best book on the subject - so informative and SO easy to read!. I have recommended this to so many people. I heard of from my PT specialist who lives by it and I can see why. Great book, knowledgeable, well researched and written.

Recommended by a PhD coworker who runs semi-pro, and I'm very happy with the book. Quite a bit of anatomy and technical info at the start, but balanced with practical instruction on how to improve running techniques (and reduce potential for injury). I've altered my running style, shoe type, and training plan, and I'm so far very happy with results (on speed, endurance, and lack of pain).

This is great book with lots of valuable information summarized. Wished I had discovered this book much earlier. It would saved me a lot time researching through trial and errors. The author is clear on what works yet is open to the fact that he does not know it all and there may be new knowledge available in future. If you are going to buy only one book on running injury free, then this has to be the book.

This book is very well written and provides a very unique lens into training. The book has plenty of well done graphics and photos to help clarify concepts and exercise. It provides no information on exercise physiology or how to train to max out your aerobic capacity and thus it functions perfectly as a companion to such books. I would recommend it as a must for any coach or serious athlete.

Very thorough, and very readable. The book contains useful tests to identify areas of weakness, and a number of exercises that can be used to address your shortcomings. I am only at the beginning of my recovery but so much of the book has been on point that I felt it was time to provide some positive feedback. Great book.

This book was recommended to me when I was struggling to recover from a series of injuries, brought on by ramping up my mileage too fast. It dense reading, but packed with information and very helpful assessments and exercises.

Practical book that is easy for a veteran runner to understand. It has examples and situations in the book to directly relate to runners and even other athletes. Finally it's good reference book that can be viewed at anytime to diagnose some difficulties you may be going though.

PROS: Excellent information for increasing your running-specific stability, mobility, and strength. FMS (Functional Movement Systems) is great for addressing general mobility issues, but this book makes it running-specific, which I loved. Good illustrations like the body as a slingshot help make the points. Also good photos help with performing the exercises correctly. CONS: I felt as though the editing could have been a little better. The author largely succeeded at making the topic more accessible to the layperson, but sometimes unexplained jargon crept through. The material could have been better organized too. And sometimes the instructions for how to perform a given exercise were vague. These are all things that an editor should have addressed before going to print. Great book though. Recommend.

After research this is the ONLY book I found that focusing on the runners physique from a kinesiology standpoint. This is a great supplement and goes hand in hand with my studies for the NASM CPT exam information. It's a great comparison and good parallel knowledge to confirm what you're studying. Especially if you're going to be training the runner population.

Great book that discusses actual mechanics and how to address common problems pertaining to sports injury. Written by a PT so the information is correct.

The material is quite technical, but I found I found the substance compelling enough to invest an hour each day to overhaul my running style. I am in my mid-forties. At work I sit in a chair. Athletically I compete for fun and for fitness. I restarted long distance triathlon this last year. I just started to break a sub-twenty minute 5K in training, when I pulled a calf muscle. The first injury to stop me from training in a long time. So I picked up this book. I am lucky that I did. There is too much information to summarize here, but the experience of reading it was like getting invited into an Olympic Running Team's private training sessions. After two weeks of working on a selection of the drills, of course my injury is fully healed, but mainly I am so much more aware of how crooked I am in both running and everyday life. It's not something I can fix in even a couple of months, but in time, I feel pretty confident that I'll have excellent posture and running form. I tried explaining this book to a couple of running friends. One of them mentioned it was similar to another book they had already bought, 'Build Your Running Body'. So I picked that up to take a look. 'Anatomy for Runners' is in a different class, a serious book that can fundamentally change the way you approach running. A serious book for people who will continue to invest a lot of their life running. On a couple of events I've been beaten by 70 year old men. I think this is the way I'm going to be that guy, one day.

This is a fantastic book. First, let me state that it has some sections that are pretty technical. Similar to physiology class. However don't let this stop you from getting this book. It has some very solid info and presents changes/things to strengthen in order to run with a lower chance of injury. I highly recommend this book and I don't think you'll be disappointed with the purchase.

I have been looking for a book like this for a long time. For the last few years my racing has plateaued or I get injured right before a race. This book has helped me pin point my weaknesses that are holding me back and teaches how to correct problems with my feet and lower legs that have lead to injuries in the past. Also it helps remind me about proper posture and fun exercises to learn coordination skills and to gain the strength to improve my running economy.

Great information, I have not finished the book yet but am pleased with what I have learned so far.

Has valuable information about the technique, injuries and how to improve your running, giving some exercise that can help to do it

Nice book. My thigh imploded, and this was helpful getting me started on recovery. Back in stride now. Good value for the content. Some theories in the book are controversial, but the exercise illustrations and instructions are excellent!

I kept this book out too long from the library because it is so thorough and has very practical exercises in the back. Yes, the beginning part of the book may be a bit technical, but it was still nice to learn so much info. The mobility tests were eye opening and I'm already seeing helpful results from the suggested exercises.

If you're a runner, or want to be a runner (or are even curious about running), then this book needs to be in your library. Jay Dicharry makes this information so clear to the layman, broadening one's knowledge of the running body. Whether you're trying to avoid or recover from injury, this book is going to have the answers you're looking for.

Helped me better understand the way my body moves and how to improve it. I can't believe I pay $129 for an oil change and 10% of that for a book that helps me optimize the most important vehicle I have...my body!

This is a excellent read if you want to better understand the bodies relationship to running. I could not help but apply some theories and noticed immediate results. The advice at the end is golden.

I did not do with this book what I normally do with books of its kind - skip straight to the exercises. I'm glad I broke with tradition. This book is packed with specific, scientific information about anatomy and the integration of the muscles, tendons, and nerves to create movement. (I'm sending a copy to my daughter, who is an exercise science major). This book dovetails nicely with the work I do with my yoga instructor, who incorporates body balance and structural integration into her classes. Everything does interrelate, and this book demonstrates how. The tests for deficiencies which affect running we're simple to do and interpret, as were the exercises necessary to correct them. Whether this book helps depends on how willing you are to follow the protocol - it's not for lightweights in terms if time commitment, as it needs about a half and hour a day. My only criticism of this book is that it's unclear how you know when you're ready to move from phase 1 to phase 2, and when to incorporate some of the other advanced exercises into your routine. The author says you'll know, but I'm concerned most people won't. I'm not downgrading it for that, as everyone is different and it's probably difficult to have a definitive measure to progress. Still, some benchmark would have been helpful. All in all, however, an excellent book that every runner should own.

This is the best book I've read on what it takes to become a healthier and happier runner. It is a bit technical, but very approachable for the quality and amount of information. I'll recommend it to all of my friends who work out.

As a physical therapist and runner, can't emphasize enough the value of this book. Anatomy is explained simply enough and the practicality and most important needed functional movement exercises for runners is emphasized. This book is a gem for injury prevention and performance.

Could very easily have gone three stars. Most of the book is awesome. Where it falls down is describing and showing how to do the evaluations, this section needed to be twice as long as it came out to be. Then as every other review has said there is no clear guide between the evaluation results and the recommended exercises, there is not even page number references. It was also not at first clear there were different levels to the exercises intended for different levels to weaknesses. The 'meat' of the book is a pile of spaghetti the reader is left to straighten out. Could have easily been five stars with the same basic content just some revision/organisation and better descriptions.

I thought this book was so informative. I recommend it to beginning runners, and advanced runners alike, who don't have "mentors". I have shared it with a few friends who have told me that it has helped them understand their bodies aches and pains more.

Daughter loves this, she is a workout nut!! Plus a marathon runner!

I am so glad I picked up this book. It is a great guide to running mechanics and understanding the human body. I now understand why so many of us get injured while running and more importantly how to prevent these injuries from happening and improve our running ability.

I you are a runner this book is a must. I had trouble with my feet, knees, and hips for a long time but after reading this book my issues have been corrected. I don't run every day but I run 10-15 miles a week.

This book strikes the perfect balance between theory and practice. "Anatomy for Runners" provides a theoretically sound and practically functional approach to improving performance and running longevity. The chapters on assessment and correction by themselves make the book invaluable.

I actually bought this book for my husband for Christmas, but just as I was about to wrap it, I started to leaf through it. The next thing you know I was reading it at night in secret, trying to finish it before Christmas day. There was so much useful information that I wish all sports doctors, PTs, athletic trainers and health professional in general would learn about. Dicharry discusses everything from biomechanics, to foot attire, to stretching and strengthening, as well as what an actual soft tissue injury is. This book ought to be in every runner's and coach's library. Several years ago I began to suffer from chronic injuries that shifted almost daily from one body part to another. Common treatment was to address the symptom, which was seldom successful. This book gets you to think about what *causes* tissues to weaken, develop imbalances, and eventually become injured. Understanding what, how, and why goes a long way toward healing and preventing injuries. Practical, informative. I re-read sections of this book regularly.

Amazing book. Very technical- I hope you have at least a slight interest in physiology, or the first part of the book will be a hard read! Great pictures, explanations and exercises. I'm hoping it makes the difference.

Nice book with great details. Not an easy, light read but has the details that an inquisitive runner needs.

...for physical therapists who want to know more about evaling and progressing athletes. Would highly recommend to fellow PTs and anyone who leads any active lifestyle.

I am a DPT student and this book was extremely useful. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who has an interest working with athletes/ runners.

Diverse exercises to get your foundation for running right. This should be something every physical educator in schools should read. If only I knew this as a kid

Used the information and exercises in here to help me rehab through a bad knee injury. Back to running now!

Such a great book. So logical yet easy to read and understand. Nice to see a book based on scientific evidence not just opinion. It helped my define and start to resolve some long term deficiencies in my style

Clear and direct with straight forward tests and exercises to figure out the areas you can work on in your home.

I thought was going to be a yawnfest, to be honest - so far, I've only read about a third of the book, but so far I have read a few things that are worth mention. 1 - Running is a skill. It takes time to learn the proper movements and additional exercises that help keep us balanced as we develop our running performance. You've probably heard many stories where long-time runners have IT band issues and do cross-training or weight lifting. The author explains the reasoning behind this and make some general recommendations on how to correct it - not quite a training program, but I believe he provides enough information for you to identify your own weaknesses. 2 - when you are injured, don't JUST rest - I didn't realize this was as important as he makes it sound. Over enough time of pure rest, your body will decondition and you may actually be weaker than when you began training when the pain finally subsides. Dicharry talks about F.I.T. (Frequency, Intensity & Time or Duration) and uses it to discuss rehabilitation. The F.I.T. of your rehab exercises should be enough to improve your strength/healing, but not enough to impair your recovery. 3- The author also discusses some of the problems with today's shoes: excessive motion control, padding, heel height & the narrow toe box in some of today's shoes. While I am not qualified to make a shoe recommendation, the main message I got from the section on modern shoes is overdependence on these features results in underdevelopment of the supporting muscles and nervous system (specifically the proprioceptive feedback loop - he asks something like this: 'imagine tying your shoes. easy, right? now tie 50 marshmallows to your hands and tie your shoes - much harder, right? same thing happens with a lot of padding - it masks sensation of the road and breaks the feedback loop). You should really read this book, he has a good style, tries to crack a joke here and there and really appears to speak from authority.

I got this for my dad since him and I are running a half marathon together. Great book and has helped with some common injuries.

So far, I think this book is great. I learned new information just reading the foreward. The book presents the information in a very approachable format, and provides a great deal of useful information. The information provided should prevent a lot of needless injuries, and I have had more than a few in 30 years of running

Wow! This book really is packed with information! I really love how detailed this book gets into the anatomy of the body and how it relates to running. Though this book does not prescribe a program per se, it definitely gives you some very helpful tips on how to improve your form. Want to know how to really get your body working for you? READ THIS BOOK! I have started incorporating a lot of the corrective exercises outlined in here and I've really started to see a difference in how my body is feel during and after a run. I hurt less and am much more aware of my body.

This is very helpful book for runners. It goes into the science behind injuries and explains how to strengthen muscles to prevent injuries. As a cross country coach this book as been extremely helpful!

Overall the book is well worth the purchase. It can be a little dense to get through, especially if you are new to running or the idea of adding strength training to your routine to fix ongoing injuries, etc, but it is well worth the read. What makes the book powerful is that the author is relying on science and data and describes what is going on physiologically and that helps make the workouts sensible and attractive. My only real complaint is that a few of the exercises are not clear in how to execute them, even for someone who has some experience in this area. A new runner may find some of the descriptions and steps a bit hard to figure out. In my opinion, some of the confusion could be reduced by making the steps bulleted or by adding additional graphics and photographs. But overall, it is a great book to add to your injury-proofing library. It has helped me pinpoint some problems in my physique and I am on my way to correcting them to stay injury-free.

one of the best injury prevention books ever written. jay has a bit too much of a minimalist stance but it doesn't interfere with the book too badly

Great book for all runners. Addresses the cause of injuries and how to correct the cause not just treat the symptoms,

Perhaps a little over-technical for the recreational runner like myself, however I'm just nerdy enough to enjoy it. Very well-rounded approach with tons of reasons why you should keep running and how to avoid injury.

As an avid reader of running related books this one really stands out. To be able to tap into the mind of a true specialist n the field and expert guidance to what really matters is very interesting and educational. Born to run is a great read but this is real science. The self test section is brilliant and i truly believe I can now look forward to a less injury ridden running career.

Great road map if you are an injured runner or just wanting to be the best runner you can be. I work at a runner specialty shop and you would be surprised at the stories of how non running doctors like to try and "heal" their patients. Most of the time it's a scar tissue build up from over use that throw you out of balance and causes over compensation. This book takes you step by step through the process of finding your weaknesses and fixing them. Runner's for the most part, would rather run than do preventative maintenance workouts. But when done you will be on the road or trail longer and with less injuries.

This book is full of practical ideas and helpful exercises. It will challenge many of the assumptions and "best practices" that the running world has adopted over the years, and back up those challenges with hard data and logical explanations. The author describes complex scientific concepts using easy to understand explanations, so you don't have to be a doctor to understand what he's talking about. His approach and opinions are very moderate. You won't find a die-hard minimalist or "maximalist" approach here-just lots of good information and ideas based on research. I appreciate the conservative views he has regarding surgery, orthotics, complete rest, and other aggressive forms of treatment. Chances are, if you have taken (or are considering) some of these measures, this book will help you find a way to avoid them. I have been doing the exercises for the past month and have begun to notice improvements in my form and efficiency already. If you have the patience and discipline to follow through, I can't see how you wouldn't get any results. This was a far better (and cheaper) investment than another pair of shoes!

This book has given me a useful insight into why I run slowly and what to do to improve. I know there is no shortcut to the daily stretching exercises the author so carefully explains, I just wish I had the time and place to do them consistently. I will keep doing as much as I can.

As a marathon runner and running coach, I own many running book, but this is the one I reach for most of the time. The books is written with humor, and at a level where just about anyone can understand the material. It provides detailed information about your body, how it moves, and how to best prevent injuries.

The author certainly knows a great deal about how to assess and improve body positioning, mobility, and stability to improve running efficiency and prevent injuries. The self tests are incredibly invaluable as are the corrective exercises. The only content drawback is that the author uses a lot of technical terminology that can tax a reader's understanding of the material. There is one additional problem which has to do with the e-book's page layout, not its content. Often the description and corresponding picture of each self-test or exercise and not on the same page. Rather a description and another test or exercise photo are on the same page. This is confusing as to which picture goes with which exercise or test. The publisher could easily correct this by labeling each photo or changing the page layout to better match e-book versus print book specifications. Overall the content and practical self-tests and exercises are incredibly valuable for any runner. So if you are a runner or are thinking about running this book is a must buy. It will improve your performance and help prevent injuries that would hinder your ability to run.

This book goes into extensive detail about how muscles and connective tissues are constructed, and how they are related to each other, in order to propel the body faster and further. The reader should have a basic understanding of human anatomy, as sometimes rather scientific terms are used without explanation or images included. I really liked the many descriptions of exercises or drills to improve function, but it would be helpful if many of these were available online in YouTube videos, maybe they are, I haven't checked yet. After reading most of this book, I may have to travel to VA for a personal appointment with Mr. Dicharry. I noted many typos or missing words/extra words in this book; so I think a better editor could have been useful. Also a glossary of terms and more description or images of discussed body parts could have been useful. However, this is a very important book for people to read who are seriously interested in improving their running form. Hopefully I can get many others in my running club to read it too, so that we can put his many ideas into practice.

Found this book to be a good resource.

Great book- good read for runners.

I have become an injury prone runner over the years and this book was excellent is going over better form to work on to avoid many of the common, repetative injuries I was obtaining. I love to run and the advice in this book will let me do that for a while longer.

Great excellent resource and has a lot of helpful hints.

Detailed, technical without being boring, and a lot of learning about how to understand some of the aches and pains of running. My only wish: more illustrations, and links to videos to demo the exercises!

Suitable for anyone interested in running and learning how to manage their own body and stop injuries before they happen. Absolutely loved this book and would tell you to just buy it and try it!

As a physical therapist and runner, I have recommended this book to a number of people: patients ,runners, fellow therapist. Dr. Dicharry does a great job of explaining the WHY: why foam roll, why rest , why core , why balance.

Runners need to know this. There is plenty of diagnosis in this book to figure out if anything is holding you back from becoming a better runner. Also there are strengthening exercises after you figure out what is wrong. When I did the single leg squat test, it was obvious that the left side was out of control. My knees were wobbly on the left more than the right. So I am trying to get that stronger with the exercises in the book. Everyone can be helped by this book.

As a long time runner coming back from chronic injuries and physical therapist, I was very pleased with how this book simplified and practically explained some of the most common gait dysfunctions I see in the clinic. Best of all, it provides easy and effective home exercises. Jay Dicharry knows the minds of runners and discusses but how to change our thinking on outdated training practices. I especially like the wealth research he provides in the text. Highly recommended.

Good read. Provides knowledge to the average runner on how the various areas of the body function.

Very imformative and helpful in taking running to the next step

The book is well written by a person with experience. Very detailed description of what the human anatomy is and what you should know to be a runner that avoids injury. A basic book about running written so that all can understand what goes on within your body when you run. If you run at all you must be an athlete first, strengthen your body and understand what happens to your body while you run. While stressing form the author tells you what you must do to correct your form and why you must do that. One of the better books that i have read, and I do read many books about running. As a certified running coach that has been running for over 40 years, I still am interested in learning more. This book will be a reference for me for a long time.

This book contains very helpful information, both practice and theory, for advanced runners, who are seeking to increase performance way beyond the basics. I highly recommend it even to be used as a reference book.

Hey Runner. Are you trying to figure out why you keep getting injured and what you can do about it? Yea, me too, that's why I bought this. It's good. Does a good job of describing what's going on mechanically, what problems arise, how to quantify or measure the problems and then, finally, what to do about them. The book is filled with detailed descriptions on how to measure or stretch and littered with photos (like the one on the cover) showing what you should be doing. I chose this over Supple Leopard because it focuses on Running mechanics.

I learned a great deal from reading this book. The book could be improved by adding some more organizational structure, and also adding some tests in the transverse plane. However, I really recommend the book to anyone who runs and wants to understand the origin and mechanisms behind most running injuries. With some work this could be one of the greatest books on injury prevention in runners ever written.

If you have any interest in pursuing running on a long term basis, you cannot afford to practice your hobby or craft without information contained here. The author provides sensible and practical advice, data, and exercises. The book opens one eyes to looking at running as a holistic activity of the various body parts. The main lessons that this book delivers and constantly reiterates are: 1) running is more than about how many miles that you put in, and 2) a symptom of discomfort that inhibits your running requires finding its root cause and not just suppressing the symptom. Wishing many happy miles you all you runners out there with the help of this book.

Very helpful for runners. Includes great exercises.

THE BEST BOOK ...

If you really want to run your best and stay away from injuries, this is a must have! Jay teaches the reader to focus on the causes rather than the symptoms, with the causes often starting higher up in the chain and the result of instability or lack of flexibility. He debunks much of the current emphasis on stretching and shows you the true exercises that make a difference now and for later life. In a short time has made a big difference in my running but also in how I approach conditioning my body. Great book!

This is a must-read book for runners. Written by a physical therapist, it has a lot of scientifically backed self evaluation and treatment/prehab tools for runners of all levels.

Great book

I learned many concepts about running mechanics by reading this book, and it saved my knee, by teaching what I had to do before trying to riun fast, so I wouldn't get injured. 5 stars!!!

The book is so appealling that I had to buy another copy. My first copy was "stollen" from my office by a colleage (knee surgeon who happens to run, a lot!).

Really informative and well written. The basic knowledge any trainer working with runners should master and understand. Highly recommend it!

This book takes you through the science of what your body is doing and what it is going through when running. I tore my hamstring a few years ago when running. I retear it every year after I start my running back. This book actually explained my condition and it went through the steps of WHY I keep retearing the same spot. It is taking me through the process of stregthening the area that tears so it will be much more difficult to tear next time. I will be out running again in no time! Hopefully this time injury free by following the book's steps. I LOVE this book!

This book is a compendium of science applied to running and good and very practical advice on how to improve every aspect related to this sport. A must read for every runner who wants to go faster with less injuries.

One of the best books on running that I've ever read

As a competitive runner and a coach of beginning runners, I have benefitted from many sources of information about running form and preventing injuries. However, I've also felt that some pieces of the puzzle were missing from existing publications and seminars. I think that "Anatomy for Runners" is a significant addition to the existing books and articles on healthy, efficient, and fast running. I found this book to be a great combination of science and practical application! In writing the book, Jay Dicharry draws from his experience as a physical therapist, biomechanics specialist, and formerly-injured runner to provide a toolbox of self-assessments, corrective exercises, and explanations. I think that reading this book would be an excellent choice for runners who have frequent injuries. It would also be beneficial for those who are now healthy but want to reduce their likelihood of getting injured while training hard. In my opinion, the title of this book doesn't fully describe all that the book offers. While "Anatomy for Runners" certainly includes detailed information about the structure and function of the body, it goes way beyond that. Furthermore, the book is both interesting and understandable (not at all like a boring textbook). Here is my one-sentence summary of what the book is about: How to develop healthy movement patterns and improve your body's strength and mobility so that you can run with more efficiency and less risk of injury. I learned a lot from this book and would highly recommend it!

Purchased book based upon marathon key word search - one of the best accidental finds Can not say enough greater things about this book

Every runner should own a copy.

I've found the book to be extremely helpful to my running. From shoe selection to running form to understanding what my physical weaknesses are and how to strengthen them.

Great information about running form

9th and 10th chapter are very well written. Quite informative and systematic and useful. good work. Enjoyed and learned a lot.

Book provides many options to improve one's training plan and debunks theory that doesn't hold up to more rigorous studies

This book is definitely well written! I would consider it a must read for many including health care providers, runners (obviously), athletes and anyone looking to move better or perform better. Here is my full review that I wrote up on my blog! [...]

this book is amazing. it can change your whole approach to running. rather than running more (or doing more stupid drills) to get better at running this book will help you find your weaknesses before they become hazardous to your health (if they haven't already).

Good current information. Lots of info on injury management//prevention.

I'm a personal trainer, running coach, and longtime runner. This book is absolutely excellent a must read for anyone who works with runners or is a serious runner. I got the kindle version and may get the print for easier reference on the assessments and corrective exercises. The tables are pretty hard to read on a kindle.

As a runner and a sports medicine physician, I thought I myself well tuned. After several bouts of increasing knee and hip pain, I knew I was wrong. This book was recommended to me by a fellow runner (who is also a physical therapist). The title is somewhat misleading, as he covers not just anatomy, but physiology, kinesiology, testing, and correcting form and strength issues, all in a way that is easy to understand and flows together well. If you are a runner, especially longer distances, and you have pain, get this book. If you do not have pain (not yet), get it anyway to protect your body further down the line. Enjoy and happy trails!

I truly needed this advice. This book is so informative and useful. I wish I had it a year ago so I could have avoided my re injury of my hamstring.

I learned a ton by reading this book. It changed my view of running from being a matter of good genetics to something one can analytically crack. I finally get the point of frequent high reps vs. low, heavy reps. And understand exactly what foam rolling does. And how much time it takes to really change something with stretching. Excellent use of my time and $2:)

2 stress fractures in left foot. This book was part of my pt and treatment. Really interesting information. Had to read before allowed in "Return to Run" program. Step 1 complete!

This book broke your entire body down into pieces for you to understand, then added in how to make your body work better as a complete machine. Good info, glad I read it.

I can't say enough positive things about this book. I can't put it down and even my physical therapist says that Jay is a guru in this field. If you want to run strong and healthy this is your manual.

Heard about this while reading up on the Saucony StrideLab. Dicharry is one of the best.

As a coach and runner I am always look for ways to improve. This book is a great addition to your library. Great read from a very good coach. Worth the $$$$$$$$ Kevin Miller

This book is great for any runner suffering from many different injuries. It will change how you condition your body for running.

The author is a bit arrogant and superior, but the content is fantastic. Learned a lot and it will be a constant reference.

This is such a great book. I do not love the random pictures throughout which try to apply the concepts to completely different situations, however the rest is fabulous. Great photos of this woman on the cover to show postures clearly. Excellent info on how to avoid injury and then how to recover from. Ideas on tissue flossing. Strengthening exercises. Easy to read and comprehend. The binding makes it easy to hold open. The weight is good, not too heavy like some running books that are too much. Really among the top I own and I have a ton.

This book is great for the tissue descriptions alone. After a full read I feel that I really learned a lot about anatomy and how it relates to running. Great glossy paper with color pictures is unexpected at such a low price.

Really impressed with this book. Have already implemented some strengthening and balance techniques into my training regimen as I try to do more preventative work. I can't recommend this enough! Planning on buying copies as Christmas gifts to friends and family who run.

The book is very informative and graphic. Not a substitute for an expert assessment, but it has very good advices to run better, and to avoid injuries. Highly recommended.

Very informative. Hands on tips to improve running performance. Author is extremely knowledgeable. Its a captivating read for anyone that ever struggled with injuries or just wants to improve performance.

This book contains a WEALTH of information for anyone who wants to run "smarter", instead of just harder. Beautiful simplicity in that several of the tests for stability are also the exercises you perform if you need to improve. Well thought out and engaging.

After seeing Jay in person and having him work an absolute miracle on my post-surgical spine I had to get his book, just to check it out. He treats in the same "voice" as he wrote the book. I never imagined that an anatomy book would be a page-turner, but this one is. The way he lays everything on the table in a simple way that everyone can understand is no doubt an unbelievable skill. For anyone who has struggled with injury and had an even harder time sorting through all of the conflicting information of how to treat it, this book will provide you with the foundation to make smart decisions, and more than likely it will give you the skill-set to fix yourself. I have been recommending this book to everyone and I highly recommend it to you, injured or not!

This is an amazing book about how to keep yourself healthy through correct running form and through clear tests identifying your particular weaknesses and instabilities. It makes intuitive sense that having high forces acting upon unstable levers is a recipe for disaster and injury, but this book explains exactly why, which gives interesting and useful information for constructing a plan for injury prevention. I'm just starting out as a runner, and since a lot of the people who I began running with have gotten injured, I knew I had to have an injury prevention plan to keep myself active and trucking along. So far (knock on wood), it's working out in my favor.

Is amazes me that one can be better at something you thought came naturally to a human. Lots of tips and exercises to reformat the mind. Read it 10 times!!

I'm a casual runner and i never have had a coach, I this book I receive a lot of great tips to improve my practice.

well written

Relevant info for better running, clearly exposed. A must, not only for coaches but also for recreational runners aiming to run healthy.

I'm a physical therapist and the author did a fantastic job of explaining the many factors that play into a healthy body that is ready to perform. Loved the pictures and great descriptions of the exercises.

Author began the book telling about his own story and experience(injury) and try to develop his point of view step by step to help every runner to understand how to build a flexible, strong and injury free running body. Very simple to read and all photos of each exercise is well demonstrated, I wished they index the list of exercise, so it makes it easier to access.

Good info, but a little long in the intro sections. Exercises are well explained and illustrated, and author's idea are spot on.

Very informative, it really is a biology crash course as much as it is a book about running.

What every aspiring runner and those with decades of experience should read........cuts through all the BS out there that shoe companies love to spread

Half way done and it's great!

Highly recommended! It really gives practical advise that you can follow and prevent injuries. Worth to buy and keep in your cupboard if you are a runner.

This is a book that contribute to a better understanding of how our body is depended on every part of our body. Read it and get some new ideas on how to train movement.

The opening chapters are some of the most disorganized writing I've ever seen. As others have mentioned, the author brings up an example, then bounces around a ton and "we'll come back to that later". I was all set to jot down notes and found the information so dispersed that it's impossible to find the takeaways. Frustrated.

I must-read for any runner. Seriously, one of the best books I have ever read - wish it was available years ago.

A well-written workbook for runners and coaches by a clinical running expert. It pairs well with Your Best Stride by Jonathan Beverly. It was through Beverly's book I became aware of Dicharry's. These books give current information on form, structure, and movement and ways to understand and improve overall performance.

This book should be in every runner's library as some 2/3 of all runners are injured during the course of a year. They may find some solutions to their underlying movement dysfunctions that cause their pain instead of just treating the symptoms and not getting any resolution to their issues.

Love this book, put the science of running in easy understandable terms. Proof it actually has been useful is when my running performance improves

This book was an eye opener and provided many great ways to help heal and prevent common injuries in running.

Completely changed my approach to running. It raised my awareness and made my realize ignorance is bliss. Any runner should read it. Thanks Jay.

As a life long runner it gave me new insights to improve my efforts. What a mysterious blessing the human body is!

This book gives detailed explanations of the causes of injury and what to do about them. Sometimes the wording is quite technical particularly if you are not a PT or doctor.

Can't wait to set my bar! Fantastic read for myself as a runner. Easy to understand and to put into practise.

good information

This book is a culmination of all the best info I've ever found. Every physio that treats running injuries should own this book and know it front to back! I can't emphasize strongly enough how the information contained in this book has allowed me to run injury-free and recovering from hard workouts faster than ever. The best money you'll ever spend. Period.

Great resource for any serious runner or coach. It helped me immensely in understanding a limitation faced by one of my athletes, and it provided great guidance in developing corrective drills, which have already had a significant impact.

Great resource for runners of any level.

Must have for all runners and coaches!

Wonderful book for runners! I learned a lot!! It provided a ton of useful tips, expert knowledge, exercises, and explanations on how to correct your gait.

Easy to understand with real practical advise. Good stuff. It arrived earlier than expected. Good book to add to the library.

Startlingly good!

Great book!

I am not sure why this book is primarily titled Anatomy for Runners. The by-line is spot on though. This is a great resource for runners and Physical Therapists. The ideas are easy to understand for the lay person and grounded in research, augmented by Jay's professional experience making it a beneficial read for PTs. I will keep this one.

The organization of the text is fine despite what other reviewers stated. However, the chapter 10 exercises could be a higher volume.

This book is fantastic. He writes clearly and without an agenda, giving you practical tests and exercises to follow that will make you a stronger, less injury-prone runner. I've been recommending this book left and right with an almost evangelical fervor -- it's really that good. I rarely feel strongly enough about products to write reviews on Amazon, but this book deserves some good press.

Excellent book! Having been on the running-injured-rest cycle for a couple of years now, Dicharry helped me to understand why this was happening and how to stop the cycle. If you are struggling with nagging injuries, this book could help you strengthen your body to prevent future pain and/or injury. While some parts of the book are pretty detailed, it serves to build to create a solid foundation for understanding your bodies "weak points". There is a great chapter with simple tests testing your abilities. With these assessments, you can begin to build up your body. The biggest take away for me: rest doesn't solve a weak or damaged muscle group. I've always been told to take a break when the pain begins, but that isn't going to fix a weak glute or hamstring. Dicharry gives you the tools and exercises to repair and rebuild whatever weakness you have. Couldn't recommend this book more.

The best science and practicality without any spin. The author's experience and expertise becomes vivid through the way he describes complex biomechanics, properties of tissue healing, and neuromuscular adaptation through simplistic analogies. As a physical therapist with an intense interest in running injury prevention/treatment and improved running efficiency, this book is a must have. I would argue that this book is a must have even for the therapist who doesn't work with runners, but wants to learn how tissues in the body respond to mechanical stress and effective techniques to restore optimal mobility and stability and soft tissue function. The final 2 chapters of the book provide the reader with easy, effective self assessments and corrective exercises. Take home message from the book is that runners and coaches focus too much on the engine, but it's the chasis that breaks down and leads to injury and leaks in performance. Currently using this book as a soft blueprint for establishing a running specific biomechanics assessment program.

If you've ever wondered how to train for a marathon and not hurt yourself, here is the answer. Very informative!

Excellent manual with very practical and well-researched information about the dynamics of the human body and how it works in athletic performance.

Good book which I hope will be helpful in injury prevention and better running

I massively recommend this book for any runners. Debunks a lot of old school "truisms" about how to treat your body, and gives all the information you need to keep your body running faster and faster without injury. Reads like a college textbook, but if you're passionate about running the pages will fly.

The author gives good background information behind the mechanics of running, and what underlying deficiencies may be causing you problems while running. However I found the self-assessment tests to be lacking in detail. The pictures accompanying the assessments were not captioned, and so I couldn't tell if the person in the picture was doing it wrong or right. I failed several of the tests indicating that I needed to improve certain areas, but the exercises are not organized in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to do to fix those problems. In fact, it would be difficult to come to this book with a specific problem (such as ITBS) and find the exact recommendation to fix it as the exercises are fairly general and nonspecific. I think the provided background info and basic mobility/strength exercises would provide a good foundation to a beginning runner.

No runner should be without this book. Very helpful - Great graphics - Great book.

Jay Dicharry manages to take physiology and break it down into easily understandable and usable information. Every runner should work on their efficiency to help avoid injury - this book can help show you how.

This book is a comprehensive look at running mechanics and how they effect your whole body. It will help you identify any weaknesses you might have and correct your flaws for healthy injury free running.

Very in-depth book, great descriptions and helpful exercises. highly recommend!

Every runner should read this book.

The book is very good in listing specfic exercises to fix problems. I think his conclusions are practical and easy to understand. It is very good resources to fix problems, but I two issues. First issue is he had two ads for products in the book. Yes, they are ads. Secondly, there is no set way to optimize the correction process. Meaning he doesn't say do tissue work and then corrective exercise for this issue. He just lists the exercises for each problem and a progression. There should be a little more of flow chart to optimize the process. However, it is still a great resource a must read.

This a great book not just for injured runners but runners wanting to improve their action and efficiency. A great book for runners coaches and practitioners working with runners.

A manifesto on the subject

Present for my daughter - She carries it around with her everywhere reading.

This is one of the best resources I've come across in years for runners. If you have a basic understanding of anatomy and human movement, it's even better.

Worth reading

Great book. Very informative.

Awesome book! Opened my eyes to my weaknesses and how to train smarter and better!

What an incredible read! As someone who never bought into supplementary drills or training, this book opened my eyes and has adjusted my opinion.

Very well written and expert commentary on all aspects of running issues, root causes not just the hype. If you want a good running body you need to read this.

Great running book

This book helped me get back into running and changed my life around. Thank you Jay for opening my eyes.

This has been a great book and has helped me improve my running without injury.

Packed with information on why injuries happen and how to prevent them. Not just the basics, but in depth explanations on why your muscles, ligaments, and tendons act the way they do. I had been struggling with chronic hamstring strain for a long time. This book was my ticket to recovery.

These exercises are increasing my flexibility..

I am 50 years old and have been a lifetime runner who has suffered a variety of running injuries (plantar faciitis, shin splints, posterior tibial tendonitis, piriformis syndrome, IT band syndrome, and most recently a stress fracture of the distal head of my left fibula, just to name a few). This book does a great job of explaining the mechanics of the human body in layman's terms and how to apply that knowledge to improving running gait and efficiency. And, the book as self assessment tests that help you determine deficiencies in your own body mechanics (core stability, flexibility, strength, etc.), and provides a slew of exercises to improve your identified deficiencies. This is one of two places where the book could be improved. At the end of the self assessment tests there is a chart that lists exercises (by name) to perform to correct the deficiencies, and the next chapter contains those exercises listed first by number, then by name. Why the author did not include the exercise "numbers" in the chart at the end of the self assessment tests is beyond me. I felt like I was having to solve a puzzle in flipping through the exercise chapter looking for each of the exercises recommended for me. I ended up creating a cheat sheet for me that listed the exercises recommended for me by name, then matching them up with the numbers (and page numbers) of the exercises in the following chapter. Had the author included the exercise numbers in the table it would have made the book much easier to use. The other criticism I have of the book is that the book does not contain an index in the back. How can you write a book like this and not include an index? Update: I've dropped my rating from 4 to 3 stars. The reason? Frustration! Every time I turn to this book to use the exercises "prescribed" for me in the self-assessment section, I get frustrated for the reasons I've already discussed above (no index and no matrix connecting the exercises by name to their location in the book). But, I've also found that several of the exercise names used in the table at the end of the self-assessment section do not match the names used in the exercise section, leaving finding the proper exercise up to the reader's interpretation. For example, I think, where the self-assessment section identifies exercises "T-Ball Rock and Roll", "Lateral Hip Bridge", and "Rotational Lunge", the actual exercise names in the exercise section are "T-Ball Triad", "Side Lying Hip Bridge", and "Twisting Lunge." Add to that the fact that the self-assessment section names the following exercises that do not appear at all in the exercise section: Squat Training and Swiss Ball Triad (which I do not think is the same thing as "T-Ball Triad"). And, there are several exercises in the exercise section that are not mentioned at all in the self-assessment table. Something definitely went amiss during editing. Good book to read, but very frustrating book to actually use which is the whole reason for purchasing it. Ugh!

A must read for any serious distance runner.

Learned a lot on the importance of stability