Study examines the aging gait

A researcher at the University of Calgary is looking for people to take part in a study about the biomechanics of the aging runner.

Martin Parnell, 55, is participating in the study and he knows how important injury prevention is to runners.

Parnell ran 250 marathons in a year back in 2010, to raise money for charity.

The head researcher believes once old recreational runners understand how their bodies are changing they can prevent injury with stretching and strengthening programs.

“As we all get older, we present muscle weakness and also lack of joint mobility and that will probably lead to different movement patters during running,” said Reginaldo Fukuchi, Running Injury Clinic Researcher.

“It's really a very thorough study and I think it's huge because there's a lot of misinformation out there about these elements and I think if we can get some definitive answers it would be a big step forward,” said Martin Parnell.

Researchers are looking for runners over the age of 55, who are currently injury free, to participate in the eight-week study.

If you are interested in participating in the study you can phone [phone] or email [e-mail]