Vertical Oscillation

What is Vertical Oscillation?

Vertical oscillation (VO) is how much your body’s center of mass moves up and down while running. Proper VO allows enough room for your feet to pass beneath you and prepares you for your next stride. By managing VO, you can maintain a lower heart rate at a given pace, delay fatigue, and keep a steady pace on longer runs. This means more energy is directed to forward movement, helping you run more efficiently and comfortably. 

Your analysis report will give you an indication of what an elite athlete would achieve if they ran at your analysis speed.

VO matters because it offers insight into running economy and form. High VO is often tied to overstriding, stiff ankles, poor hip stability, or running with too low a cadence. It can also raise impact forces, which may lead to shin splints, knee pain, or Achilles issues—not because VO directly causes injury, but because it can indicate poor loading.

Improving VO isn’t about running flat. It’s about better mechanics: slightly raising cadence, landing closer under your hips, keeping a tall posture with a slight forward lean, and building calves, glutes, and core strength. A more controlled VO feels smoother and more efficient—yielding greater speed for the same effort.

3 drills to lower vertical oscillation (less “bounce”)

1/ Cadence fast-feet (metronome)

• Run easy for 30–60s at +5–8% your normal cadence.
• Cue: “Quick steps, hips level, quiet feet.”

2/ Wall-lean marching → running

• Lean into a wall (body straight, slight ankle lean), march with knee drive, then progress to quick switches.
• Cue: “Push the ground back, don’t pop up.”
• 2–3 sets of 20–30s.

 3/ Downhill “quiet running” (very gentle)

• On a mild downhill, run easy and focus on soft, quiet contacts and landing under you.
• 4–6 x 20–30s with easy recovery.

3 drills to increase vertical oscillation (more pop/spring)

1/ Pogos (ankle hops)

• Small, stiff hops, minimal knee bend.
• 3 x 15–25s. Cue: “Bounce straight up like a spring.”

2/ A-skips

• Skip forward with knee-up + ankle snap.
• 2–4 x 20–30m. Cue: “Tall, rhythmic pop.”

3/ High-knee runs (high knees)

• Short bursts emphasizing lift and posture.
• 4–6 x 10–15s. Cue: “Drive up, fast arms.”

Happy Running