Run at target cadence for a set interval, then relax to your natural pace.
What's your current cadence?
Find this in Garmin Connect or Strava after an easy run. Most recreational runners sit between 150–165 spm.
to generate your personalised plan.
This plan increases your cadence by 2.5 spm per week — slow enough for tendons to adapt, fast enough to see real change.
Why cadence matters
for your knees
Joel Nucum — Doctor of Physiotherapy
The overstriding problem
When your foot lands too far ahead of your centre of mass, it creates a braking force at the knee with every step. Repeated thousands of times per run, that load is one of the most common drivers of runner's knee, IT band syndrome, and patellofemoral pain.
How cadence fixes this
Increasing your cadence naturally shortens your stride so your foot lands closer to your body. This reduces the braking force and peak knee load. Research shows a 5–10% cadence increase can meaningfully reduce knee stress — without consciously changing anything else about your form.
The motor pattern piece
This isn't just mechanics — it's neuroscience. Your nervous system has a deeply ingrained running pattern built over years. Changing it takes deliberate, repeated exposure. The 8-week programme gives your brain time to make the new cadence automatic, not forced.
Why the L/R visual helps
Hearing the beat and seeing which foot should land creates dual-channel reinforcement — auditory and visual cues pointing at the same target simultaneously. This is how motor learning consolidates fastest.
Why gradual matters
Increasing cadence too quickly shifts load onto your calves, achilles, and foot. The 2.5 spm per week rate is intentional — slow enough for tendons and bone to adapt, fast enough to produce real change in two months.
How to apply it on a run
Use Run Mode and the session timer. Start each run with 5–10 minutes at your weekly target, then relax to your natural pace. Gradually extend the cadence interval as weeks progress.
A clinical note
If knee pain persists at rest, at night, or worsens despite load reduction, please see a physiotherapist in person. This app supports movement health; it does not replace clinical assessment.
Educational use only
This app provides general movement education and is not a substitute for individualised physiotherapy assessment or medical advice. If in doubt, consult a registered physiotherapist.
Start with 5–10 minutes, then run naturally.
Your Cadence Coach ready to help you smash rehab runs and PBs