Cadence CoachWhat cadence is
Cadence — or step rate — is the number of steps you take per minute, counting both feet. Most recreational runners fall somewhere between about 150 and 175 steps per minute at an easy pace. It rises with speed, and it varies with leg length, running experience and terrain.
You will often see 180 steps per minute quoted as the “correct” cadence. That number comes from observations of elite runners racing at high speed. It is not a universal target, and forcing it at an easy jogging pace can feel awkward and cost more energy. The useful question is not “am I at 180?” but “would a slightly higher step rate than my own help me?”
Rule of thumb: changes are measured relative to your preferred step rate. The research below uses +5% and +10% — for a runner at 160 steps per minute, that is 168 and 176.
What changes when you raise it
At the same running speed, more steps per minute means each step is shorter. A shorter step lands closer to the body, spends less time braking and moves the body up and down less. Laboratory studies have measured what that does to the joints:
- In 45 recreational runners on a treadmill, a 5% increase in step rate reduced the energy absorbed at the knee, and a 10% increase also reduced it at the hip. Step length, vertical movement of the centre of mass, braking impulse and peak knee flexion all decreased as step rate went up.1
- Musculoskeletal modelling of 30 runners found that running at 110% of preferred step rate reduced peak patellofemoral (kneecap) joint force by 14%. Less knee bend during stance was the strongest predictor of the reduction.2
- A systematic review of ten studies found consistent evidence that a higher stride rate reduces vertical excursion, ground reaction force and the energy absorbed at the hip, knee and ankle.3
The most complete summary to date is a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies. Increasing step rate was associated with strong evidence of reduced peak knee flexion, moderate evidence of reduced step length, peak hip adduction and peak knee extensor moment, and limited evidence of reduced braking impulse and patellofemoral joint stress.5
What the evidence does not show yet. The same meta-analysis found the evidence on injury prevention and performance too limited to draw firm conclusions, and most studies measured immediate effects rather than what happens over months.5 Cadence retraining is a tool for changing load — not a guarantee against injury.
Who it may help
Because a higher step rate reduces load at the knee and hip, it is most often used for runners with front-of-knee (patellofemoral) pain and for runners whose form shows a long, reaching stride with a large knee bend on landing.
In a case series of 12 runners with patellofemoral pain and increased hip and pelvis movement, a single session of retraining with a 10% higher step rate — practised with an audible metronome and a watch — improved pain, function and running kinematics at 4 weeks, and the improvements were still present at 3 months.4 It is a small study without a control group, so it shows what is possible rather than what to expect for everyone. The meta-analysis likewise reports very limited evidence of improved pain and function in runners with patellofemoral pain.5
A higher cadence can also make it easier to run softly and consistently when you are building back after time off, because it discourages over-striding when you are tired.
When it is not the answer
- Your cadence is already high for your speed. Pushing further adds effort without much change in load. The meta-analysis found that raising step rate increases perceived exertion and the feeling of awkwardness, at least at first.5
- Load moves — it does not disappear. In clinic we keep an eye on calves and Achilles tendons when step rate goes up, and build the change gradually.
- Pain that is getting worse, night pain, swelling, or localised bone pain — especially with a recent jump in training — needs an assessment before any form change.
- More is not better. Research protocols stay within +5 to +10%. Beyond that, benefits are unclear.
How to train it
1. Find your baseline
On an easy run on flat ground, settle in for a few minutes and then measure your step rate — count steps for 30 seconds and double it, use Tap Tempo in the app, or read it from your Apple Watch. Do it at the speed you run most often; cadence changes with pace.
2. Pick a target
| Your baseline | +5% | +7.5% | +10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 spm | 158 | 161 | 165 |
| 155 spm | 163 | 167 | 171 |
| 160 spm | 168 | 172 | 176 |
| 165 spm | 173 | 177 | 182 |
| 170 spm | 179 | 183 | 187 |
Start with +5%. Move toward +10% only if the change feels manageable and you have a reason to — such as knee pain that responds to it.
3. Practise in blocks
Run to the metronome for short blocks inside easy runs — for example 3–5 × 2–3 minutes — then run freely in between and notice what stays. Over two to four weeks, lengthen the blocks until the new rhythm is your normal one. A treadmill makes the first sessions easier because speed stays constant.
4. Check that it sticks
Re-measure without the beat after a few weeks. The goal is a new preferred cadence, not a lifelong dependence on a metronome.
If you are running with pain, work with a physiotherapist or sports medicine clinician on the whole picture — load, strength and recovery — and use cadence as one part of the plan.
Using Cadence Coach
- Metronome and Tap Tempo to find your baseline and set a target.
- Interval workouts that change step rate per segment — ideal for the block method above.
- Apple Watch haptics that tap when you drift, so you can practise outdoors without audio.
- Motion analysis and Insights to follow cadence, symmetry and running-form trends against your own baseline.
- Studio on iPad or iPhone for treadmill sessions, with live stride length from the treadmill’s speed.
References
- Heiderscheit BC, Chumanov ES, Michalski MP, Wille CM, Ryan MB. Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(2):296–302. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181ebedf4
- Lenhart RL, Thelen DG, Wille CM, Chumanov ES, Heiderscheit BC. Increasing running step rate reduces patellofemoral joint forces. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014;46(3):557–564. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182a78c3a
- Schubert AG, Kempf J, Heiderscheit BC. Influence of stride frequency and length on running mechanics: a systematic review. Sports Health. 2014;6(3):210–217. doi:10.1177/1941738113508544
- Bramah C, Preece SJ, Gill N, Herrington L. A 10% increase in step rate improves running kinematics and clinical outcomes in runners with patellofemoral pain at 4 weeks and 3 months. Am J Sports Med. 2019;47(14):3406–3413. doi:10.1177/0363546519879693
- Anderson LM, Martin JF, Barton CJ, Bonanno DR. What is the effect of changing running step rate on injury, performance and biomechanics? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2022;8(1):112. doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00504-0