Chartered physiotherapist Adri Hartveld has developed a unique range of exercises to help runners move faster and prevent injuries.

A well-known distance runner himself, Hartveld has put together the ‘Heel-less Exercise' programme to encourage athletes to land on the ball of the foot rather than the heel.

The exercises can help athletes of all abilities, ranging from amateurs in training for the forthcoming Potters ‘Arf Marathon, to experienced runners aiming to get close to Hartveld's record for the fastest marathon ever in North Staffordshire .

Hartveld has competed in 30 marathons around the world and achieved a personal best of 2 hours and 15 minutes as the Dutch Marathon Champion of 1986.

The veteran athlete will be demonstrating the exercises, on the first Saturday of every month, at Stoke-on-Trent-based retailer Bourne Sports before their weekly breakfast run.

Adri Hartveld said: “Most people land heel first when running, which acts as a braking mechanism and can create problems elsewhere in the body. We are trying to encourage people to run with a bounce rather than a bang.

“When joggers hit the ground heel first, they send a shock of two or three times their body weight through their heel, knee, hip and spine. This causes the majority of overuse, or ‘repetitive strain', injuries.

“Our exercises are easy to learn and train the body to jump and run with more elasticity. Instead of landing on the heels, the calf muscles absorb the body weight and propel the body back into the air.

“The ‘Healus exercises' also train improved posture and body control, allowing people to stand straighter, walk taller and run more easily and without pain.”

Further details can be found on www.heelless.co.uk.

For more information, contact Richard Swancott at MarketCare PR on 01782 416371 or 07880 733138, or via email at richardswancott@marketcare.net.

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Note: thanks to Karen Sayle of KS Photography (www.karensaylephotography.co.uk) for the images.