Are you a runner and a tech geek? This one is for you. If you enjoy a morning run, your two basic metrics are probably how far and for how long, which can now be done by smart watches, writes Charles Wallace for the Financial Times (paywall). But advances in tech open up doors that previously required personal trainers. The most recent research by Nicholas Romanov on running suggests high cadence (steps per minute) is the most efficient, with devices like the Lumo Run and MilestonePod can track cadence, bounce, pelvic rotation, pelvic drop, pace, foot strike, and stride length, and then recommend correctional exercises. Other devices like the Stryd can track horizontal, vertical, and lateral power. Using a power meter, runners can decrease vertical and lateral power for a given pace and measure an increase in power in watts over a race distance.

“When you make changes to your running form, if you can see an increase in your horizontal power while at the same time you see decreases in vertical and lateral power,” says former US track coach Jim Vance.