Running: Open vs. Closed Motor Skills and Training Implications

Is Running an Open or Closed Skill?

Running, in its most common forms, is predominantly classified as an open motor skill due to its dynamic, unpredictable environment and the constant need for adaptation and decision-making. However, specific contexts like treadmill or track running can incorporate elements of a closed skill.

Understanding Motor Skills: Open vs. Closed

In exercise science and motor learning, skills are often categorized based on the predictability and stability of the environment in which they are performed. This classification helps us understand the cognitive and physical demands of an activity and informs training methodologies.

• Closed Skills: These are performed in a stable, predictable environment where the performer can initiate the action at their own pace. The movement pattern is largely pre-determined, self-paced, and requires minimal adaptation once initiated. The focus is on consistency, efficiency, and precision of movement.

  • Characteristics:
    • Predictable environment.
    • Self-paced.
    • Limited external distractions or variability.
    • Emphasis on consistent, repeatable motor patterns.
  • Examples: A free throw in basketball (no defense), a golf swing on a driving range, lifting weights in a gym, serving in volleyball (without opposition).

• Open Skills: These are performed in a dynamic, unpredictable environment where external factors dictate the timing and execution of the movement. The performer must constantly adapt their actions in response to changing stimuli, requiring perceptual and decision-making skills alongside motor execution.

  • Characteristics:
    • Unpredictable and changing environment.
    • Externally paced.
    • High perceptual and decision-making demands.
    • Requires constant adaptation and flexibility in movement patterns.
  • Examples: Playing soccer, driving a car in traffic, returning a serve in tennis, navigating an obstacle course.

Classifying Running: A Nuanced Perspective

While the fundamental biomechanics of running (the gait cycle) are highly repetitive, the context in which running occurs is paramount to its classification.

The key determinant is the predictability of the environment and the necessity for external adaptation.

Running as a Predominantly Open Skill

Most forms of running, particularly those performed outdoors, exemplify an open skill.

• Environmental Variability:
  • Terrain changes: Uneven surfaces, hills, descents, trails, sand, pavement.
  • Weather conditions: Wind, rain, snow, heat, cold, affecting traction, visibility, and physiological demands.
  • Obstacles: Rocks, roots, potholes, curbs, traffic, pedestrians, animals.
• Interaction with Others:
  • Races: Navigating through a crowd, adjusting pace based on competitors, overtaking, maintaining position.
  • Group runs: Synchronizing pace, communicating, avoiding collisions.
• Decision-Making:
  • Route choices: Deciding where to step, when to turn, how to avoid obstacles.
  • Pacing adjustments: Responding to physiological feedback, course changes, or competitor movements.
  • Risk assessment: Evaluating footing, speed, and potential hazards.
• Perceptual-Motor Demands: Runners are constantly processing visual, auditory, and proprioceptive information to inform their next movement. This continuous feedback loop requires high levels of attention and adaptability.

Elements of Running that Exhibit Closed Skill Characteristics

While generally open, certain aspects or environments of running can lean towards a closed skill.

• Repetitive Biomechanics: The core gait cycle—the sequence of foot strike, mid-stance, push-off, and swing—is a highly practiced, largely automatic, and consistent motor pattern. When the environment is controlled, a runner can focus purely on optimizing this internal pattern.
• Controlled Environments:
  • Treadmill running: The belt provides a perfectly consistent, predictable surface and speed. The runner controls the start, stop, and pace, and the environment is static. This allows for a focus on form, breathing, and internal cues without external distractions.
  • Track running: While there can be interaction with other runners, the surface is uniform, the turns are standardized, and the distances are precise. This reduces environmental variability significantly compared to trail or road running.
• Focus on Internal Cues: In these controlled settings, runners often concentrate on internal feedback such as:
  • Maintaining a specific cadence or stride length.
  • Regulating breathing patterns.
  • Optimizing running form (e.g., posture, arm swing).
  • Hitting precise pacing targets.

Practical Implications for Training

Understanding this distinction is crucial for effective training.

• Training for Open Skill Running (e.g., trail running, urban running, competitive racing):

  • Vary environments: Train on different terrains, weather conditions, and with varying levels of external stimuli.
  • Incorporate agility and reactive drills: Practice quick changes of direction, stepping over obstacles, and reacting to unexpected events.
  • Develop perceptual skills: Encourage runners to actively scan their environment and make quick decisions.
  • Focus on adaptability: Prepare the body and mind to handle unpredictable demands.

• Training for Closed Skill Running (e.g., treadmill workouts, specific track intervals, form drills):

  • Emphasize consistency and efficiency: Focus on maintaining precise paces and optimizing biomechanics.
  • Utilize structured intervals: Work on specific speed, endurance, or power targets in a controlled manner.
  • Form drills: Isolate and refine specific aspects of the running gait without external interference.
  • Internal cueing: Practice listening to and responding to one's own body signals.

Conclusion: The Dynamic Nature of Running Skill

In summary, running is best understood as a motor skill that exists on a continuum. While the fundamental act of propelling oneself forward involves highly repeatable biomechanical patterns (closed skill elements), the vast majority of real-world running scenarios demand constant interaction with and adaptation to an ever-changing environment. This makes running predominantly an open skill, requiring a sophisticated interplay of physical execution, perception, and cognitive decision-making. Recognizing this dynamic nature allows for more comprehensive and effective training strategies, preparing runners for the diverse challenges they may encounter.