Runners who experience pain or discomfort during a run, who struggle with injuries, are frustrated with how slowly they are going, or who are simply not enjoying it much may be making one or more basic mistakes with their form. At Athletic Republic we coach a lot of teen and adult athletes in proper running form. Here are three of the main points we usually end up correcting during evaluations:
Keep your feet under you.
To avoid overstriding, which creates a “braking” effect and sends shock up the kinetic chain, focus on making sure your feet make contact with the ground directly under your hips/center of gravity. When you do this, you’re automatically set up to push through the landing and propel yourself forward. If your foot is out in front, you first have to haul your body forward to catch up to it before you can get any forward propulsion. It’s very inefficient, and inefficiency is going to drain your energy. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re shuffling along with teeny-tiny steps. You’ll want to drive with your knees during each step, which will help propel you forward, making you a more efficient (and faster) runner.
Perfect your posture.
Sprinters need to run upright, but if you’re running any kind of distance you’ll want a slight forward lean. The best way to picture the ideal running posture is to stand tall on both feet. Imagine a vertical line extending upward from the tips of your toes. Lining up the front of the shoulders with this line gives the body a subtle forward lean that is barely noticeable. On the other hand, you don’t want to ‘lead with the head,’ which is inefficient and will lead to back strain. A balanced posture, one that’s not too far forward or back, leads to better foot strike closer in line below the hips for less braking action, and greater transfer of force into the ground, which makes you faster and more efficient. And remember, your upper body is naturally going to move slightly as you run. Trying to hold it perfectly rigid is counterproductive.
Use your arms … correctly.
Your arms are more important than you think. They can really help or, if you’re not using them right, they can really cause problems. The key is to relax. Relax your shoulders down and back, unlock your elbows, and unclench your hands. Make sure to keep your elbows relaxed and slightly bent, with a little bit of space between your arms and your trunk. As you run, swing them in a relaxed way and slightly toward the midline of your body, but don’t allow your hands to cross your midline since that becomes energy that isn’t moving you forward. In addition to being inefficient, the core rotation generated by a ‘crossover’ arm swing can also lead to knee and lower back pain.
Want to really become a better runner? Come into Athletic Republic and talk to a trainer about how we can get you running faster and farther, in greater comfort. Athletic Republic centers are outfitted with video analysis systems to give instant feedback on form. Many people are visual learners, and being able to see what the trainer is talking about makes it easier to correct poor form. We can also create before-and-after videos to reinforce the learning and help integrate good habits. Contact us to learn more!
Comments