Running Form

 

Running Form
Running form varies from person to person. Differences in body types, i.e., limb lengths and muscle balance, may cause individuals to have variations in their running style. Attempts to force an individual to conform to one standard may do more harm than good. However, there are some basic guidelines that may improve running efficiency without overhauling the individual’s natural stride. Generally, the form and technique
for all types of running are fairly constant. The following information addresses optimal running form for the major body segments. Refer to the figure at left.
Head
The head should be held high, with the chin neither pointing up nor
down. Allowing the head to ride forward puts undue strain on the
muscles of the upper back.
Shoulders
The shoulders should assume a neutral posture, neither rounded
forward nor forcefully arched backward. Rounding the shoulders forward
is the most common fault in everyday posture as well as with running.

This is usually associated with tightness of the chest and shoulder
muscles. Another problem occurs when the shoulders start to rise with
fatigue or increased effort. This position not only wastes energy, but
can also adversely affect breathing.
Arms
Throughout the arm swing, the elbows should stay at roughly a
90–degree bend. The wrists stay straight and the hands remain loosely
cupped with palms facing inward. The arm swing should be free of
tension, but do not allow the hands to cross the midline of the body.
Trunk and Pelvis
The trunk should remain over its base of support, the pelvis. A common
problem with fatigue is allowing the trunk to lean forward of the legs
and pelvis. This forces the lower back muscles to spend too much energy
resisting further trunk collapse to the front.
RUNNING
Legs
For sustained running, much of the power is generated from below the
knee. Energy is wasted as the knees come higher and the large muscles
around the hips and thighs are engaged. While running, concentrate
on getting a strong push–off from the ankle of the back leg. This helps
to naturally lengthen the stride. Lengthening the stride by reaching
forward with the front leg will be counterproductive.
Feet
The feet should be pointing directly forward while running. With fatigue
and certain muscle imbalances, the legs and feet will start to rotate
outward. This may hinder performance and create abnormal stresses
that contribute to injury.
Breathing
Breathing should be rhythmic in nature and coordinated with the
running stride.