how to improve your running form
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What is proper running form?
Posture
Good posture isn’t just for sitting, it’s for running too! It is important to tighten the core and keep the upper body straight and tall. It is common for runners to want to stair at the ground or at their feet, but remember that posture includes the head and you should be looking forward when you run.
Shoulders
Drop your shoulders so that they don’t scrunch up around your ears. Try practicing this by picking an object (such as a mailbox) and reminding yourself to drop your shoulders everytime you pass that object.
Foot Position
Your foot should come down right under your body and propel you forward again. To do this, you must not heel strike as that means your feet are in front of your body, but you also don’t want to tippy toe and cause unnecessary stress to your toes. You want to hit the ground with the padded portion of your foot just above the arch, this position puts your foot right underneath your body ready to propel you forward.
Potato Chip Hands
There is no need for exaggerated flat hands like you may see sprinters do…but we also don’t want balled up fists ready for a fight. To find the perfect hands, imagine holding a potato chip; you don’t want to drop the chip, but you also don’t want to crush the chip.
High Knees
Good form includes driving the knees to the sky. Especially when working on intense speeds or climbing up hills, high knees help drive the body forward.
Drills for Improving Running Form
Improving running form in turn improves running endurance, speed, and reduces the risk for injury. For these reasons and more, proper running form is very important to understand and know how to implement.
There are several drills that help train the body to know what proper running form is and to connect all the pieces together naturally. By running through these drills a few times a week the brain and the body begin to naturally work together and improve your running form.
