Common running posture mistakes (and how to fix them)

Common running posture mistakes (and how to fix them)

 

We all know that running is a great way to keep fit, but have you every asked yourself, am I running correctly? The answer is more than likely no. Whilst everyone has their own slightly unique running style, running posture is vital and should be more or less the same for everyone. By adopting a correct posture, not only should you become a more efficient and better runner, crucially, you will decrease your chances of suffering injury. Runners who learn and maintain good posture, feel less fatigue and enjoy their runs more and if you are looking at improving your times, improving posture is a guaranteed way to achieve a faster run. So what is a good running posture? These are the common mistakes that people make.

 

Head Position

This is the most important and the also, the most common mistake people make. Often, people run looking down, which leads to an inefficient running style. It is important to keep your head looking straight ahead, with your chin level. The easiest way to do this is to focus your eyes on something in the distance, rather than directly in front of you. This is a particular problem when using a treadmill, as there is a natural tendency to constantly look down at the screen. If you are using a treadmill at a gym, try and choose one that is away from a wall and if there is a TV screen, focusing on that will naturally keep your head up.

 

Arms Crossing

Some people tend to swing their arms across their body, instead of front to back. This causes your body to rotate, with energy being wasted going to the sides instead of driving you forward which will also put significant pressure on your lower back. To fix this, ensure that your elbows are bent at 90 degrees, close you fists and ensure that your thumbs are pointing to the sky. This will naturally cure any tendency to swing and rotate.

 

Slouching

Many people have a slouched running style, which can include rounded shoulders and a hunched upper back, which often leads to looking downwards. This has a significant negative effect on lung capacity, as your lungs are more compressed and with reduced capacity, more frequent breaths are required, which will lead to quicker fatigue. A slouched running style will also put more stress on your spine, hips, lower back muscles and your neck. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders relaxed and pulled slightly back to lift your chest. Once again by focusing your gaze into the distance, you will naturally reduce the tendency to slouch.

 

Legs and Stride

Although running stride is individual, aim to move your legs in a straight line, lifting your knees forward. It is important to avoid over striding, where you are reaching too far forward with each step, which makes your feet land ahead of your body. Over striding significantly increases the impact on your joints, so if your joints are sore after running, this might well be the problem. The easiest way to fix this is to increase the amount of steps you take whilst running, as this will naturally shorten your stride. Count how many steps you are taking per minute – it should be around 170-180. If you are taking fewer steps than this, you need to concentrate on taking more steps.

 

Excessive Bouncing

A bouncy stride leads to too much vertical movement, which wastes significant energy going upwards (which you don’t need!) instead of forwards (which is what you absolutely do need!) Bouncing also increases the impact of each step, creating a lot more stress on the joints, particularly the ankles. The natural cure for this is to concentrate on your arms and driving them forward, which will naturally create more forward movement and reduce the amount of horizontal bounce.

 

By concentrating on all of these elements, you will find that not only will your running style become more efficient, but also you will maintain your energy levels longer and avoid injury. A final top tip, is to get someone to film you running and then you can review the footage and analyze your running style and see which one of the above relates to you – nearly everyone will have at least one of these issues. Also, write the above 5 points on small piece of paper and bring it on your next 5 runs. Periodically check them during the runs and before you know it, they will all become second nature to you. A little bit of work now, will make you a better runner for life!