Running Technique

Most people don’t give a second thought to running technique. They learned to do it as a kid and not much has changed since. By learning to run efficiently, you can reduce your risk of injury.




Lean Forward
Leaning forward starts at the ankles, bending starts at the hips. When you are running, you want the hips to be open so that your upper body and lower body are in a straight line. By leaning, momentum is generated by falling forward and catching yourself. The more you lean forward, the faster you go.

Shorten the Stride
Efficient running technique requires a relatively short stride length. Running speed is dictated by the degree of the lean, and not by the power put into “pushing” the body with the legs. In efficient running, the rule of the stride is “keep it under the body”. If you’re reaching too far forward or allowing the foot to fall too far back, you are wasting valuable energy.

Make the body look like a Figure 4


Relax the Arms and Shoulders
A common mistake made during running workouts, is to tighten up the muscles of the arms and shoulders. Actively remind yourself to relax the hands, arms, and shoulders, so that the energy can go to moving forward.


Try This
Stand up straight with your feet under your hips. Slowly lean forward until you lose your balance and must catch yourself with your foot. Maintain the lean and watch your speed continue to increase. Back off the lean just a little bit and you’re running.

Scaling Make it Easier:

1)Run slower.
2)Run for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds. (Play with these numbers- eventually, work your way up to running for 5 minutes, walking for 30 seconds. Then abandon this method entirely).