It is not inherent to enhance your running form. Increasing your running frequency does not necessarily signify an improvement in quality. One must deliberately take measures to enhance their running form and increase their efficiency.
Even as kids, we run with ease; however, this does not necessarily guarantee that our running style is the most efficient. Our running technique may not be fully utilizing our body’s energy to yield maximum results from each stride. Is there anyone out there who has mastered the ideal running form?
Although proper running form doesn’t guarantee perfect performance, it’s still important to focus on enhancing it regularly. In this article, we’ll examine the advantages of maintaining good form while running, and our knowledgeable TRE coaches will provide helpful suggestions on how to optimize your running technique in order to achieve greater strength, endurance, and speed.
Should You Change Your Running Form?
It is unnecessary and overwhelming for your brain to undergo a massive overhaul in order to correct your running stride, as evidenced by numerous studies.
It is acceptable that our ways of running vary from one another.
“Many people are advocating for various ‘optimal’ running forms, but this study (in the International Journal of Exercise Science) shows even novice runners shouldn’t try to run any different than their body naturally does,” study co-author and USA Track & Field consultant Iain Hunter said in a press release.
Find pleasure in running, and don’t stress about the appearance of things.
The study demonstrated that attempting to adjust your stride to match an “ideal” length results in greater energy expenditure.
Instead of fixating on the distance of leg movement, allow them to move naturally and pay attention to these small aspects of running mechanics.
You don’t have to alter your stride, switch shoes or extend your workout with these minor adjustments. My problem with most running form suggestions is that they require you to deviate from your normal stride.
Tips to Improve Your Running Form
Every individual possesses a distinct running style known as running gait. I have a group of running partners whose presence I can deduce by observing their shadow or listening to their footfall rhythm behind me, owing to the way we each run. It is what sets us apart, however enhancing our running stance contributes to improving our running ability and minimizing the risk of injuries.
Here are the key recommendations for enhancing your running technique:
- Run tall to help keep your glutes from working too hard. One of my coaches said, “Imagine you have a string pulling you every so slightly right above your head.” Running tall keeps your body balanced and muscles working in tandem.
- Avoiding crossing your arms over one another helps you save energy, so you don’t hit the wall at the end of a long training run or race. We have drills to help you focus on this one!
- A high running cadence of 184-190 bpm encourages your foot to land under your hips, as opposed to too long of stride–also called overstriding. When you overstride, your foot lands far in front of your knee, causing a heel strike, which often fosters injury.
How to Improve Running Form
The term “proper running form” is somewhat misleading. As previously stated, there is no flawless technique, but there are certain aspects that can alleviate strain on your knees and muscles.
1. Stop Overstriding
The crucial modification to your running technique is not to increase the length of your stride but to speed up your cadence so that your feet land directly beneath you. Indeed, this is the most significant adjustment you can implement.
We are discussing heel striking.
We are discussing the importance of avoiding landing with your foot positioned in front of the midpoint of your body. To guarantee that this is prevented, there are two possible methods.
- Should you run on your forefoot? Everything you need to know about foot strike.
- Improve your running cadence
- Do running form drills before most runs – this creates a neural pathway in your brain to make it happen naturally
2. Don’t Bounce
Imagine that there is an inch of space between you and the ceiling, and avoid making any sudden movements.
Whenever you lift yourself too high above the ground, you’re directing your energy upwards instead of forwards. Our objective is to maintain all the momentum going forward, which is why people frequently suggest having a slight tilt from the ankles.
3. Have a Slight Lean
Having a slight forward lean is a difficult skill for runners to acquire, which is why we offer instruction on techniques to help with it in the course.
To maintain proper form, avoid bending at the waist while initiating movement from your ankles and keeping your body in alignment.
Doing drills is an essential requirement to incorporate it as a component of your running, and you cannot skip it.
4. Keep Your Feet Flat
To avoid running on your toes, which is similar to wearing heels, ensure you keep your feet flat.
Imagining the act of flexing your foot and landing on your entire foot for a short while can aid in stopping heel striking when landing in front of your body. This is because having to bring your foot closer to land with the full foot will allow you to harness the maximum power from your stride.
Strive to achieve a controlled landing by ensuring a gentle and uniform contact of the feet.
5. Pay Attention to Cadence
Strive to maintain a rhythm of 170-180 steps per minute while running (additional information on enhancing running rhythm can be found in the section on improving running cadence).
Although 180 is frequently mentioned as the perfect cadence for running, it may not be accurate. Make sure to check out the article to discover the correct cadence for you and how it can improve your running speed while reducing the risk of injuries. Remember that a quick turnover, not a long stride, is what leads to faster running.
The Best Ways to Improve Running Form From TRE Expert Coaches
We solicited our team of coaches, who have assisted countless runners to enhance their running technique, to provide their most valuable pointers. Following are their responses:
6. Coach Edward Wickham: Form Drills
One way to enhance running form is by practicing form drills followed by speed training. Through this technique, I have found that speed workout compels my body to develop an optimal form. Initially, it is recommended to begin with short intervals of 6 x 3:00 minutes at a tempo pace, with 3 minutes of rest and then advance gradually towards longer periods and overall duration, such as 4 x 8:00 minutes at a tempo pace with intervals of rest.
7. Coach Craig Dos Santos: Mental Models
One recommendation is to use mental models. When I have difficulty landing directly under my center of gravity, I find it helpful to envision a chain wrapped around my waist that is drawing me forward. This technique helps me shift my weight and leads with my hips more effectively.
Another tip I use is envisioning myself running on water and landing gently. Sometimes, I even take off my headphones to check if my footsteps are too loud. The more effortless it feels, the more effective the technique.
8. Coach Nate Helming: Focus on One Thing
9. Coach Elizabeth Inpyn: Develop Your Posture
Tip number one is to cultivate a “Presidential Posture” which requires keeping an upright and firm stance, with the shoulders positioned slightly ahead of the hips, to encourage forward movement.
The second tip is to enhance the way you carry your arms. It’s important to avoid the kangaroo-like arm movement and instead, concentrate on keeping them neat and flexible. Ensure that your swing’s force is mostly exerted from the rear end of your body.
10. Coach Holly Martin: Slow Down
11. Coach Morgan Hawkins: Use Your Imagination
During races or intense runs, it’s common to become tense and concentrate solely on reaching one’s destination without paying attention to proper form. To combat this, I make a deliberate effort to loosen up by shaking out my arms and flexing my fingers. Additionally, I take deep breaths that reach down to my stomach and exhale while rolling my shoulders back to reset them and avoid stiffness.
What about Foot Fall?
I understand that running form can be a confusing subject with many uncertainties, although I do not want you to overthink it. Do you believe there is a superior running form for how we make contact with the ground?
Affirmative.
Is the location on the ball of our foot, rather than the heel?
That’s not entirely accurate. Choosing to run on your toes will result in various problems.
Here’s an excellent illustration illustrating the appropriate way to land your foot when running.
We have determined that overstriding while landing on the heel is a definite way to cause injury while running – it’s the one technique we are sure to avoid.
If you land on your heel first, it can serve as a brake and cause a shock to travel from your leg up to your spine. If you do this repeatedly during a run, you may understand why it can lead to pain in your knees, hips, and back.
Actually, the reason why many people claim that running is painful could be attributed to heel striking while overstepping.
Doing it wrong can cause pain. Typically, people land on their heels while running because they extend their legs far in an attempt to increase speed.
It isn’t.
What is cadence?
A side bar is necessary to provide a complete explanation of why we aim to enhance our foot speed.
The speed at which you move your feet is referred to as running cadence. Generally, it is recommended to aim for a cadence of 170-180 during most runs, and even higher for sprints or shorter races.
To increase your running speed, lift your feet off the ground quickly and tilt slightly towards your forward motion. Instead of slowing down, utilize gravity to your advantage.
According to a recent research, raising your step rate by 10% can effectively reduce knee pain.
Let’s get back to your running technique. Avoid running on your toes and landing on the ball of your foot, which will cause your calves to remain tense throughout the run.
- Land with your foot directly below your body (practice marching in place to see how that feels)
- You will use your entire foot for the most force (think of it like pawing the ground)
- It can help to think about flexing your foot initially to get to a more natural footfall instead of heel or ball
- Eventually as that becomes comfortable you will start to land around your mid-foot which is ideal
