How To Improve Your Running Form

Whether you're a new runner or have been running for years it is crucial that you ensure you are running with proper form. 

Injury prevention

Any type of pain and discomfort can affect your speed and impact your training, not to mention making it an incredibly unpleasant run. This is why it is so vital to work on your form and make sure to eliminate any factors that could be hindering your performance.

Things to consider when perfecting your running form 

Head Position: Running form involves more than just your feet and legs, when working on improving form you need to start at the top and work your way down. Whilst running you need to keep your head in a neutral position, this means making sure you’re looking ahead whilst running and not down at your feet! You also want to keep your head aligned with your shoulders and not leaning forward, this helps to prevent building tension in your upper body. 

Shoulders: Many people carry a lot of tension in their shoulders and running, especially for extended periods of time, can enhance this causing you discomfort. To avoid this you need to make sure to relax your shoulders, keep them low and slightly pull your shoulder blades towards your back. Also try to keep your shoulders level and aligned with your hips, allowing them to move in time with your arms as you swing them.

Arms: Moving your arms properly when running is crucial to running faster and making sure you aren’t unnecessarily expending energy. When you swing your arms you need to make sure that your arms are only moving forwards and backwards and not crossing your body at all as this is how you waste energy. In order to prevent this from happening ensure that your elbows are not pointed outwards as this encourages your arms to move across your body. When swinging your arms you should also aim to move your hands from just past chest level to no lower than your hips whilst keeping them at a 90° angle.

Torso: When running you want to make sure that your core is tight, keeping you sturdy and upright. 

Hips: Your hips should have a slight bend in them when you are running, it should almost feel as if you are falling forward ever so slightly. This helps you to maintain speed and naturally build up momentum.

Legs: Your legs undergo a lot of stress when running so it is important to make sure you are running with proper form in order to protect them from injury. When running you want to make sure that you are not overstriding, this means that your feet should be landing underneath your body and in line with your hips and not in front. Another thing to consider is that you don't lift your knees too high, you don't want to be running with your legs at a 90 degree angle, you want to keep them a little lower than that to avoid wasting energy. Whilst doing this make sure your knees move in a straight line, not swinging to the left or right. You also want to aim to be running at around 170 steps per minute, by taking smaller steps you maintain a shorter stride helping you to avoid overstriding.

Feet: Aim to land on the middle of your foot and push up off your toes. 

All of this information may seem overwhelming at first but by slowly working on implementing each of these techniques to your training you will soon find it all comes naturally to you. Good luck running!