There are a few of my class participants who are in the process of building up from walking to running. Here are some helpful tips for starting good habits with your running form. Please ask me quesions in class if there is anything that requires further explanation!
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Proper running form will help you run easier, more efficiently and more injury free. Good running form will also help you have more fun with your running. You don't constantly need to be analyzing your form. When you're running mechanics are in good form you will feel comfortable. When something is wrong with your form you will most likely feel it. Something will just feel "off". When your running form just doesn't feel quite right it's time to start going over your form cues and determine what you need to correct. Here are some common cues of proper running form.
Foot Strike Under Your Center of Gravity
Did you ever try to drive your car while pressing on both the gas and the brakes at the same time? Probably not. If you did you would be slowing yourself down and wasting a lot of energy. Running with your foot strike in front of your body is the same thing. When you plant your foot in front of your body you’re putting on the brakes with each step you take. You’re slowing down and wasting valuable energy. You’re making it harder to run. Your foot should strike the ground directly under your center of gravity. That way you will avoid the “braking” effect and will take full advantage of your forward momentum.
Flat Footed Touchdown
You have four choices for your foot angle at touchdown. Heel first, toes first, ball of your foot first or flat footed. Forget toes first, that puts way to much stress on your calf muscles and uses too much energy. Heel first landings cause the dreaded braking effect as well as increasing the impact stress on your ankles, knees and hips. Landing on the ball of your foot isn’t a bad technique expect for two things. You are still putting some unnecessary stress on your calf muscles and your foot both absorbs and wastes energy as it flattens out. That leaves your best choice – flat footed touchdown. Landing on a flat foot helps avoid over striding, eliminates the braking effect and doesn’t waste any energy.
Stride Rate
A higher stride rate encourages a shorter more efficient stride. Low stride rates are usually associated with over striding and spending too much time on the ground. Try to maintain a stride rate of at least 90 strides per minute at all running velocities. If your stride rate falls much below that you may be over striding or spending too much time on the ground. Focus on very quick, light strides rather than long strides. If you run smoothly and efficiently your stride will feel right.
Flexed Foot
What is the first stride key you think about during the drive phase of your running stride? You probably think of either lifting, driving or pulling your knee up and through. That is a good stride key but there may be a better one. How about first raising your toes? When you raise your toes you are dorsiflexing your foot at your ankle. If you concentrate on dorsiflexing your foot you are putting your foot in the proper position for a flat footed touchdown, pre stretching your calf to maximize energy return and are also encouraging a “triple response” in which your knee and hip flex into proper running stride position.
High Heel Kick
It takes less energy to move a short lever than a long lever. That lesson can be applied to running mechanics. If your heel kick is high your leg forms a short lever that you can move faster using relatively little energy. In contract, if your heel is kept low, your leg is straighter and forms a longer lever. That type of lever moves more slowly and takes more energy to move. You don’t need to artificially pull your heel high. Just stay very loose and relaxed. Let the natural motion and momentum of your stride pull your heel high.
Run Lightly
You should always feel like you are very light on your feet. You never want to run with "heavy" strides. Some common specific cues that might work are imagining you're running over rice paper and don't want to tear it. Or visualize running over an icy surface and try not to fall. Other possible cues are trying to run quietly without making any noise or pretending you are running over hot coals.
Glide
Your stride should always feel very smooth and fluid. Almost like you are gliding across the ground rather than running. Imagine you are running with a bean bag on your head. You want to keep your upper body very still with little or no vertical movement.
Hips Forward
Be sure to keep your hips pressed forward rather than letting them fall back into a slight "sitting" position. If you fall into a sitting position your body will begin to more excessively up and down. You won't be able to use your forward momentum to maintain a smooth forward gliding motion.
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Most of these tips came from a very informative site called Running Planet. Follow the link for more information.
We do many drills in class that are meant to help you build the muscles required for good running form. Steps-ups, lunges, squates, bounding, high knees, heel kicks, and several others. If you would like to do more of these exercises let me know!
