How To Run Properly | Running Technique Explained

Summary

This script is a comprehensive guide to improving running technique, addressing posture, foot placement, and body mechanics. It emphasizes the importance of a midfoot strike, avoiding overstriding, and maintaining proper alignment. The speaker provides drills like high knees and butt kicks for gait improvement and stresses the role of core strength and proper footwear. Breathing techniques for optimal lung usage and the impact of head position on running efficiency are also covered, offering a holistic approach to better running.

Takeaways

• 🏃 Running is a natural ability that can be improved with proper technique and practice.
• 🧍 Posture is crucial for running; maintain an upright stance with shoulders open and a slight forward tilt.
• 👣 Experiment with foot strike; a midfoot plant can improve shock absorption and body positioning.
• 🚫 Avoid overstriding, which can act like a brake and cause strain on the body.
• 🦿 High knees and butt kicks are drills that can help improve stride and posture.
• 🦾 Core and hip strength are essential for maintaining good posture and running efficiency.
• 🤸‍♂️ Arm movement should be relaxed and help with propulsion, not forced or tense.
• 👀 Keep your head aligned with your body, looking ahead to maintain proper running form.
• 👃 Breathing deeply from the diaphragm is important for efficient running and preventing tension.
• 👟 Visit a specialist running store for proper footwear that suits your running style and gait.
• 🔄 Regularly check and adjust your running gait to improve efficiency and prevent injury.

Q & A

Why is it important to revisit the basics of running even for experienced runners?

Revisiting the basics of running is important because it helps to ensure proper gait and posture, which can prevent injuries and improve running efficiency, regardless of a runner's experience level.

What is the significance of maintaining a proper posture while running?

Maintaining proper posture helps to carry over the right alignment from standing to running, which is crucial for efficient movement and to prevent unnecessary strain on the body.

Why should a runner avoid landing with their heel first when running?

Landing with the heel first, or over-striding, can act like a brake, causing the body to move over the planted foot and leading to inefficient running and potential injuries.

What is the recommended foot strike pattern for better shock absorption and body positioning while running?

A midfoot foot plant is recommended as it helps with shock absorption and encourages a better body position, aligning naturally with the forward tilt of the body during running.

How can 'high knees' drills help improve running gait?

'High knees' drills help to improve the knee drive and engage the muscles needed for proper running gait, focusing on midfoot landing and maintaining a short contact time with the ground.

What is the purpose of 'butt kicks' in the context of running drills?

'Butt kicks' are designed to activate the gluteal muscles and improve the back end of the running stride, which is essential for propulsion and maintaining a good running form.

Why should a runner's arms move in a diagonal pattern during running?

The diagonal movement of the arms is linked to the opposite hip, creating a natural connection through the torso that helps in driving and propelling the body forward more efficiently.

How can running with arms by the side affect a runner's performance?

Running with arms by the side can hinder the natural forward propulsion that the arms provide, leading to a less efficient stride and potentially increased fatigue.

What is the impact of head position on running gait and performance?

The head position significantly affects running gait as it should remain aligned with the body to facilitate proper knee lift and prevent heel striking and overstriding.

Why is proper breathing technique important for runners?

Proper breathing technique is crucial as it ensures full lung capacity is utilized, which can prevent tension in the shoulders and face, and contribute to a more efficient and relaxed run.

What role do the core and hip muscles play in running and why is strengthening them important?

The core and hip muscles are essential for maintaining good posture during running, which in turn makes running more efficient and easier on the body. Strengthening these muscles can improve running performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Fundamentals of Running Technique

This paragraph introduces the concept of running gait and the importance of proper technique for both beginners and experienced runners. It emphasizes the need for a good posture as a foundation for running, describing the ideal alignment from feet to head. The speaker discusses the foot strike debate, suggesting a midfoot strike for better shock absorption and body positioning. Overstriding is identified as a common mistake, and the paragraph concludes with advice on drills like high knees and butt kicks to improve running form.

05:03

🤸‍♀️ Advanced Running Mechanics and Drills

The second paragraph delves deeper into the mechanics of running, focusing on the role of the hips and shoulders in propulsion and movement. It advises on maintaining a relaxed posture to facilitate breathing and efficient movement. Specific drills are recommended for hip and shoulder activation, such as butt kicks and arm pumping exercises. The importance of head positioning and eye line for maintaining proper alignment during running is highlighted. The paragraph also touches on the significance of breathing techniques and the selection of appropriate footwear for improved gait and performance.

Keywords

💡Running Gait

Running gait refers to the natural pattern of movement an individual exhibits while running. It is a fundamental aspect of efficient and injury-free running. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and improving one's running gait, whether for beginners or experienced runners looking to enhance their performance. The script discusses how to break down and analyze the movement patterns of the running gait to perform them correctly.

💡Posture

Posture is the way an individual holds their body while standing or moving. In the context of running, maintaining proper posture is crucial as it influences the runner's efficiency and form. The video script highlights the importance of having a head held high, shoulders open, and a slight forward tilt to maintain an optimal running posture, which helps in reducing strain and improving performance.

💡Midfoot Strike

A midfoot strike is a running technique where the foot lands under the body with the foot's arch making initial contact with the ground. This technique is mentioned in the script as a beneficial way to absorb shock and encourage better body positioning while running. It contrasts with a heel strike, which is often associated with overstriding and can lead to inefficient running and potential injuries.

💡Overstriding

Overstriding in running is when a runner lands with their foot ahead of their body's center of mass, causing an inefficient movement pattern that can lead to increased injury risk. The script warns against this common mistake, explaining that it acts like a brake and is jarring to the body, and instead promotes landing with the foot underneath the body for a more efficient stride.

💡High Knees

High knees is an exercise often used to improve running form, specifically targeting the knee lift and stride length. In the script, it is described as a drill where runners jog in place with their knees lifted to hip height, focusing on a midfoot landing and maintaining a short contact time with the ground. This exercise helps in developing a springy and efficient running motion.

💡Butt Kicks

Butt kicks is another exercise mentioned in the script designed to activate the gluteal muscles and improve the back end of the running stride. Performed by flicking the heels up towards the hands while maintaining proper posture, this exercise helps in achieving a more powerful stride by ensuring the legs extend fully behind the body during the running motion.

💡Shoulder Relaxation

Shoulder relaxation is the act of keeping the shoulders loose and not tense during running. Tense shoulders can restrict breathing and overall movement. The script advises keeping the shoulders relaxed to allow for natural arm movement, which is essential for a smooth and efficient running form. It also notes that any unnecessary shoulder movement can counteract the runner's efforts and lead to inefficiency.

💡Arm Motion

Arm motion in running refers to the natural swinging of the arms to help propel the body forward. The script explains that the arms should move in a forward and backward motion, close to the torso, with a gentle bend at the elbows. This motion is crucial for maintaining rhythm and momentum while running and is linked diagonally to the opposite hip, contributing to a coordinated and efficient stride.

💡Head Position

The position of the head during running is critical for maintaining balance and proper body alignment. The script emphasizes that the head should be in alignment with the body, not too far forward, backward, or moving excessively from side to side. A correct head position helps in keeping the shoulders back and the hips up, which is essential for an efficient running gait.

💡Breathing

Breathing is an integral part of running, affecting the runner's stamina and performance. The script discusses the importance of utilizing full lung capacity and breathing deeply from the diaphragm rather than shallow breathing from the chest. Proper breathing helps in reducing tension in the shoulders, face, and neck, and contributes to a more relaxed and efficient running experience.

💡Footwear

Footwear is essential for runners as it can significantly impact their gait and comfort. The script suggests visiting a specialist running store to find shoes that suit an individual's running style and ensure a proper fit. The right footwear can support the foot correctly, potentially aiding in the prevention of injuries and the promotion of a more efficient running gait.

💡Strengthening

Strengthening exercises are vital for runners to improve their performance and reduce the risk of injury. The script mentions the importance of working on the core and the muscles around the hips, which help maintain good posture during running. A strong core contributes to an efficient running form and makes the running process easier and more effective.

Highlights

The importance of learning to run properly, as it's not an innate skill.

The difficulty in identifying good running gait versus poor running gait.

The significance of proper posture for effective running, including head, shoulders, and hip alignment.

The concept of a 'line of posture' that should be maintained while running.

The debate over the best foot strike for running and the suggestion to experiment with midfoot foot plant.

The common issue of over-striding and its negative impact on running efficiency.

A drill for awareness of foot landing underneath the body while running in place.

High knees drill for better running posture and foot strike.

Butt kicks exercise for activation of the posterior chain and proper hip movement.

The importance of maintaining good posture and not leaning forward during exercises.

The role of the hips in running propulsion and the need for strong glutes and flexible hips.

The advice to keep shoulders relaxed for easier breathing and movement.

The function of arm movement in assisting running and the importance of relaxed hands.

A practical tip to test the assistance of arm movement by running with arms at sides.

The impact of head position on running gait and the need to maintain alignment with the body.

The importance of proper breathing technique for running efficiency and relaxation.

A method to check and improve breathing technique by placing a hand on the belly.

The recommendation to visit a specialist running store for proper footwear.

The necessity of strengthening core and hip muscles for better running posture and efficiency.

Transcripts

Speaker: We were born to run. To some of us though, that statement might feel a little

far from the truth as running doesn't come naturally to all of us. However, it's something

we were never actually taught. Whether you're completely new to running or maybe you're

a runner who's not happy with their gait, today I'm going to be taking it back to basics

and revisiting how to actually run. It's usually fairly obvious to spot a poor

running gait and what is going wrong but when it comes to good runners, it's much harder

to see exactly what they are doing. So today, I'm going to be breaking down the movement

patterns of the running gait and explaining exactly how to perform them correctly as well

as giving you some tips to get going. Before we actually start moving, we need to address

how you stand as your posture will carry over onto your running. You might have flashbacks

from school of being told to stand upright. Well obviously, running is a fluid movement

but still, having your head held high and shoulders nice and open, your tummy tucked

in and your hips facing forward is going to help.

You want to picture having a line that dissects your body. It goes up from your feet so through

your ankles, your knees up through your hips dissecting your shoulders and then your ears.

You want to maintain that line when you start running, although you're going to have a slight

forward tilt so the line is basically coming up at a forward angle from the ground.

Let's now address the specific parts of your body and how they should move. We're going

to start off with the feet and the ankles. When you're walking, you land with a heel

strike with your leg out in front of you and your leg nice and straight.

As soon as you start running, the force that's going through your bones and your joints is

greatly increased, so you do want to make sure you've got a slight soft knee so there's

a very slight bend in it and making sure it's not fully extended. As to where your foot

lands on the ground, well that is eternally open to debate and it's something that I suggest

you experiment with yourself. Having a midfoot foot plant actually does help with some shock

absorption and it'll also help encourage you to have a better body position. It goes hand-in-hand

because as you start running and you start to implement that forward tilt we've already

talked about, you'll find it more easy to land with a midfoot strike as well.

Sticking with your feet, you also need to address where your foot lands in relation

to your body and it's really common to see people over striding so basically, landing

on their heel with their foot way out in front. A little bit like the walking action. When

it comes to running, this is pretty much acting like a break so putting your foot down out

in front of you and then having to move your body over it. It's also really jarring on

the body. Ideally, you want your foot to be landing underneath your body whilst it's already

started to move backwards. The good drill to just get awareness of your foot landing

underneath your body is simply running on the spot.

There are a couple of old-school on-the-spot drills which will really help with the points

that we've been covering. First of all, high knees. I expect most of you understand what

I mean by this one but you are simply jogging on the spot. You're going to start off by

just bringing your knees halfway up to hip height and really focusing on landing on your

midfoot and keeping that time on the ground really short. Short contact time and nice

and springy off the ground. Once you've mastered that, then try to bring it up to full hip

height. Basically, you're getting your knees up to 90 degrees or your hips up to a 90-degree

angle. Then take plenty of rest. Just try to do this for 10 to 15 seconds because

if you're doing it well, it will be hard. Then we need to look at the other end of your

running stride so your bottom activation with some butt kicks. You're simply going to place

your hands behind your bottom and you're going to start off by trying to flick your heels

up towards your hands. Just do them halfway to start with and this one, you really need

to focus on keeping a good posture because it's quite easy to start to lean forwards.

As a result, it will be quite easy to naturally land on your midfoot or even your forefoot

and then progress this to actually touching your hands with your heels.

Once you've got these mastered, really concentrate on keeping posture throughout and staying

nice and upright because it is easy to cheat. Obviously, that's going to then not get the

point of the drill. Then finally, once you're ready, you can start to progress this to moving

forward, so covering a distance of say 15 to 20 meters and then just jog back for recovery.

[music] Speaker: A common cue from running coaches

is to hear them say run tall. Well, it acts in the same way as a standing tall, so you

put your shoulders back and you automatically tuck your tummy in. I bet you've done that

without even realizing it. These cues are great for making you look good when you're

standing and running but we're not focusing on that today. We want you to be running more

easily and it will have a knock-on effect because tucking your tummy in is naturally

going to rotate your pelvis slightly posteriorly so basically bringing your hips up towards

your chest. That's going to then make it much easier to lift your knees when you're running.

Your hips are essential for all of your running propulsion. We talked about the front of the

hip so the knee drive coming forwards, but we also need to look at the posterior chain,

so what happens at the back. When you're running, you need to have good extension in your leg

as your body moves over your foot. If that's restricted, then you're going to be restricting

your stride length. You need to make sure you've got strong glutes firing because that's

the powerhouse, your bottom muscles, but also that your hips aren't too tight so that you

can get that full running propulsion from each stride.

Moving up to your shoulders. Ideally, you want these to remain as relaxed as possible

because if they come too tense or bunched up around your ears, then you're going to

find it much harder to breathe but also just restricting your overall movement. Any movement

that comes at the shoulder should be a result of your arms moving forwards, not as a result

of your shoulders actually forcing that movement. Your arms are actually there to help you run

more easily. If you think about the forwards and backwards motion of your arms actually

driving and propelling you forwards, there's actually a diagonal link from the opposite

shoulder and arm through to the opposite hip so connected through your torso. Because of

this, yes, your shoulders are working, but you still need to keep them nice and relaxed.

You want to have a bit of a gentle bend at your elbows so keeping them in close to your

torso. When it comes to your hands, they need to be relaxed as well. You don't want them

super clenched, you don't want them poker straight but just somewhere in the middle

in a relaxed but finger bent. In this relaxed position, you want your arms

to slowly be moving forwards and backwards, keeping them close to your torso. As any movement

that goes across your body, it's just going to be counterproductive and you'll have to

correct that with your legs. You can actually practice this on the spot now. You might sound

silly but if you just stand still and you have your arms and you're just simply going

to pump them forwards and backwards concentrating on keeping your shoulders relaxed. You can

even do it in front of the mirror. Then if you take one foot in front of the other, and

so you're in a partial running stance and practice it again for 10 arm pumps and then

swap onto the other side for another 10. Obviously, when you're actually running, you're not going

to have to physically think about your arms so much because they will move more naturally

with the running gait. To just prove how much your arms do assist your running, I want you

to have a little go at going out for a run and sticking your hands to your thighs so

running with your arms by your side, a little bit like a penguin, and then go back to normal

running and you'll really feel the benefit of what your arms do.

Last but no means least is your head. With it being such a heavy structure, its position

can have a serious knock-on effect on your running. Remember that line I talked about

at the beginning. Your head needs to remain in alignment with the rest of your body because

if it's too far forwards or it's looking down, then you'll find it really hard to lift your

knees up at the front of your running gait. If it's the opposite and you'll find it's

too far back, then it's going to cause you to heel strike and overstride.

Also, too much excessive movement, you really want to try to reduce or keeping it on one

side. Because anything you're doing with your head, your body's just going to have to compensate

and it will end up having to work harder. A good way to get your head in the right position

is instead of thinking about your head, think about your eye line so make sure you're looking

nice and far ahead as that will naturally keep your shoulders back and it will help

you keep your hips up as well. I can't believe I've actually got this far

and not addressed breathing. It is quite hard to have it as a separate section as it's obviously

involved in every movement of running. If you're getting it wrong, then it can have

a negative effect on your run. Yes, it sounds simple. We all know how to breathe and after

all, we have got this far but you might not actually be breathing correctly for your running.

Signs could be having really tense shoulders or seeing tension in your face and your neck.

When you are breathing, you need to utilize your full lung capacity for running. So that

means breathing more than purely from your ribcage.

Let's have a look at where you're at at the moment. For this, you need to just take a

lie down a moment and just breathe normally whilst placing your hand on your belly. If

your hand isn't moving, then that indicates you're only doing shallow breaths so try to

focus on filling all of your lungs with air right to the bottom of them. This will see

your belly move outwards or upwards underneath your hand on the in-breath and then as you

breathe out, your hand should fall away. Just have a feel and get used to doing this whilst

you're lying still and then take it up to standing and again, place your hand on your

belly to get the feel. You might find that as you're doing some simple

breathing exercises before running will help to remind you to stay relaxed but also to

fully utilize that lung capacity. Finding the correct footwear is important when running

especially if you're looking at altering your gait. For this, I would recommend heading

to a specialist running store so they can ensure you've got a shoe that suits your running

style but also fits properly. Then finally, a bit of strengthening. You

need to make sure you've really worked on strengthening your core and the muscles around

your hips as that enables you to keep that good posture we've talked about for far longer

which in turn makes running much easier and makes you more efficient. If you're maybe

having a play around with your gait or changing anything at the moment, do let us know. You

can do that in the comments section below. Check out all of our other social media channels

and whilst you're there, give us a like and a follow.

[00:09:35] [END OF AUDIO]