Biomechanics: Running Form
1.Stay Upright

In proper biomechanical form, the upper body should be almost erect, with a minimal forward lean. An upright torso will allow a runner to extend his or her legs through a full range of motion, plus it’s just good posture. When the head, shoulders, and hips are aligned over the feet, you move forward as a unit with a minimal amount of effort.

  1. Forward Chest & Torso Alignment

Many runners let their chest sag into a slouch which prevents maximum lung efficiency. Before each run, relax and take a deep breathto move the lungs into an efficient position. After you exhale, maintain chest alignment with your torso. Alternatively, excessive leaningforward of the torso places strain on the back muscles and can cause the upper body to work harder by trying to maintain balance. The most efficient way to run is to have your head, neck and shoulders in alignment. When you run leaning forward, you’ll always be fighting gravity.

  1. Hips Forward

Long-distance running puts a lot of strain on the muscles around the hips. One of the most common running form errors is to let your hips shift back and your butt stick out. Taking a deep breath often pulls the hips forward into an alignment which allows easier running.

  1. The Foot Plant

Our personal stride is a result of our shape, our physique and the strength and balance of our muscles from the waist down. Don’t try to change your foot plant as you train: you will not be running naturally and you are very likely to cause more problems than you’ll solve. Your first steps may seem awkward, but after you have been running for a while, your form will begin to improve somewhat as you condition your body.

Changes to your gait only happen as a result of longer-term changes elsewhere. As you gain fitness and strength, you may notice that many irregularities resolve themselves. Maybe the problem you thought you had will turn out to be not so much of a problem after all. However, if you really do have a problem which continues to affect your activity, you may need to seek the advice of a therapist or coach to assess and deal with your particular situation.

  1. Arms

Arm position can vary widely from one runner to the next. In general, arms should swing naturally and loosely from the shoulders, like a pendulum. Keep arms relaxed and at a 90-degree angle. Prevent the arms from being carried too high or low and from becoming too rigid. This will cause you to expend more energy than needed. The upper body should not twist from side to side and hands should never cross the centre of your chest. Synchronize the arms with the legs, mimicking the same rhythm. The arms are used for balance, momentum, and to assist with forward propulsion. Keep hands in a relaxed position too and try not to clench or make fists.

  1. Leg Turnover - Not Stride Length

When it comes to running faster, there are really only two ways to increase speed: taking longer strides or achieving quicker leg turnover. One of the biggest problems in long distance running is over-stride. Studies have shown that when trained runners get faster, the stride length actually decreases, and the stride rate (or turnover) increases.

Form adjustments can help prevent three main problemswhich result from over-stride:

1)Runners should not try to artificially increase stride length in an attempt to run faster. When you over-stride, your muscles work harder than they need to. Over-striding can also cause the foot to land in front of the body's center of gravity, which would then serve as a braking force to forward movement as we have to wait until our foot is directly under our body before we can push forward again. By shortening the stride, your foot lands under your body and eliminates this impediment.

2)The big secret to an athletically efficient gait is that the foot is already moving backwards when it hits the ground. If our foot is stuck out in front of us by over-striding, there is interference. You can increase the length of your natural stride byimproving leg muscle strength which increases rear leg propulsion.

3)Extra time in the air is largely wasted. When our feet aren’t on the ground, they’re not driving us forward. Unless you are naturally gifted with a long, efficient stride, improvements in your own personal efficiency are likely to come first from shortening your stride.

  1. Head and Neck

Your torso will normally do what your head is doing. So if you are dropping your head down, your torso will probably follow and lean too far forward. Instead, hold your head high with your eyes focused directly ahead. Keep the neck and shoulders relaxed and try not to hunch your shoulders as this will cause undue fatigue to that area. Eyes should be looking somewhere about 20-30 metres ahead of you.

  1. Practice Two Times per Week

Once or twice a week, technique work is helpful. After your warm-up, run some accelerations of 50—150m. Pick an element of good form and feel yourself executing it well during the acceleration. Rehearse each element at least four times, and keep to one or two elements each session. A change in technique may feel initially awkward, but you’ll know you’ve got it right when it feels good!

You can follow the lead of athletes in events like sprinting and hurdling where effective technique is a vital ingredient of success. Their warm-up is actually designed so that their technique (they often call it “skill”) is rehearsed every time they prepare for training or competition.

Your warm-up already consists of a period of jogging and stretching. Build in some technique accelerations too. They take very little extra time. You’llget the most effective learning by focusing on one point of a technique and repeating it several times.

In technique work, short periods are key. When you move your body in a new way, your brain literally gets tired, quite quickly too! You’ll feel it happen as there will be a noticeable loss in your “coordination.” It’s temporary; the short break between accelerations will give you the recovery time you need.

9. Proper Shoe Selection

Proper shoe selection is an important part of injury prevention. Forces greater than three to five times your body weight are placed on your feet and dissipated up your leg when you run. Wearing the right running shoes will accommodate your individual style, needs and help to keep you running safely and comfortably.

10. Determining Your Foot Type

When you run, your feet naturally roll both inward (pronation) and outward (supination). After your heel strikes the ground, your foot pronates by rolling inward and flattening out. When your weight is then transferred to the ball of your foot, your foot then supinates and rotates outward. In order to propel forward, the foot then becomes a rigid lever. Adopting a perfect running style is rare, and for many, the tendency to overpronate is more common than those who oversupinate.

The Overpronator

  • Once the outside heel makes initial contact with the ground, the feet “roll”overly inward.
  • The foot and ankle aren’t properly able to absorb and stabilize shock effectively.
  • Knees and kneecaps move toward the inside of the feet when bending at the knees.
  • The big toe and second toe do all the work due to an uneven “push-off”.
  • Overpronators generally contend with low arches or overly flexible arches.
  • The body is placed in poor alignment and the risk for running-related injuries, such as Runner’s Knee, lliotibial Band Syndrome, and Tendinitis, increases.

The Oversupinator

  • Once the outside heel makes initial contact with the ground, the feet “roll” outward.
  • Forces of impact concentrate on a smaller portion of the foot and are unevenly distributed.
  • Knees and kneecaps move toward the outside of the feet when you bend at the knees.
  • Most of the work is done by the smaller toes.
  • Oversupinators generally contend with high arches.
  • Impact is not absorbed well, increasing the risk of injury. Oversupinators are more susceptible to ankle sprains, stress fractures, and pain on the outside of the shin and the knee.

11. Guidelines to Find the Best Shoe Fit

  • Replace your running shoes every 500 to 800 kms.
  • Bring an old pair along so the salesperson can assess your pronation. Share information on injuries or current problems.
  • Shop in the afternoon to get a better fit as feet are often bigger then. Bring along a pair of socks that you would typically wear to run in as well as any inserts or orthotics you may use.
  • Get measured standing up. To assess size, toes should not be pressing against the toe box. A finger’s width between the longest toe and tip of shoe is recommended.
  • Heels should also fit snugly and not slip.
  • Try on both shoes for at least 10 minutes and walk or jog around the store.
  • Try on several different models to make a good comparison.
  • Check the quality of the shoe. Look at stitching, eyelets, and gluing. Feel for any unevenness inside the shoe.
  • The sole should flex at the ball of your foot where your toes naturally bend.
  • Shoes should be comfortable on the day you buy them. A break-in period should not be necessary.

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