Running Mechanics: 5 Tips for Runners

Breaking into the running world at any level is a daunting task; running mechanics land in the “make or break” category. Not only do they improve efficiency, solid mechanics minimize injuries – and keep legs turning even when you’re running on fumes. Start fixing your form with these five tips:

Strong and Relaxed Posture

Start with a tall, straight back, keeping shoulders relaxed and parallel with the ground. Relax your neck, looking forward instead of down at your feet. This relaxation is key, as a tense upper body expends excessive energy.

Slight Body Lean

Lean slightly forward, almost as if you’re falling, but catch yourself with your feet as you move forward. Try not to bend at the waist (with strength flowing from a solid posture).

Arms and Hands

Once you’ve got your upper body positioning down, focus on arm swing.  Imagine a line drawn from your nose down the center of your body. Keep elbows at 90-degree angles and swing arms from front to back, never crossing that invisible meridian line. Don’t swing your arms higher than your shoulder or past your hip.  Keep hands relaxed. 

**Track coaches instruct their runners to pinch their thumb and middle finger together lightly. Imagine you are holding a potato chip or snatching a dollar bill out of your pocket each time you swing your hands by your hips.

Foot Strike

Ideally, you’ll strike the ground with your mid-foot first, avoiding hitting too far forward on your toes or too far back on your heels. Heel strike is arguably the worst of the two, as it both cancels out natural shock absorption and wastes energy.

Cadence

Correct cadence promotes mid-foot strike and keeps your body in a healthy forward lean.  A general target cadence is 180 steps/min, though it varies on a person-to-person basis. Jog for a minute and count how many steps you take. Working to a goal is easier once you have this baseline beta.