5 Things You Need to Know About Running Posture
1. Carry Yourself Well
Proper running posture is just as important as wearing the right shoes and finding a good course to run. Your running posture affects your breathing, stamina and speed. Good posture allows you to be fully aware of your surroundings, maximize oxygen intake and exercise every part of your body. Because running is a full-body sport, good running posture should involve your whole body too.
2. Keep Your Head Up
Keep your head up, your chin forward and your gaze straight ahead when you run. It's a common runner distraction to watch how your feet are moving, but break this habit as much as you can. Keeping your head up helps open up your lungs and keeps you breathing correctly. Running facing forward keeps you aware of your surroundings so you can safely watch for cars, signal changes, potholes and path obstructions.
3. Stand Up Straight
Most people don't think about their spine when they run, but the spine is one of the keys to good running posture. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Your hips should be angled forward also to center your weight. This will evenly distribute your body weight, making your center of gravity even between your feet and help your lungs open up so you can breathe easier. Holding your spine straight and not hunching forward makes it easy for the rest of your body to work as one.
4. Work Those Legs And Arms
Your legs and arms should work together when you run. Reach forward with your legs and take full strides, pumping your arms at the same time. If you want a more leisurely run and don't want to pump your arms, hold them bent at the midsection. Avoid letting them hang down at your sides; this will be dead weight and will make your run more difficult. Keep your legs directly under your arms when you run to keep yourself moving in a straight line.
5. Put Your Best Foot Forward
The placement of your feet is very important when you run. Foot placement affects overall running posture and the level of benefit gained by the workout. Remember to keep your tread light. When you bring your foot all the way down, make sure your foot is flat and your toes are pointed straight in front of you. This helps prevent ankle injury or foot strain.
Member Comments
by GraceLazenby on May 8, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Proper technique is important to maximizing the effectiveness of your workout routine.
by joyceroni on May 14, 2008 at 3:45 PM
this is very useful
by jporter8000 on May 14, 2008 at 5:58 PM
This is great. Does anyone know how often I should change my running shoes?
by CoachP47 on May 19, 2008 at 7:33 AM
You change your running shoes when the tread on the bottom wears smoothe.
by mistressk on January 16, 2009 at 11:21 AM
the tread on the bottom doesn't give you an indication of the state of cushioning and support of the shoe, especially if you run on a treadmill that wears the outsole very little. even running on pavement and cement will wear out the essential properties of a shoe before the tread, depending on the weight of the runner. replace them after a maximum of 500 miles, even if the soles look brand new.
by JeffStrong on May 30, 2008 at 5:42 PM
I really enjoyed this article on the proper running posture. Honestly, I wish my HS track and cross country coach had know this.
by rgrella on June 6, 2008 at 6:19 AM
Running posture is even more important when running hills. I do not know about any of you, but I tend to lean back a bit too much when running downhill causing my souls to drag to avoid impact on my knees. I think I also lean to far forward when climbing hills. Any advice.
by beekay15 on August 12, 2008 at 4:44 PM
When I go for a run, I tend to have shoulder pains after a few miles, even though my shoulder blades are back, my arms are bent, and my spine is straight. Any reason as to why I am experiencing this?
by Aradia123 on October 20, 2008 at 7:07 PM
I have the same problem. For me, the pain increases when I know the intensity is about to increase or I lose focus. However, giving myself time to stretch my arms, shoulders, back and neck before running has lessened the incidence of pain. Also, when I experience pain I've started to lessen my pace, focus on spot ahead and relax each part of shoulders and back.
This may not be helpful to everyone, but once you have pain during a run I'm always willing to try any technique!
by bl0ndie85m on September 24, 2008 at 4:16 PM
A good rule of thumb is to replace your running shoes every 300 to 400 miles, depending on your running style, body weight, and the surface on which you run. Good Article!