How to Reduce the Bounce in Your Running Stride

Practicing drills reduces the bounce in your running stride.

Running burns fat at a high rate and improves your overall health. Running inefficiently, however, may work against you. Having bounce in your running stride is an inefficient use of your energy and leads to unnecessary levels of fatigue. While bouncing, your body is moving vertically when it should be moving horizontally. Bounce also increases impact stress and, therefore, your risk of injury increases as well. Techniques are available to reduce the bounce in your running stride.

Instructions

1. Reduce the length of your running stride. Since overstriding usually leads to bouncing, taking shorter, quicker steps should reduce the bouncing. The most energy efficient running stride is what comes naturally but years of muscle memory may have you overstriding.

2. Focus on a point in the horizon as you run. Make sure the point is at eye level so that your head is not tilted back, because tilting your head back interferes with your relaxation and speed. The focal point allows you to concentrate on a fixed target, which makes you more aware of bouncing up and down.

3. Concentrate on a gliding motion. Picture yourself moving horizontally, parallel to the ground. According to John Stanton, a marathoner, the founder of the Running Room and an author of eight books on running, picturing successful motions and actions can improve your running performance.

4. Engage in visualization exercises. Picture yourself running without any bounce, and think of an access word for this picture. Access words are words you repeat to yourself while running to produce the visualized form. Picture yourself and chant your word at least once a day for 15 minutes. The next time you find yourself bouncing while running, chant your word.

References

• "Running Start to Finish"; John Stanton; 1999
• "Running Your Best: The Committed Runner's Guide to Training and Racing"; Ron Daws; 1985
• "Triathlon 101: Essentials for Multisport Success"; John Mora; 1999