How to Use Proper Running Techniques

Get the most of your running routine while avoiding painful and costly injuries by using proper running techniques. Review the ways in which your posture, your stride and even the shoes you run in can effect your body and your ability to run better, longer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Running shoes

1. Keep your head erect. Your eyes should be focused on a point on the ground several feet ahead of you.
2. Square your shoulders and keep them level to the ground. Rounded shoulders or shoulders that swing back and forth with each stride is not proper technique.
3. Pay attention to your arms. They should swing in an easy motion, backwards and forwards in a slim figure-eight formation.
4. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that your forearms are parallel to the ground.
5. Make a loose fist with your hands and don't grasp your thumb with your other fingers.
6. Breathe easier by keeping your torso erect, allowing the diaphragm to move properly. You will also reduce stress on your lower back when you use this posture instead of leaning forward, backwards or slouching.
7. Keep your hips square and level to the ground, reflecting the posture of your shoulders.
8. Avoid lifting your knees too high. Running techniques involving high knee lifts put you at a higher risk of ankle and knee injury.
9. Move your legs in a fluid motion, with your feet pointed forward. With each stride, your feet should land directly under your hips.
10. Don't confuse running style with technique. These techniques should be incorporated into your own style in a way that makes sense for you. Too often, runners try to imitate the style of a winning competitor without paying attention to how they use techniques to prevent injuries and create economic movements.
11. Use a technique drill to practice proper technique. Slowly move in the postures outlined above, paying attention to how your arms and legs are moving and keeping your shoulders and hips still. You can perform this drill as if you were marching at first and then slowly increase the speed of your strides to fully incorporate it into your running style.

Tips & Warnings

• You should always stay well-hydrated while participating in a running activity. Try to drink 10 to 12 ounces of water before you begin your run and the same amount every 30 minutes that you are on the road. Weigh yourself before and after running and replace each pound lost with 1 pint of water.

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