How To Run Properly

Okay, so how do we run properly? Running technique is very, very important, and it's something that we don't coach, we don't teach, even in schools, even in some athletics clubs. We don't teach running technique. But it's very important in terms of running efficiently, running better and running faster.

There is no such thing as perfect running technique because we're all made differently, and we're all different shapes and sizes; even Usain Bolt has two or three major weaknesses in his running technique which he's working on. But there is a perfect running technique for you; we call it "Functional Running Technique" at Running School. And there're certain areas that everybody can improve on.

So if we look at the arms, first of all, because the arms are an area that's very underutilized when it comes to running, some runners are twisters. We call them twisters so the arms are coming across the mid-line of the body, or they're down by their sides so they're shuffling along by their sides and they're not helping to propel the body forward. So if we look at the most efficient way of the arms moving, and I'll just turn sideways so you can see, so the arms are about ninety degrees, they move backwards to propel the body forwards, and the movement is a rhythm movement coming from the shoulders and it goes to the chin and the back pocket.

This is an area where a lot of adults find it difficult because they're not used to using their arms for running. We're mostly in this position, typing when we're using our arms on a daily basis. So the movement is coming from the shoulder, it is a nice and relaxed movement with the elbow bent, and preferably, this is your choice, whether you have the thumb or the forefinger or whether the arms are straight, but at all times, it's got to be relaxed.

Another classic mistake that a lot of novice runners make, but also a lot of elite runners make is they over-stride. What do we mean by over-striding? Over-striding is landing ahead of your center of gravity. Basically, what happens is you're landing ahead of your center of gravity, you're braking, collapsing, and then you're coming up again to go on the next movement, and this is an inefficient movement because every time you land, it's like holding the brakes, braking, and then coming up again.

So how can we reduce over-striding? Very simple, we call it "cycling" and it is basically when the heel comes up, it cycles and it lands underneath our center of gravity. Our center of gravity is basically underneath the hip. So, the movement is a cycle movement, so the heel is coming up, it's activating glutes and hamstrings and then landing underneath the body rather than ahead.

That allows us to stay upright and it allows us to be more efficient in terms of landing. So if we're looking at the most efficient way of feet landing, there're three ways that the feet lands. The first one is landing on the ball of the foot, so the heel is not touching the ground, the second one is landing ball of the foot but the heel comes down very quickly, and that's midfoot, and the third one is landing heel and then landing toe.

In terms of efficiency, the most efficient way is landing on the ball of the foot, because you're spending less time on the ground. However, landing on the ball of the foot is not appropriate for everybody, it depends on what we're trying to achieve. Most sprinters, elite runners and fast runners land on the balls of their feet.

But it doesn't mean to say if you land in heel-toe that you can't run efficiently and run faster as well. Another area that runners can improve very easily is posture. So what happens when you start towards a slide, straight away, the head starts leaning forward, and we start running with leaning forward.

The most efficient way is for the body to be upright, and particularly the trunk, but that requires two things: one is correct technique and the arms are important to correcting this techniqu