The Best Running Posture – 7 Running Posture Tips

A proper running posture is crucial for building a running program that keeps you injury-free. A runner’s posture looks simple, but it takes conscientious effort and practice to develop the best running posture that you can have.

Having the best running posture will help you run efficiently, preventing running injuries by putting the stress of running on the bones and muscles that are intended to take the beating, and not on parts of your body that are not. Here are seven running posture tips to help you find the best running posture.

Seven Running Posture Tips

1) Head And Neck Position
Keep you head in a natural position with your face relaxed. Do not tilt your head forward to look down at your feet. Scan the horizon and try not to let the objects on the horizon bounce too much. This will help you eliminate vertical oscillation in your running style and help you keep a straighter neck and back. Don’t allow your chin to jut out.

2) Shoulders
Keep your shoulders down and at ease to set up the proper alignment for the best running posture. Keeping your shoulders low and loose, will help you maintain a better range of motion with your arms and will prevent your hack from becoming tight as well. Shake your arms and rotate your shoulders a few times to relax your shoulders and prevent them from creeping up.

3) Arms, Wrists And Hands
Your arms affect your stride length, stride frequency, and your side-to-side oscillation issues. Cup your hands loosely and keep them very relaxed to reduce the tension that can build up in your shoulders and chest.

Your arms should be bent at the elbow at about a 90-degree angle. Keep your wrists in the up-position to prevent your arms from swaying across the midline of your body and eliminate oscillation of your body. Swinging your arms in conjunction with your leg strides will help you drive your legs forward and backward. Shake your hands and arms out every now and then to keep them relaxed.

4) Chest
Keep your chest in an upright position by keeping your head up and eyes looking forward. This puts your lungs in the best position for optimal breathing. Avoid slouching by imagining that you are being held by a puppeteer.

5) Hips And Buttocks
Straighten your back and pull your buttocks in. This allows your hips to be your center of mass. Avoid leaning forward as this will shift your center of mass to the front of your hip area and put more stress on the front of your legs.

6) Legs
Your legs will have lower or higher knee lift depending on the intensity and length of the run. If you are running long distances, your knee lift does not need to be as significant and your stride strength does not need to be as long. In contrast, a sprinter needs a pronounced leg lift and a much longer stride.

To be efficient and effective over a longer distance without wasting energy, you should let your feet strike the ground directly underneath your body, so that your center of mass is supported all the way to the ground. When your foot impacts the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. Do not allow your lower leg to extend in front of your knee, as this will increase your chance of having lower leg injuries.

7) Ankles, Feet And Toes

Let your feet strike the ground naturally. Change this motion only if it is impeding your ability to run fast or is causing a problem. It is best to strike the ground with the middle of your feet (mid-foot strikers) as this allows you to run efficiently and still not get injured. Make sure your feet are pointing forward as they hit the ground.

The video below provides additional running posture tips to help you get the best running posture.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 7:35 am and is filed under Running Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.