More than during cardio sessions on an elliptical or bicycle, running can put a fair amount of stress on your body, especially your joints. This often can result in pain in your knee, ankle, back or other areas, felt during or after a training session.
Often the first suspect is that using a wrong kind of shoe is causing the troubles. This can be a part of the problem, but more likely it is a sign that the running form is not quite right.
The general conception is that everybody knows how to run, since it is an automated movement pattern we have learned in a very early stage of our life. But there is actually much more behind it, running is a complex exercise that can cause pain or injuries if performed wrong. Only when executed in a proper way your workouts will be most beneficial for you and you can prevent pain or long term injuries.
Finding the right running form is a very complex topic and can not fully be explained in a brief post, you can use the short summary below as first indication and a simple check list to see where you stand with your current form:
- BALANCED FORWARD POSTURE:
stand tall, shoulders back, hip forward, lean slightly forward from your ankles not your waist, engage your core and keep your hips straight, head looking forward not down, arms bent at the elbows 90° - MIDFOOT STRIKE:
bring your knee up while moving forward to set the next strike, land on your midfoot first, run gently without pounding to the floor
To improve your running form there are specifically developed exercises available which can be added to your weekly routine easily.
Besides your running sessions it is also recommended to implement regular strength training and focus on stretching to your weekly workout plan which will supplement your training success.
Please contact me directly if you interested in more details about running techniques and how to improve your own running form.