How to improve your running posture for optimum performance
If you are new to running, or you just want to improve your running technique, try these top tips to improving your posture to boost your performance.
When it comes to running technique, the old-school view was that running technique is either something you're born with, or not.
More recently it's believed technique is something that can be taught and although I believe this, I would steer clear of changing your technique too much. Tweaks are fine, but changing your style altogether may result in more injuries and lost motivation.
- My reasoning for this is that everyone is built differently. We all stand at different heights and have different muscular weaknesses, often as a result of our jobs. There are so many variables that make it hard for me to believe there is one running style suitable for each and every individual.
- On that note, here are a few techniques you may be able to work on to improve your running your posture
- Running over 10 kilometres with bad posture will be very uncomfortable and do you more harm than good. Good posture means a straight back with the natural curvature of the spine. A straight back keeps airways open, allowing breathing to remain easy and unrestricted while running.
- Ensure your shoulder blades are back and in line with the spine as your 'shoulders rolling in' essentially restricts breathing.
- With a straight back, your hips are in a neutral position, allowing you to attain the optimal stride length and develop maximal power per stride.
- Keeping a straight back or running tall with shoulder blades retracted, drives the knees forward and up. Aim to have the foot land just out in front of the hips with the shin vertical. If the foot is landing too far out in front with the shin at an angle, there will be high levels of ground reaction force slowing you down (think Newton's third law). You want to apply force into the ground to propel you forward