Running Stance – Some Thoughts.
Springsteen got it right, you were born to run. Our forefathers in the planes of Africa understood this too. They probably exhibited a perfect running stance. We were not born with sharp claws and huge teeth to kill our food. We were reliant on our natural endurance to simply run behind an animal until the animal was brought to the point of exhaustion and then we could go for the kill. Running therefore is as old as mankind.
If the above is true, then why do we need to look at posture on the run? Surely this is something that comes naturally? The issue is that we have evolved into a modern day economy, in the process becoming more sedentary, and so we now have to re-educate ourselves in the art of running.
Let’s start with your head.
Your head needs to be positioned over your shoulders so as to not cause any strain, especially on the muscles at the back of your neck. Take a finger and push your chin back a little bit. Imagine putting an old fashioned video cassette into a video player. (You do still remember those days when we used them?) That’s it. Chin pushed a half centimetre back.
Let’s go to your shoulders.
Quick question. What are your shoulders doing right now? If they are slowly making their way up to your ears, it’s time to relax them. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok. Run with relaxed shoulders. There needs to be a sense of flow in them.
Down to your chest.
How are you breathing? Are you pulling shoulders up to get air, much like you do after a hard sprint when you rest your hands on your knees, or are you belly breathing? Hint – you want to be belly breathing. I personally believe that what happens at your solar plexus is all important. The more your back weakens during a run, the more stooped over you get, and that is not a good thing. Top runners maintain a straight back, with a slight forward lean of the entire body for the duration of their run. Bending your midback forward is going to place strain on your hamstrings, glutes and all the muscles that run along your spine. It will also inhibit your breathing which in turn will make you more tired, so that you stoop more forward. Training the muscles that support posture becomes all important. Below is a picture of someone doing some supermen. Do them if you want to become a super runner.
Where are your arms?
Well, hopefully they are swinging easily by your sides. Elbows a bit bent so that the palms of your hands just brush over your rib cage from time to time. Hands need to be relaxed. Gripping them like you are at the dentist is not a good idea. You are using up oxygen and carbs that would be better utilized in your legs.
What is happening with your hips?
They should be stable. Make sure that your glute medius muscle is super strong. You don’t want your left hip dropping every time you land on your right leg and visa versa. You can read more on this all important muscle here A Weak Glute Medius and a Chain Reaction.
Legs?
Hopefully they are getting stronger by the day. Make sure that you run with a higher cadence. You want to be near 80 strikes per minute. This means that you are taking shorter steps more frequently. It might feel a bit weird at first, but your legs will get you further into a run this way before they inform you that they are getting tired.
What’s happening with your all important feet?
Ignore the runners who tell you to land on your toes. A small group of runners are naturally forefoot strikers and that’s ok. They probably started running that way as kids and have grown up with that form of running. However, the vast majority of us land with a heel strike. The words, “Heel strike,” have been treated by some as the running equivalent to a strong swear word. Well, the vast majority of us heel strike, and so, a) make sure you read the bit on cadence in the above paragraph, and then, b) Make sure that your leading leg does not shoot out too far forward into an exaggerated strike. Try get your foot to land a little bit ahead of your centre of gravity.
Your feet also need to face forward. Feet that point outward can exacerbate injuries such as plantar fasciitis and calf strains. By the way, your foot will not typically face outward due to some wierd anomaly in your ankle. It’s not just your foot that faces outward, but your lower and upper leg are included in the external rotation, which means we need to look at your hips for potential clues as to what is happening. (Have a read here if your feet point outward instead of forward when you run.)
Hopefully that helps. These are simple adjustments that most of us can get right on our own.
Read my article on the Runner’s Leg Assessment and give us a call on 066 236 9187 if you feel that I can help.
Regards,
Mike Roscoe.
