How to running Information

Much of the activity of running requires less effort than you think. One of these is the leg swing, a movement that makes up a considerable amount of the action. Many runners use a kicking action to bring their foot forward for the next stride yet this use a tremendous amount of unnecessary effort. Once your foot is off the floor it requires no effort at all for it to swing through. Try the following exercise to appreciate how to run more efficiently.

1. Sit on the edge of a table so the whole of your upper legs down to the knees are in contact.

2. Bring back your left leg until it is underneath the table and then let it go so it swings forward. It is important to let it go and not to swing it forward yourself.

3. Let alternate legs swing with minimal effort (just give them a little nudge) and think of each leg as a pendulum. If you are experiencing the need to make them swing by using your hamstrings or quadriceps, think of the space at the back of your knee joint and let go from there.

The same applies to using the shoulders and arms when running. Let’s try a similar experiment with your arms.

1. Stand and think of a line from the tip of your shoulders through the biceps, down the arm to your thumbs. Or just think ‘long arms’.

2. As with the legs, see if you can get your arms swinging straight and by your side with a minimal effort without lifting your shoulders.

Now let your arms bend at the elbow; place your thumb lightly on your index finger, keep your fingers relaxed and again swing your arms without the shoulders lifting. Your hands should be relaxed, nether clenched into a fist or fingers held straight.

These actions of your limbs will help to propel you forward whilst running but require less effort than most runners use.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called ‘The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise’ and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. Please click Running Technique for more information about his unique approach to training.

Share This

Running and back pain are mentioned in the same sentence more often than they really should be. Running is an excellent activity for staying in shape and for many it provides a lifetime of enjoyment, challenges and purpose. For others it’s either a short-lived activity or a stop-start routine due to injury.

If you experience back pain whilst running or following a session check out the common causes below:-

• Worn or inappropriate running shoes

• Trying to hold yourself upright

• Pushing forward to run

• Too much bounce in your stride

• Running whilst carrying an injury

Start with the easy options such as changing your shoes. If your running shoes are worn out or not suitable for you they will not absorb the constant shock of the impact with the road causing compression and jarring in the discs in your spine. Visit a good running shop and ask to have your running technique assessed so they can recommend the best shoe for you.

If changing your running shoes does not help get yourself checked out by a physical therapist for any hidden injury problems. If you still experience back pain whilst running the most sensible thing to do is to assess your technique.

Is it your technique?

For most runners it’s lower back pain that causes the most problems. I believe there are two main causes for this in relation to running technique.

1. Trying to hold the torso upright in the style of Michael Johnson by tightening the lower back muscles. It is now accepted by most coaches that Johnson’s upright technique, once considered unconventional, is a very efficient way to run. However, if you look at how Johnson’s technique evolved you will see that he used his lower back less and less to achieve it.

To achieve an upright running style without tightening your lower back you need to ‘let go’ of the muscles likely to collapse your torso forward. The latissimus dorsi muscles are then able to perform their proper function to maintain your ‘effortless up’ - this will take all the stress off your lower back.

2.Another cause of lower back pain for runners is the thought that running is about going forward, okay of course it is, but it doesn’t require you to ‘push’ forward to do it. Running is really about passing a force into the ground and using the hip, knee and ankle joints to translate that into a forward motion.

Golden Rule: Use the ground and not your back!

Your running technique could be the cause of your problem. Once you can develop an efficient, relaxed style you may find that running and back pain are no longer mentioned in the same breath.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. His new book Zone Mind, Zone Body (Ecademy Press) questions the conventional fitness wisdom so many of us follow. More information about how you can improve your running can be found by clicking Running Technique.

Share This

Most of us assume we know how to run, after all it’s just putting one foot in front of the other, just like walking only a bit faster - right? Well, not quite. Although walking and running are quite different activities, you can learn a lot from the act of walking that will help your running.

Whether an experience runner or beginner, we all have bad ‘movement’ habits that will show up in our running technique. But because they are habits (subconscious conditioned reflexes) they are not easy to see for yourself. Walking, rather than running, provides you with a good opportunity to assess your concept of movement. What you learn from observing your walking technique can be taken into running.

Try the following experiment.

1. Go for a gentle stroll in the park and leave your competitive runner’s attitude at home.

2. As you walk be aware of the movement in your hip, knee and ankle joints. Please note your hip joints are at the front of your pelvis and not the sides. Allow your legs to swing from the hip and let your lower leg swing from the knee without effort - like a pendulum.

3. See how much effort you can take out of the act of walking and just allow your limbs to swing.

4. Think about releasing muscles and joints rather than the effort involved.

5. Be aware of the ground beneath your feet and think of ‘walking tall’ by using the upward thrust from the ground in response to your body weight coming down.

6. Start slowly and start to build up speed but not by trying harder. To increase your speed let your arms swing a little faster but without lifting your shoulders. If you can leave your legs alone they will increase speed to match your arms so you will be moving faster without the effort you probably think is necessary.

The purpose of this experiment is to appreciate gravity’s role in movement. You are pulled down towards the planet but then there is 8000 miles of solid rock beneath you that pushes back up (Newton’s 3rd law - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). So let the ground push you up and let your legs stroke the ground away from underneath you like a giant treadmill.

If you can learn to walk with minimal effort and lessen the strain on you joints and muscles, you can learn to apply the same principles to your running, Lighten up and let your limbs flow to propel you forward and up without the tension many use in a misguided effort to run faster. Running becomes a whole lot easier, and more enjoyable, if you can let your body move as nature intended.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called ‘The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise’ and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. More information about his unique approach to training can be found by clicking Running Technique

Share This