CLICK HERE for a video version
CLICK HERE for a podcast version (episode 220 of Running Stronger)
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As promised at the end of last week’s post, I’m back with something a little more actionable.
Let’s look at three tips you can use to improve your running form.
Now, this is not everything you need to know about running.
It’s still possible to have problems even after you’ve done these things and you might be struggling with something that isn’t included in this list.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of nitpicky details that we could film and analyze and pick apart to try and perfect your running form.
BUT…
95% of problems will be fixed with these three things.
If you do these things well, a lot of other problems tend to fix themselves and you don’t have to spend every step focusing on minute details that are incredibly difficult to control.
1 – Stack your ribcage over your pelvis
Some people would label this as “have a neutral pelvis.”
Yet that’s not quite accurate.
First, “neutral” isn’t a meaningful term and we also have to answer the question, “neutral in relation to what…?”
So let’s try to do a little better.
We have a diaphragm attached to the outside of our ribcage that pulls our lungs down and allows us to breathe.
We also have a diaphragm in our pelvis that prevents all of our organs from spilling out between our legs.
The goal of stacking your ribcage over your pelvis is to align these two diaphragms on top of one another.
Now, that probably means having a “neutral” pelvis (although that term is a little iffy).
It also probably means having a “neutral” ribcage.
How do you find this position?
Well, for most people, you probably need to engage your abdomen a little bit and tuck your pelvis under you.
You don’t want to tuck your pelvis so much that you look like a sad dog.
You also don’t want to squeeze your abs so hard you can’t breathe.
You just want to get the opening at the bottom of your pelvis stacked under the opening at the bottom of your ribcage.
Then hold that position while you run.
Now, if this isn’t a particularly natural position for you, you’ll probably come out of it.
That’s okay.
Just check in at the end of every song or every mile and slightly correct your torso position if needed.
Over time, it will become more natural.
And if you cannot get into this position or you find it extremely challenging…
Invest some time in daily or weekly strength and mobility until you can.
Or else you’ll likely end up with back problems.
2 – Load your weight onto your foot when it’s directly beneath you
A lot of running problems come from overstriding.
It’s responsible for everything from shin splints to hamstring pain to numb feet to a whole host of other issues.
You may think this means your foot needs to contact the ground when it’s directly underneath you.
You may think you should never “heel strike” (land with your heel first).
Neither of these things is exactly true.
Sure, they’ll solve the overstriding, but they often lead to people prancing around and landing on their toes, which is equally bad.
Instead, try to load your weight onto your foot when it’s directly under your center of mass.
Is that harder to define than “don’t heel strike?”
Yep.
Is it more honest?
Yep.
Does it mean you might occasionally have to think about your running and focus on where your feet are rather than just zoning out and doing “junk miles?”
Yep.
So what are good ways to start improving your foot positioning?
You could do drills like A-Skips and Slump Bounds (both are on my YT channel) in order to train the foot to land a little more directly under the body.
You could also spend some time running barefoot or in really thin shoes because it makes heel striking painful.
I’m not a huge fan or running barefoot for most people, especially for long distances.
It’s often a great way to develop Achilles tendon problems.
But it can be a great teaching tool to learn where to land your foot.
Just don’t overdo it.
3 – Cadence
This one is so helpful I debated even doing number 2.
Your cadence is the number of times your feet hit the ground in a minute.
You might also see it as “steps per minute” (SPM) on certain watches and pieces of software.
So what should your cadence be?
For almost everyone, it should be over 165.
And the shorter you are, the higher it probably has to be.
As a short person with short legs, mine has to be closer to 180, even if I’m running pretty slowly.
Keep in mind, your cadence will vary a bit.
It will change with speed (a faster pace tends to lead to a higher cadence).
It will change with incline (uphill tends to be a lower cadence than downhill).
But almost nobody should be running around with a cadence of 150.
Now if you are running around with a cadence of 150, don’t just bump it up to 180
Instead, start by increasing it to 155.
Run to a metronome or find a “bpm 155” playlist and run to that until it feels comfortable.
Then do the same process in 5 beat increments until it gets where it needs to be.
But don’t overlook your cadence.
More often than not, when I see someone experiencing issues with their running form, their cadence is the first thing I fix.
And if they actually do it (which they often won’t because it’s a somewhat annoying process) most of the other problems tend to go away.
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Those are the three things.
If you do those three things well, most other issues with your running form tend to disappear.
Oh, and these are not tips for sprinting (except the first one).
That’s a whole different thing.
If you aren’t sure about some of the descriptions, go check out the video I linked at the top.
I demonstrate all of these things and it’ll probably become much clearer.
Hope you have a great weekend.