by Danny Dreyer
Is it possible to improve your running technique?
Some people, even many doctors, believe that people are born with a given way of moving which they cannot change much, if at all. These same people say that some people are "designed" from birth to be good athletes or not to be particularly athletic at all. I happen to believe you can make substantial changes in your body and how you move, no matter what kind of a body you were given at birth.
With practice, the following components can change your running technique forever. (You'll notice that talent is not one of the items on this list.) To help you fully grasp ChiRunning, we've demonstrated all of these components clearly in our ChiRunning DVD.
10 Components of Good Running Technique
Flexibility: You need to have it, not only in your muscles, but in your tendons, ligaments, and joints. They all work better when they move with flexibility and any restrictions in your muscles, ligaments, or tendons will limit your range of motion, period. As we get older we tend to become less active. A good axiom that best describes this is: "Use it or lose it." If you don't use your muscles and joints they will begin to stiffen and then, if you still don't do anything, atrophy. Flexibility doesn't just happen, you have to work at it. Even stretching a few minutes a day is enough for most people to maintain a good range of motion and decrease their chances of injury due to muscle pulls.
Good posture: Your running technique is totally dependent on your posture. The efficiency of your running technique is directly proportional to the quality of your posture. What is good posture? According to Yoga teachers along with many other mainstream body movement disciplines, having good posture involves having a reasonably straight spine with not too much straightness and not too much bend. The more you slump, the more your body's muscles need to work to hold you upright. Poor posture not only restricts the circulation of blood to your muscles and organs but also inhibits the oxygen supply to your brain, which is not good, especially when you try to do something like thinking or running.
Good leg motion: Having too long of a stride, or "over-striding," is a huge cause of both hamstring and knee injuries. This is when you land with your feet in front of you instead of under you. Not bending your knees when you run will create stiffness and poor circulation in your legs. Your knees should be bent at a 90ยบ angle when you are warmed up and running at a good medium pace.
Cadence: Most people have too slow of a cadence. When you run you want to spend the least amount of time on your legs as possible. The longer you take with each stride, the more time your foot spends on the ground, and the more energy your legs have to expend to support your body weight. Even if it's a split second during each stride, it adds up quickly when you're talking about 1200 steps per mile. Strive to maintain a cadence of 85-90 strides per minute with each leg. If it's difficult to do, shorten your stride length until if feels more comfortable to hold the cadence.
Source: Chirunning
Is it possible to improve your running technique?
With practice, the following components can change your running technique forever. (You'll notice that talent is not one of the items on this list.) To help you fully grasp ChiRunning, we've demonstrated all of these components clearly in our ChiRunning DVD.
10 Components of Good Running Technique
Flexibility: You need to have it, not only in your muscles, but in your tendons, ligaments, and joints. They all work better when they move with flexibility and any restrictions in your muscles, ligaments, or tendons will limit your range of motion, period. As we get older we tend to become less active. A good axiom that best describes this is: "Use it or lose it." If you don't use your muscles and joints they will begin to stiffen and then, if you still don't do anything, atrophy. Flexibility doesn't just happen, you have to work at it. Even stretching a few minutes a day is enough for most people to maintain a good range of motion and decrease their chances of injury due to muscle pulls.
Good posture: Your running technique is totally dependent on your posture. The efficiency of your running technique is directly proportional to the quality of your posture. What is good posture? According to Yoga teachers along with many other mainstream body movement disciplines, having good posture involves having a reasonably straight spine with not too much straightness and not too much bend. The more you slump, the more your body's muscles need to work to hold you upright. Poor posture not only restricts the circulation of blood to your muscles and organs but also inhibits the oxygen supply to your brain, which is not good, especially when you try to do something like thinking or running.
Good leg motion: Having too long of a stride, or "over-striding," is a huge cause of both hamstring and knee injuries. This is when you land with your feet in front of you instead of under you. Not bending your knees when you run will create stiffness and poor circulation in your legs. Your knees should be bent at a 90ยบ angle when you are warmed up and running at a good medium pace.
Cadence: Most people have too slow of a cadence. When you run you want to spend the least amount of time on your legs as possible. The longer you take with each stride, the more time your foot spends on the ground, and the more energy your legs have to expend to support your body weight. Even if it's a split second during each stride, it adds up quickly when you're talking about 1200 steps per mile. Strive to maintain a cadence of 85-90 strides per minute with each leg. If it's difficult to do, shorten your stride length until if feels more comfortable to hold the cadence.
Is it possible to improve your running technique?
Read full articleSource: Chirunning
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