8 Tips to Improve Your Running Form

April 4, 2015

Running is deceivingly simple. We just put one foot in front of the other and move forward, right? Well yes, but there’s much more to it than that. Running technique and style can improve our overall running efficiency and help reduce the risk of injury. So how can you improve your running form to maximize performance? Today, I’m sharing some reminders and running form tips that may help.

8 Tips to Improve Your Running Form on runladylike.com

Last month, my friends at Road Runner Sports in Atlanta analyzed my running gait and foot mechanics using their Shoe Dog system. Looking at my foot mechanics on screen and reading up on running mechanics and gait analysis inspired me to take an overall assessment of my own running form. Here are a few running form tips that may also help you improve your running.

  1. Keep your posture straight and tall. As you run, think about running tall without leaning forward or tilting your pelvis. This will allow your diaphragm to breathe fully and reduce the tension on your back. It’s especially tempting to want to lean forward as we run up hills (guilty as charged!). Think to yourself “I run tall” as you run for a helpful reminder.
  2. Keep your head level. Make sure your head is in a neutral position with your ears in line with your shoulders. Avoid tilting your head up or down. Keep your gaze about 20 feet ahead of you.
  3. Keep your shoulders relaxed and squared. Try not to tense your shoulders or round them. Think about pulling your shoulder blades together as you move your arms.
  4. Move your arms in a straight line forward and backward, not side to side. Do not swing your arms across your body (I am guilty of doing this often if I don’t concentrate on it.) Keep your hands relaxed and don’t clinch your fists. Think about lightly resting your thumbs on your index fingers, and keep your arms relaxed with a 90-degree angle at the elbow.
  5. Keep your hips level. Try not to move them too much sideways as you swing your legs.
  6. Lift your leg off the ground vs. pushing off with the toes. Try to concentrate on allowing your knees to lead your legs instead of just your feet.
  7. Land on your mid-foot or ball of your foot. We all have those race photos that show us landing directly on our heels, don’t we? Your feet should point straight ahead and your foot should be directly under your hip at initial contact with the ground. Avoid striking the ground with your heel. When your foot makes initial contact, it will roll outward slightly (supination) and then inward (pronation). Landing on your heel may over-stress the knee and leg muscles over time.
  8. Optimize your stride length by striving for a cadence of 180 to 190 steps per minute. To determine what your running cadence is, time yourself running for one minute. Count the number of times either your right or left leg hits the ground and then multiply by 2. Do this several times to make sure you are achieving an accurate, consistent number. There are a number of drills you can find on Runner’s World and other great running sites if you are over or under this common rule of thumb to lengthen or shorten your stride.

It can be really hard to make changes to our running form because it’s something that just comes natural to us without thinking. Consider getting a professional gait analysis by a physical therapist or other reputable endurance sports organization in your area for help on stretches and drills you can do to help you improve your running form and achieve your most efficient stride. You can get an initial idea of your foot mechanics and gait at a local Road Runner Sports as well.

The information shared in this post is from my coaching materials through the North American Academy of Sports Fitness Professionals. This post is part of a series of posts sponsored by Road Runner Sports.

How do you feel about your current running form? Do you need to improve your running form or are you nailing it? Have you ever gotten a professional running mechanics and gait analysis? Any other running form tips you would recommend?

Comments

Abby @ BackAtSquareZero

I am working on the first one. Not letting myself hunch as I get tired.

Tim

All these steps are really great advice for proper form. I used to be the master of the “heal strike.” Then I got a stress fracture and the doc said if I ever want to prevent this from recurring, change my stride to more of a mid foot strike. It took some time, but was finally able to make the change. Haven’t had any shin splint/stress fracture issues since.

Gabrielle from Austria

Oh, that’s what I need: better running form. I am trying to land on my midfoot, that improves things a lot! But I need to build up more strength in my calves and feet. Thanks for those great tips, I’ll work on it!

Zenaida Arroyo

So what shoes were recommended and what did you end up getting?

Laura @ This Runner's Recipes

All great tips! I’m working on improving my turnover and cadence – and while I run on my midfoot usually, I definitely am guilty of heel striking during a race.

Lex @ Flecksoflex

These are wonderful tips!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m starting to run longer distances, and found this information incredibly helpful — particularly the part about keeping my head level. Now I have some goals and tests I can run (teehee) on my next run.

Kyle

Great advice, but #7 isn’t quite accurate.

Landing on your heel first does not necessarily over-stress the knee or leg muscles vs a midfoot landing. A rear vs fore foot strike simply loads the leg muscles and structures differently.

Trying to land under your center of mass is wonderful advice, but there’s little reason to worry if you’re doing this and heel-striking 🙂

rUnladylike

Thanks for your perspective Kyle. I really appreciate it. The National Academy of Sport Fitness Professionals feels that can be a factor with heel striking, but certainly there is a good deal of literature and research out there that conveys varying points and you’re right that they are important for us to know and all be aware of. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights. I appreciate it!

Angie

Great tips! I practiced swinging my arms back and forth instead of across my body today. I never realized how bad I was at swinging across my body until your article – I do it all the time. So I really concentrated on that today and I felt that it opened up my chest more and helped me get deeper breaths. Maybe it was due to something else but I think it helped – until the humidity got me at miles 7-10 and kicked my rear (I lived in the cold Philly winter all year and the 65 degree day today, with the 67% humidity, kicked my ####). Great article!