Friday, July 20, 2012

Why proper running form matters and how to get it


When it comes to staying injury-free while running –or doing any other form of high intensity exercise—proper form is king. If you have good running form, then expect high running efficiency, be less prone to injury, thus you’ll run farther and faster with less fatigue. 

On the other hand, bad form is the root-cause of injuries and a plethora of problems.
Without further ado, here are some of the best good form practices:

Get the right posture

Good posture is key to proper form. Therefore, make sure to develop an upright and relaxed posture with a slight forward lean. This helps you run with a more efficient drive and lowers the running induced stress on the body. For more, get your core strength in check by doing regular whole body strength training workouts.

Land on the fore-foot

Most runners are heel-landers, meaning  they land on the heel when striking the ground. This is the recipe for disaster as doing so has been shown to cause overuse injuries such runner’s knee and other troubles. Instead, make sure to land on the fore-foot by cultivating a quick and short stride.
 
Instill relaxation

If you’re body is relaxed when running and exercising, you’ll become an efficient athlete, doubtless. Therefore, make sure to get into the practice of relaxing your body—even when being under the stress of exercise—by taking deep breaths and letting go of any tension or built-up un-easiness.

No comments:

Post a Comment