News Articles

Keeping form when running

Once you are running comfortably it is a good time to think about form. Posture is just as important in running as it can improve efficiency and performance as well as reduce your chance of injuries. Starting from the top here are a few pointers.

-Keep your head up,try not to look down at your feet but about 12 foot in front of you.
-Keep your shoulders relaxed and your chest slightly elevated from the breast bone.
-Arms are very important when you run and help with efficient weight transfer. Elbows are bent to 90 degrees and as you run your arms should alternatively swing back as the opposite leg goes forward.
- Pelvis should be in a neutral position and you should not have a very arched low back.
- Do not take big strides but instead small steps . You should feel that the momentum is forward rather than side to side. Your foot strike should be relatively quiet.

If you feel this is too much to think about in one session pick a couple and work on those and when you feel confident with those move onto another part of the body.
If you feel you need a more in depth analysis we can offer video running analysis to further improve your running technique or if you feel you have a running injury either new or persistent this will certainly be of value.

Rachel, a regular jogger and keen cyclist sought our advice after experiencing bouts of patella pain and then shin splints as she initially built up her mileage on a ParkRun challenge with the dream of completing her first marathon. The video analysis highlighted her running technique was placing stress on her joints and tendons. Screening her, to assess her strength and flexibility, enabled us to formulate an exercise programme to allow her to train, injury free.

Delighted to say, she is enjoying running again, confident that she is on schedule for her first marathon! Rachel shares her experiene with The Physiotherapy Clinic WGC...

'While training for my first marathon I was having real difficulty progressing my mileage without pain in my shins or knee. I decided to book in some time with Mandy and her team for them to analyse my running style. In one session we were able to identify the issue and set some exercises in motion to strengthen and improve my running technique. Since that appointment I can safely say things have only improved, I run without pain and am looking forward to getting to the start line of the London Marathon this Oct.
Thank you Mandy!'

Posted by: AislingBirch
Date: Tue, April 07, 2020