Running blog: Part two

by Mark Mullen DC (Chiropractor)

Running technique for injury avoidance and speed 

Welcome back ye who are (and those who would be) fleet of foot. Glorious March! New year resolutioners pounding the streets and I’ve already had my yearly patient who pulled a hammy slipping on ice but, spring marathons wait for no human. So we (meaning you, not me) gotta defy the dark, cold winter and get those miles up. 

** Note – If you haven’t read the first part of this blog I would suggest going back as I build running technique from the floor and this blog will concern itself primarily with the bellybutton up aspects of running form.** 

Arm crossover swing (avoiding it) 

Here’s you thinking crossover was just a lower body thing ehh? Well swap stride for swing and we’ve got the arms doing all sorts of fancy macarenas that contribute nothing to forward momentum, and put you at risk of repetitive strain injuries. Unlike foot strike there’s a broader range of good arm positions and a bit of creative license but there are hard NOPES to avoid. First and foremost, neither arm should cross the midline of the body. 

Purists would then argue the arms should stay loose by the side and never be found in front of the torso but I wouldn’t be as dictatorial as all that. Arms crossing the sternum however is a sin as it creates torque (rotational forces) on the core that you’ve gotta waste precious energies resisting. What’s more if the arms swing front to back as opposed to side to side they add forward momentum which is the whole game here people! 

This diagram shows both the arms swinging alongside the body and also the relaxed angle at the elbow with the hands swinging around the belly button/hips 

Elbow angle 

Once again the angle of the elbow is a point of debate and there’s excellent runners utilising a range of positions but the extremes are out. Elbows harshly bent with hands at the chest, or fully straight with hands alongside knees, are both bad form. Ideally the angle should be somewhere between 80-100 degrees with the hands swinging alongside the body so their swinging adds forward momentum. This also helps to stop the shoulders creeping up towards the ears. 

Torso angle. 

Torso position is an interesting one because there’s a natural inclination to want to run upright, chest open and shoulders back. However because we’re moving forward relative to the ground, being fully upright puts pressure on the lower back and is a common cause of spinal discomfort in distance runners. Counter-intuitive though it may sound we want the whole body leaning forward at 3-5 degrees as this ensures our momentum is forward and 

takes pressure off the spine. 

I’ve found the best cue is to lean slightly from the ankles so the whole body is tilted slightly forward, it’ll feel a bit like if you were to lean forward until you had to step and catch yourself. Then focus your line of sight on a spot on the pavement roughly 50-100 metres ahead of you. Do however still make a point of observing the ground under your feet as stacking it because you didn’t see a kerb is a sure-fire way to delay your next PB by a few weeks. 

In conclusion 

And that’s that, running posture (at least the basic of it) nailed! I know you’re thinking, here, he said there were seven key points but that’s only six? Well don’t be getting smart, we’d typically assess ankle lean and torso position as two separate points but I’ve combined them to make your life simpler. But if you really want a seventh point here’s another key bit of running form. Good form! 

Get out there, get the miles under you and enjoy every second. Listen to your body and if the batteries running low do an active recovery jog, some yoga or hit the sauna. It’s more important to keep a programme on track overall that to hit any given session and putting your trainers on should be a pleasure. Here, I feel all inspired. Might even go for a run myself… In April. Well, May, may-be June… we’ll see. 

What if I just can’t make my form work? 

If you’re a runner and concerned about your form, or have tried to correct form but found it impossible give us a call and book in with Mark. There may be musculoskeletal dysfunctions preventing you from running like the wild horse you truly are and Mark would love to help out.