Did you know? If your running posture is incorrect, your body could be at risk.
So, what exactly is the correct running posture?
Head Position
Most runners tend to sway their heads from side to side or run with their heads down, which is incorrect. Swaying the head causes the body to sway, and running with the head down affects breathing. The correct posture is to look straight ahead without looking around.
Chest and Abdomen Position
Hunching the chest and pulling in the abdomen lowers our center of gravity, consumes extra energy, and compresses the lungs, affecting oxygen intake. The correct posture is to keep the head up, chest out, and lean the body forward.
Arm Swing
Many people tend to swing their arms too widely or have too large an elbow angle, or keep their arms too tense. The correct posture is to keep the elbow angle at about 90 degrees, hands half-clenched, and not let the hands cross the body's midline while swinging. Maintain a relaxed and coordinated state.
Stride and Cadence
A stride that is too large shifts the center of gravity backward, increasing the burden on the knee joints and consuming more energy. A cadence that is too slow increases the friction time between the feet and the ground, affecting speed. The ideal cadence is about 180 steps per minute. If your stride is too large, practice running with smaller and quicker steps. If your cadence is too slow, count the number of footfalls per minute or use music with a 180 beats per minute tempo to improve cadence.
Foot Strike
There are three types of foot strikes:
The first type is heel strike, commonly used by recreational runners. It does not require much strength in the lower limb muscles, joints, and ligaments but puts more impact on the knee joints.
The second type is forefoot strike, which minimizes impact on the knee joints and allows for the fastest speed. This requires strong lower limb muscles and ligaments.
The third type is midfoot strike, which is a compromise and is commonly used by experienced amateur runners.
There is no absolute right or wrong among these three methods. Each person should choose their foot strike based on their own condition.