Can You Run: What is the Correct Running Form
Dec 20, 2023
Smart Watch Fitness
For most people, running seems to be an innate skill that can be run without learning. So many amateur runners have never learned how to run, and they may have never been taught how to run with correct posture and anatomical structure.
So today I will talk to you about a topic that seems not to be related to injury protection-how to run. But please be clear first, most of what I'm talking about here today is aimed at novices. Runners who have experience and have been running for many years, if they have not suffered any obvious injuries, it is best to continue running according to your habits. This sounds like no scientific content. The best way to improve your running style is to run more. Action requires theoretical guidance, but good results must be taken.
Let me talk about the technical principles of running first. The most important thing is to increase your stride frequency and reduce your stride length. Stride length refers to the number of steps you run per minute, and most good runners have a stride length of about 180 steps per minute (both feet counted). Ideally, when running comfortably, your stride should reach 170 steps per minute. It is not too difficult to achieve this frequency when you run faster. If this frequency is still not reached, it can be increased by 5% every 2-3 weeks or so. The latest research shows that a higher stride frequency reduces the impact force on the legs, improves running efficiency and reduces the risk of injury.
Proper kick time. Novice runners often have a tendency to "stretch their feet forward" in order to achieve a larger stride. Doing so will cause the heel to strike the ground excessively forward, and this landing point will exceed the projection line of your entire body. This must be avoided. The correct way is to let your feet land under your body, not over your body. Novice runners tend to just pay attention to which part of the foot hits the ground first, which is less important than keeping the foot strikes underneath your body. Keeping your cadence at 170 steps per minute and keeping your feet on the ground will greatly improve your running efficiency. So when you run, always remind yourself to pay attention to these two points, and not to extend your feet or legs in front of your body.
Maintain good body posture. Try to keep your body elevated when running, so that you can minimize the bad posture of hunched over. Although many novice runners know that they need to lean forward when running, they often bend forward. In other words, they only lean forward with the trunk, and the body parts below the waist do not move forward with the trunk. tilt. The correct posture is that the whole body is slightly tilted forward from the ankle, so that the trunk, waist, hip and lower limbs are kept in a straight line. This will come naturally when you focus on keeping your body tall and your back straight as you run. Imagine that there is a thread hanging from the top of your head connecting your entire spine, waist, hips and lower limbs, and someone pulls the thread upwards on the top of your head to straighten your body, so that you will hold your head up when you run , keeping the body elevated.
When you can gradually and consciously implement these items into your running practice, you will gradually feel that running will become more and more comfortable, and the chance of injury will be reduced. In fact, most amateur runners fail to follow these principles, and they will face longer bottleneck periods and more chronic strain.
Especially for amateur runners who want to compete, these principles are even more important. In the process of training, in addition to simple running training, it is very necessary to maintain regular strength training, strengthen running style and posture, and focus on diversified training for physical recovery. Setting long-term goals and a step-by-step implementation plan to achieve this goal is much more meaningful than just pursuing how much you run every week. This is where the BP Smartwatch can play a huge role and monitor your running progress.