February 27, 2018
By: Mark Kalladeen,
Fitness Center Trainer

5 Tips on how to Improve your Running Form

For the month of March, The Connection will be hosting a “Member’s Choice Marathon”. You, the member, can pledge to do a Marathon worth of miles throughout the month to benefit our Community Service and Scholarship Fund. Our job as Personal Trainers in the Fitness Center will be to help you run with good form so that you can achieve those miles with ease.

With that being said, running can be a great addition to your fitness plan. If done properly, you can increase your distance and speed by using the correct form.

Here are five tips to improve your form:

• Your Running Posture
  Hold your head high, centered between your shoulders, and your back straight. Focus your gaze ahead of you instead of straight down. Relax your jaw and neck. Keep your shoulders relaxed and parallel to the ground.

• Arms and Hands
  You want a light grasp of your hands. I always pinch my thumb and index finger together and hold that lightly, letting my hands sway. As your arms pump along your sides, your elbows should swing somewhere between your chest and waistline. The faster you pump your arms the faster your legs go.

• Breathing
  Deep abdominal or “stomach” breathing is ideal for running. To practice belly breathing, lie flat on your back with a book on your abdomen. Slowly inhale as you watch the book rise, and then lower the book by slowly exhaling.

• Foot-strike
  You should have a heel to toe foot strike onto the ground. This will help aid your foot in preventing injury caused by over pronation or supination.

• Run to the Hills
  While going uphill, pick up your knees and shorten your stride while increasing your stride rate. Pump your arms at a slightly faster pace, keeping in mind that the steeper the hill, the more arm motion you will need to climb uphill. While running downhill keep your body at the same angle as the hill and lower your arms. Try to land lightly on the ball of your foot.

Walk or run with us in Briant Park at 9:00am on Saturday, March 3, 10, or 24 – you can count all your outdoor miles towards the Member’s Choice Marathon! For more information about our Member’s Choice Marathon stop into the Fitness Center today!