With Biokineticist; Mishka Nair

Whether it be the avid runner or the person who just feels they need to get up and get fit; running seems to be one mode of exercise many people turn to when they feel they need a good workout. 

Running really is an excellent form of exercising the body. It is a full-body workout (as I’m sure one may feel the day after a good run), it is a good form of cardiovascular exercise, and it can be one of the best ways to burn unwanted fat. Another great thing about running is that you really don’t need much-just some comfortable clothes and a pair of running shoes, which means it’s inexpensive and can be done almost anywhere.

However, as good as running can be for you, it can also do damage to your body if done incorrectly (aka bad running posture). Everyone talks about the importance of having good posture when you’re sitting at your desk, but having good posture when you’re running is just as important! 

You know that old song about your hip bone connected to your back bone and your back bone connected to your shoulder bone etc…it’s all right! And more importantly, those connections affect the way the entire body works. The body works as a connected chain-one part always affects another part and so on and so on. This concept becomes even more important when it comes to full-body movements such as running

There are two main goals we are trying to achieve with good running posture; the first is obviously to prevent injuries and unnecessary aches and pains, and the second is to be able to run as efficiently as possible (no need to make the exercise harder than it already is).

Head and Neck:

• Your gaze (and therefore your head) should be looking straight ahead of you, or on the road a few metres in front of you (not down at your feet, and not up to the point where your chin is lifting up towards the sky). Think about the back of your neck being nice and straight. 
• Your neck should also be nicely aligned with your spine(think of your ears being in line with your shoulders). Your head shouldn’t be protruding forward, which tends to happen a lot with runners. (refer to figure 1)

Chest & Shoulders:

• Your chest should be up, and your shoulders pulled back(not slouching or hunching over). Think about pulling your shoulder-blades towards each other
• Your shoulders must be relaxed and not pulled up towards your ears

Torso:

• Your core should always be activated when running. This is important to keep your torso upright and your spine straightso that you’re not rounding your back and hunching over. There should also be a slight, easy rotation in your trunk whilst running. Your torso should not be stiff and rigid.

Arms & Hands:

• Your arms should be bent at about 90 degrees and should move with easy at your sides, they should not be rigid and stiff. Your hands should move backwards towards your hips and then upwards towards your face (this movement should come from your shoulders and not at your elbows). It is also important to keep your elbows close to your sides and not flaring out. It your elbows flare out it is very likely that your arms are moving across your body instead of in line with your body, and this decreases your running efficiency.
• Keep your hands relaxed and not balled up into tight fists.

Hips:

• Your hips should be facing forwardand should be nice and stable, not hiking up and down. There should also be a slight hinge in your hips so that you’re leaning slightly forward whilst running. (refer to figure 3)

Knees:

• Your knees should also be facing forward(following in line with your toes and your hips). It is very important that your knees don’t fall inwards in order to prevent injuries. This is generally corrected by working on your glute activation and strength. (refer to figure 4)

Feet & Ankles:

• Your feet and toes should be facing forward, straight ahead of you, not inwards or outwards. (refer to figure 5 & figure 6)
• Your feet should also be landing “straight” and nicely balanced, meaning your ankles shouldn’t be collapsing inwards (refer to figure 7)or outwards (refer to figure 8)(otherwise known as pronation or supination respectively). Generally, it is best to land on the ball of your foot instead of on your toes or with a flat foot, however everyone has different foot strikes, and so rather focus on your toes and ankles being straight.

So, here’s an overview of what good running posture should look like from head to toe. It may seem like a lot but the general two main rules to follow are; Keep everything facing forward in a nice straight alignment,and, don’t waste energy on unnecessarily tensing up, stiffening, or tightly clenching or holding. (refer to figure 9 & figure 10)