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Running is an often prescribed cardiovascular exercise and yet it is the least taught in terms of technique. Trainers teach different movements like squats, deadlifts, or jumps in exhausting detail and yet when it comes to running, they normally just tell trainees to "go out and run" and hope they don't get injured.
A form of running I recommend and teach is the Pose Method of running. Conventional long distance running technique uses a heel-strike method: Keeping your posture straight, you land on the heel, roll onto the ball of your foot, push off with the toes, and repeat with the other foot. Sprinting, on the other hand, calls for the runner to lean forward slightly and to always stay on the balls of the feet, using your hamstrings to lift your feet. The Pose Method essentially takes the sprinting technique and uses it for long distance running.
Pose Method pointers:
- Lean forward slightly as you run (1-10 degrees of forward lean)--you should feel as if you are about to fall forward and your feet are catching you from falling. You are using gravity to assist your run.
- Stay on the balls of your feet. This may cause some discomfort for your calves at first--especially if you are accustomed to conventional running. However by eliminating heel strike, you are decreasing your chances of injury. Many running injuries are caused by lack of stability due to improper heel strike. Improper heel strike is also the reason you spend a lot of money on shoes that offer stability or motion control.
- Your feet should land under your hips, not in front of your body. When your feet land in front of your body, you are creating a braking effect: your footstrike decelerates your forward momentum and the legs have to work to regain the momentum again. When your foot lands under your hips, you maintain forward momentum and your legs conserve energy.
- Use your hamstrings. When your foot hits the ground, immediately activiate the hamstrings to lift the foot off again and provide a slight push off. Focus on having the feet spend as little time as possible on the ground: lift it up as soon as it touches the ground.
If you need more instruction, please contact me. For more resources on the Pose Method of running, here are some links:
www.posetech.com
http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/pose-running-technique.html
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