Focus on your running form
RUNNING FORM and awareness of this form while running is important to maximize speed while minimising risk of potential injury. There are some simple cues to consider when out on a run to best use the elastic energy stored within the body.
Our hips, knees, ankles and feet work together with our muscles and connective tissue to ‘propel’ us along very efficiently.
Your form develops over time, the key is to focus on the fundamentals first. Alignment refers to our posture. If you can maintain good alignment while remembering to breathe and relax you will become a more efficient runner less likely to become injured.
When considering your posture, your feet should be hip width apart with your feet facing forward – avoid a duck footed position. Knees should remain soft or ‘unlocked’. Lengthen your spine like someone is pulling you on a puppet string from the top of your head. Shoulder blades should be down and back against your ribcage. Imagine a line connecting hips over ankles, shoulders over hips and ears over shoulders. It is tough to grasp all these concepts at once so focus on each segment and gradually progress your awareness over time to considering all cues.
Connect the dots into an imaginary line... ears, shoulders, hips, ankles and you are now ready to walk/run. Gently lean forward from the ankles while keeping your imaginary line intact. As soon as you feel a gentle pull of momentum allow your body to move forward. Remembering to breathe and remain relaxed while aligned with a little lean will improve your overall efficiency. When running your feet should land softly, ideally underneath you. If your feet land too far ahead of you, you will be fighting yourself on every stride. Some compare it to ‘driving with the brakes on’.
The knee of the landing leg should be soft so it can act as a shock absorber. Hands should be relaxed as if you are carrying something delicate in your hand. Imagine your wrists ‘velcroed’ to your side as they follow a natural swing. We recommend trying to do a little warm-up jog with a bamboo or light PVC pipe placed behind your back with elbows at 90 degrees to help physically enforce some of the above postural cues.
Trying to constantly improve form will benefit two fold, making you faster with less effort while minimising injury risk.
by Dr Bryan Crouch and Dr Julie Kirwan of Crouch & Kirwan Chartered Physiotherapists, 15 Abbey Square Centre, Enniscorthy Rest fully stretching only. Walk/run for 30 min. Cross training in gym. Walk/run 30 min. Full rest day. Walk/run 30 min. Walk/run 60 min.
This week again, don’t push the running time too far. You can keep the run walk times equal: for example, four-minute run and fourminute walk.
Ensure you are fully hydrated before starting to train and aim to minimise dehydration during your exercise. Thirst is a signal that your body is heading towards dehydration therefore, it is important to drink before you feel thirsty and to drink throughout the day. Aim to drink two to three litres of water sipping throughout the day and try adding lemons, limes, ginger, cucumber, mint etc for extra flavour as water can be very bland and boring thirst is not a good indicator of hydration and should not be used to monitor hydration status. You should check the colour of your urine everyday to ensure proper hydration and have a urine chart to do so.
Dehydration can result in reduced endurance and strength, it also causes fatigue, muscle weakness, poor concentration, headaches, and dizziness and decreased metabolism. Exercise can lead to substantial water and electrolyte loss from sweat leading to dehydration however considerable variability exists from person to person with regard to sweat loss.
Dioralyte sachets are a great way of replacing electrolytes after your training and can be purchased in most chemists. If water and electrolytes are not replaced from these losses, you will have a decrease in performance and perhaps an adverse effect on your overall health.