Pimp Your Stride

More spring in three simple steps

IF YOU THINK ELITE RUNNERS always look like they have more of a spring in their step than the rest of us, new research1 has just proven you right. The study compared recreational and elite runners running at the same speeds, and found elites have a more ‘bouncy’ running style. They spend 11 per cent more time with neither foot touching the ground, which was in contrast to the flatter running style – meaning more ground contact time – of the recreational runners.

‘The elite are in the air more, and as soon as you’re in the air, it’s a free ride,’ says senior research fellow Dr Steve Preece. However, he also warned that runners who attempt to go faster by increasing stride length may risk reducing the bounce factor and end up actually going slower. Try these three exercises (right), recommended by Everyone Active, to put some spring in your step. Percentage (on average) by which runners slow down during a marathon.