How to Run Better?

Running is the best exercise to lose weight and get in shape. Starting running is like embarking on a new adventure, particularly for people who are not runners. Like any adventure, a lot of thrill is in the journey itself. At the end of the journey, you are surprised at how far you have come and what you have accomplished.

One of the great things about running is that after a few races, most runners become hooked and look for ways to improve running performance. Self-improvement is a fun and exciting adventure. And it doesn't take long after celebrating one performance that you'll want to set your next running goal.

Running form is a critical part of running performance and injury prevention. Correct running form and running mechanics will make you a more efficient runner and will improve your running economy and efficiency. You will be able to run easier, faster and farther. Poor running form will slow you down, decrease your efficiency and can even be the cause of many running injuries. So here are some tips to help you improve your form:

• Head: Keep your head tilted down slightly, three to five degrees from your torso. Look forward at the ground in front of you, 10 to 20 feet ahead, and concentrate on trying to run in a straight line. Your jaw and neck should be relaxed.

• Shoulders: Keep them relaxed and square, and do not hunch over because this tends to restrict the breathing passage, allowing less oxygen to get to working muscles.

• Torso: Bend slightly forward from the waist to create a bit of a forward lean. If you lean back, it creates pulling from the hips and is inefficient.

• Arms: Arms should be held low, bent at a 90-degree angle and relaxed. As you run, swing your arms up and down. The arm movement should minimize the rotation of the torso. Arms should move in conjunction with your legs. Remember that fast arms equal fast feet, so they should be used to propel you forward.

• Hands: Your thumbs should gently touch the top half of your index fingers with your hand cupped. If you clench your hands together too tightly, or stick your thumbs straight up, it could cause tightness in your arms, which may drift into your shoulders, neck, and lower back, causing an unproductive and uncomfortable stride.

• Hips: Hips should be in line with head and shoulders. Your foot should strike directly under your hips, i.e your center of gravity.

• Knees: A common mistake many runners make, especially when trying to increase their speed is to reach out with a straight leg. A straight leg will cause the braking effect as well as drastically increasing the amount of impact stress on your knees and hips. Keep your knees soft and slightly bent. That will encourage a smooth, fluid and easy stride that will minimize stress and take full advantage of your forward momentum.

• Foot: You have three choices for your foot angle at touchdown: heel first, toes first and middle of your foot first. Landing on your toes puts way too much stress on your calf muscles, which can lead to shin splints. Running on your toes can also lead to bouncing, which is an inefficient way to run. Landing on your heels means you have overstrided and you're, essentially, hitting the brakes with every stride. It also increases the impact stress on your ankles, knees and hips. The besy way is to land on the middle of your foot, and then roll through to the front of your toes. Landing on the middle of your foot avoid overstriding, eliminates the braking effect and doesn't waste any energy. Focus on landing on the balls of your feet, with your foot directly underneath your body with every step.

Once you have the proper form, the next thing to focus on is Stride. Your running stride depends upon two variables

• Stride length
• Stride rate

To run better you need to improve both of these variables. A lot of attention has been placed on increasing stride rate in recent years. Studies reveal that raising your stride rate to around 90 full strides per minute is one of the most efficient ways to improve your running economy. Here are a few tips to increase your stride:

• Increase your Running Strength: You need to improve your running strength. Stronger muscles are like stronger springs. They have greater power potential. The best way to improve your running strength is by performing running specific strength exercises like bench step ups, stride step ups and one leg squats.

• Take Shorter Steps: If you try to take long steps to increase your stride length you will end up reaching out in front of your center of gravity and landing on your heel. You will be putting the brakes on with every step you take. You will also be increasing the stress on your ankles, knees, hip and back, increasing your risk of injury. Remember, your steps should be shorter and more compact.

• Don't Bounce: To avoid bouncing, always run with soft knees. You should never totally extend your leg. If you do, you will end up over striding and creating vertical movement. Also concentrate on compact, smooth strides and a dorsi-flexed foot. Your stride should be smooth, fluid and rotary in motion almost like riding a bike.

• Run Hills: Running uphill is one of the most efficient ways to improve your power and increase your stride length. Running uphill requires greater hip extension and more power output than level ground running. It also promotes a flat footed foot strike under your center of gravity and encourages a whole body forward lean.

When you start trying to improve running performance, you're going to want to cram as much in as you can in the shortest time possible. But if you try to streamline this process and reduce the rest or if you introduce too many hard workouts in a short-period of time, you will become more prone to injury and could set yourselves back many months. So please take the time needed to make gradual improvement and increases in stress; you'll make out much better in the "long run"!