Running is a high impact sport that can boost your cardiovascular health, build muscular strength and cause significant back pain if not done properly. As your feet hit the ground, impact force is sent throughout your joints, muscles and spine. Bad running posture means that your joints are not aligned and your muscles are being misused and strained. The ground's impact on your body greatly increases when things aren't where they should be.
Consider the spine of a runner. Intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers between vertebrae. The normal shape of the spine positions the discs to take on somewhat even loading. Now consider what happens to the spine as it begins to change shape -- when slouching forward, for example. The lumbar arch flattens out and the upper back and shoulders slump forward. The spine is now stretched, causing stress to the facet joints that connect vertebrae together. The angle of the vertebrae in relation to one another has changed, meaning the discs in between them are now experiencing uneven loading. Bad posture can cause disc herniation in people with sedentary lifestyles over time. For a runner, discs that aren't loaded optimally are more susceptible to damage, since the shock they must absorb is much greater.
Whether you're about to take your first run or you're an old pro, it's important to assess your running form. New runners can prevent back pain, muscle imbalances, joint pain and disc damage this way, and those who have developed such problems can begin to address them.
5 Form Tips
Consider the following general form tips on your run, staring from the head down:
Your head should be centered over your shoulders and pointed straight ahead, not looking up or down. This encourages proper spinal alignment and eliminates muscle strain in the upper back and shoulders caused by forward head.
Shoulders tend to tense up when we work. Runners should be very aware of their shoulders, making sure they don't rise and tighten on the run. Keep the shoulders low, loose and level.
The torso should be upright, eliminating strain on the lower back muscles and facilitating the neutral position of the hips. If you allow your torso to hunch forward as you tire, your pelvis will also tilt forward.
The pelvis should be level. Pelvic stability and alignment are very important for a number of reasons. The pelvis houses the base of your spine, acts as your center of gravity and determines the alignment of your upper and lower body. If you stick your butt out or tuck it in, you are changing both the lower body's and the upper body's alignment, as well as creating uneven tension throughout the hips. Your run can only be efficient and pain-free if you keep your pelvis aligned.
Your feet should strike the ground at the front of the heel and roll forward onto the toes. Your feet should not slam into the ground, making a loud noise. The push-off should be smooth and quiet; this is both the most efficient and the least jarring technique.
Body awareness is the runner's best friend. It is wise to begin a well-rounded light exercise regimen before jumping into the sport, making sure commonly weak muscles, such as the gluteal group in the buttocks, the hamstrings in the back of the thigh and the deep abdominal muscles in the stomach, are strong enough to support proper form. While running, try a top-down approach to adjusting your form beginning with the head. Taking care of your body will ensure you can run for years to come.
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