This has become an on-again-off-again post about Running in LoseIt.
All levels of runner are welcome here, from first timers to experienced marathoners. We welcome someone who just ran for the first time or is just starting couch to 5K (r/c25k) as eagerly as someone who has thousands of miles of experience.
This post is for sharing your weekly progress or excitement with running. From training you got in this last week, your first run, a virtual race, or a real race, we'd love to hear what you did. Got a running related NSV (non-scale victory), we'd love to hear. Have a question or need advice, we are here to help.
In addition to sharing your progress each week, I ramble on about some topic related to running. This week's topic - running form tips.
Running Form - Introduction
There's a lot of information about how to change your running form out there to make it perfect or better. But time and time again, there's good evidence that there's no better form than what just feels natural for you.
So instead of saying run this way, do this with your foot, don't do this with your arms -- I'm an going to provide some things I call cues or guided coaching tips to help with your form.
First Tip - Head up, Looking Forward
I used to be a real shoegazer when running. I kept finding myself looking at my feet, the ground right in front of me, the curb I was hopping up on, etc. This was not a good way to run -- even if I had a great avoidance record for road debris. :)
I realized if I looked up and ahead I could feel the stress/pressure on my shins lessen. I felt my core/hips working less to keep me from slumping. I started to hold my head up. Look ahead mostly, and learned to look down without pointing my hold head.
The standard advice here is run head up, eyes looking at the ground ahead about 20 feet / 3-4 meters. It is the best, top tip I've found to running easier and with less strain on your body.
Second Tip - Open, Relaxed Shoulders
I tend to hold my shoulders up a bit as I run. Over time, say 45-60 minutes, my hand sorta feels numb from this. My arms, tired from swinging. I am more interesting in running longer than faster. Those tense shoulders catch up to you over time. This really throws a wrench into my whole upper body,
I've learned to just relax my shoulders. The cue I use is to open up the space between my ears and my shoulders. I don't pull them back or push them down or out. Just let them fall and be relaxed. This one makes the arm motion of longer runs way more manageable. My whole upper body and my head position are way more natural and "ease" of holding a good running form skyrockets.
Third Tip - Tailbone tucked in a little
This is the most recent one I've learned. I'm definitely a little slumpy when I run. I counter this mostly with a lightly activated lower abs and nice glute firing on my push off. But I realized recently I was still not holding my hips right. I was wasting energy on the push off with squishy/slumpy hip position.
I read that you should run with a slight sense of tucking your tailbone in, or between your legs. Not excessively, just enough to hold yourself a little more upright and to give you a strong torso position when you push off. Well, gosh darn it, that works well.
My recommendation -- just a slight sense of tucking in your tailbone almost like your pushing your hips forward a little or leading with your hips.
Last Tip - Fire Them Glutes
I put this last because it can be harder than the first three. It's really pretty much #2 for me after the head up.
When you push off with your toes/foot I used to be all leg. As a result, my legs especially my quads and calves would tire out fast. Mostly my calves -- as I found myself pushing off with my calves like with calf raise to propel myself forward.
One of the major things I've developed with all my exercising is a good sense of my glutes (and hips) activating. I found from decades (yes, close to three inactive decades) of sitting on my bum that my glutes and hips were lazy AF. They didn't want to do much no matter how much I asked them. So I've really worked hard to get a good feel for them and how to tell them to get moving dammit.
When you push off you want your glute involved. For me I really know when this is happening when I feel just one glute working. Most of the time you learn activation by just clenching a little to get them involved. Well, try clenching one cheek sometime. But, in fact, that's what it feels like as you engage the glute on the one leg as you push off.
If you are having trouble with this -- I find that doing a bodyweight donkey kick might give you an idea of how it feels. Now, you might not feel it right away, but do 40-50 of them per side until you do. Also, single leg glute bridges.
What's your favorite form tip for new runners?
Have a form tip for new runners? Please share!
That's all for this week!
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/q7o2gy/running_with_loseit_10132021_running_form_tips/
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