How do you do well
Since I learned to walk, I love to run.
Some take their first steps at 6 months of age, others at 12 or 18 months. From walking to running there is only one step, but the next step is learning how to run well. In fact, this seemingly natural gesture can also be poorly implemented. Let's find out together what pitfalls to avoid and how to learn to run well ... so that you never stop! Above all, it is necessary to make a difference between running technique and speed: in fact, even the fastest runners do not necessarily use the correct technique.
A steady pace is not synonymous with running quality.
Furthermore, most runners either don't realize the damage caused by poor running technique, or realize it years later, when the effects of cartilage stress and tissue inflammation begin to wear off. "Bad" running causes excessive stress on the back and knees.
- How to Run Well: A Small Guide
- Align the center of gravity
- stand straight
- Take short, quick steps
- Put the forefoot, not the heel.
How do you know you are running poorly? Good tip: listen to your body. If you feel pain or tension in your arms, shoulders or back when you run, you need to correct your running style.
Running is a linear sport whose goal is to progress along a straight path, keeping the center of gravity aligned with the leg touching the ground. One common mistake runners make is to move their arms too much, which negatively affects the stability of the core. The exaggerated swing of the arms forces us to turn the statue slightly, causing our center of gravity to shift.
For proper alignment, imagine that your body crosses a center line, and check the position of your hands every 30 to 50 steps while swinging the arms: If you see your thumb and index finger, your hands are beyond the imaginary center line. Move your hands away from your hips and imagine reaching an imaginary back pocket every time you swing your arms back. This lengthens the movement along a straight path, and reduces the swing of your torso.
Another common mistake is taking a bent position due to the fact that the torso is positioned too far forward in relation to the pelvis. This incorrect posture can be the cause of many common injuries, and also causes dispersal of forces, which can be moved to improve your running speed or distance. When you run, remember to raise your head, and imagine that it is being pulled by an imaginary string that goes through your entire body and comes out of the top of your head. This will allow you to align your neck with your spine.
So, raise your head, put your chin parallel to your chest and your eyes straight ahead, and look at the floor at a distance proportional to your stature, not your feet. Once you find a good vertical position, all you have to do is stretch forward by working on your ankles, without bending at pelvic level, and keeping your weight slightly forward.
From a technical point of view, a stride is the distance traveled by a foot from the moment you step off the ground to the next support. The first tip is to avoid steps that are too long, due to the tendency to throw the foot forward a lot: the best step is short and fast. The most important thing is to keep the knee aligned with the ankle, so that the foot is on the ground behind the knee. Improper knee and ankle alignment is a major cause of running injuries.
A constant pace (steps per minute) allows for short, quick steps and supports the central part of the foot. Try running at 180 steps per minute.
You should be able to gradually increase your step so as not to injure yourself and gradually build up the muscles in your legs. In addition, an excessive increase in the stride can reduce your pace, without accelerating. The goal is to get a more efficient step to be faster, by working on the strength and efficiency of the step, to repeat the same step. Therefore, change your running gradually to allow your body to get used to it. By shortening the training time and decreasing the speed of running and jogging for shorter distances.
Another important tip: run lightly, without trampling the ground but, on the contrary, as if you were landing on fresh snow without leaving footprints. This recognized poetic image serves to remind you to put the ball of your foot on the ground first, not your heels. This does not mean running on your tiptoes, which can injure your calf and Achilles tendons. The foot should be flat, that is, it should fall naturally under the influence of gravity, without effort. On the other hand, if the tip of the foot is raised at the moment of support, this means that you put your heels first.
We know that the effort involved in running feels overwhelming at first, especially if you're just starting out. But this will change. Our body is designed to run and enjoy running, it just has to remember that and learn to do it right. Give your body time to get used to running, and nothing will stop you once you find the right technique.