Beginner's guide to running, part two

Although we all know the basic ‘how to’ of running (left foot, right foot…) it does help to know a few basic pointers about good technique, to make your running as smooth and efficient as possible.

Eyes: Your eyes should be focusing on the ground 10-15m in front of you when running, not looking at your feet.

Face: Relax your face. Try smiling, even – research shows that when we clench the jaw, neural signals are sent along the spinal cord, causing us to ‘brace’ our posture and tense up.

Head: Your head weighs 7-10 lbs, so where you hold it has considerable bearing on the stress it places on your joints and the effort it takes to hold it there. Don’t drop the head – but equally, don’t pull it back. The other thing to be aware of is allowing your head to jut forward on your neck, a position many of us adopt sitting in front of a computer or TV, and unwittingly continue with when we run.

Shoulders: Tense, tight shoulders are a common sight in runners. One of the key causes is clenched fists, but fatigue, or a muscle imbalance between the shoulder retractors (that pull the shoulder girdle back) and protractors (that draw it forward), can be to blame. Strengthening the upper and mid back muscles and stretching the chest can help rectify this.

Arms: Picture your arms as pistons firing you forward when you're running, like a machine. This should give you the correct arm position, with elbows bent somewhere close to 90º. But don’t try too hard, the effort only needs to come when you are driving the arm forward, it’ll come back on its own. Moving your arms faster makes your legs move faster, so use more arm power when you’re running hard, less if you’re jogging.

Hands: Clenched fists are not conducive to relaxed running. But then again, hands flopping around like a rag doll won’t help, either. It can help to imagine you are holding a crisp between each thumb and forefinger – tight enough to keep hold of it but not so tight that you crush it.

Back: Your torso should be perpendicular to the ground, back straight and navel pulled gently to your spine. Try not to arch back or lean forward, which can throw your alignment off or restrict your breathing.

Hips: Visualise growing taller with every step – this should help you avoid slumping on to the pelvis, a position which compromises your core stability.

Knees: Aim for a reasonable knee lift with each stride but don’t worry about reaching your heels to your bottom (unless you are sprinting), and ignore any irritating hecklers who shout ‘knees up’ as you past.

Ankles: Don’t grip with the front of your ankles, particularly on hills. Many of us have a tendency to run with rigid ankles, which doesn’t help with shock dissipation or a smooth stride.

Feet: Relax your toes. Land on the heel and roll smoothly through to the forefoot. Don’t deliberately ‘flick’ off the toes as your foot leaves the ground.

See, there’s more to this running lark than you thought!

To carry out a body scan ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there any tightness in your jaw or shoulders?
• Are you clenching your fists, or holding your ankles rigid?
• Do you feel half an inch shorter than when you set out?

A body scan is one of the simplest ways of tuning into your body and getting more out of your run with very little effort.

Breathing during running
Finally, breathing is another thing that you might want to rethink once you become a runner. Some running experts recommend breathing through your nose, the idea being that mouth breathing tends to be shallower and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system – which is associated with the fight or flight response; but a study from Liverpool John Moores University showed that once exercise is just moderately hard, the most efficient way of breathing in and out is through the mouth, not the nose.

The bottom line is do what feels best for you. It can help to have a steady rhythm, however – breathing in and out for the same number of foot strikes.