So, you are stuck behind the desk all day and you need some physical exercise to counterbalance all that sitting. You might think to yourself – “Well I will start running. It’s good exercise and I get to listen to my favorite tunes.” This is a really good decision, and some fresh air will also be good plus you should start running instead of just betting on it with bet365 bonus code. You get your running shoes, your perfect playlist and shortly afterwards you start hearing about all these tips and tricks about running form. What? It’s just running, we do it naturally, all of this seems like something only athletes should care about right?
Well yes and no. Truth be told there is a proper way to run, and if you want to participate in marathons, half-marathons, or other races you should care about it, but it’s also useful for casual running. Here we will talk about proper running form and you’ll get to decide if it’s worth the trouble.
Overall Running Posture
One thing you need to be concerned with is running posture. This is not because it will help you run faster anything, it’s just that it minimizes your chances of getting hurt, and also boosting the overall health benefits of running.
Your back needs to be straight, which may take some time to get accustomed to given that sitting causes us to be in a semi-flexed position. A lot of your power comes from the torso and core, so making sure those muscles are properly engaged is important if you wish to counteract the harm caused by prolonged sitting.
You also need to make sure your shoulders are relaxed as it allows for your arms to keep up with the pace of your body and get in the rhythm with your running. If shoulders and neck muscles are stiff, you will probably get tired sooner and your back will hurt.
Footstrike and Cadence
This is important for anyone who wishes to run a great distance or compete in a marathon. That being said, it’s not something you need to worry about too much if you are just running casually. However, if you do wish to go faster, do not resort to overstriding, but rather try to increase your cadence. Proper posture means your foot is beneath your knee if you overstride the weight distribution gets messed up, and you will tire yourself a lot sooner. Furthermore, you increase your chance of sustaining an injury this way by either twisting your ankle or by falling.
Listen to your body
One important thing to mention is that you need to pay attention to pain. If you feel pain during the run or after the run in a certain part of your body, it may indicate that you should correct your form. As mentioned improper posture and over-striding may result in pain since you are putting more strain on some of the muscles, by not using your core properly.
The best way to prevent this from happening in the future is to visit a physical therapist that works with runners. He or she will be able to figure out what is causing the pain and adjustments you need to make.