Form is something a lot of people who run don’t really think about. It seems that it should be a natural thing, like walking. However, form is extremely important to think about in order to prevent injuries and help you be a more efficient runner (efficient=quicker, less energy lost). Here are 5 basic tips about form to think about on your next run:

Arm Swing: Think of your arms as swinging on a pendulum. Imagine an imaginary rod sticking through your shoulder—your arms should Swing back and forth on that. Do NOT let your arms cross in front of your body. Try and keep them running parallel to the ground. Your elbow should be at a ninety degree angle. Also, remember this phrase “the faster your arms move, the faster your legs move”. I have a coach who is constantly yelling “swing ‘em, swing ‘em!” It really helps with turnover.

Hands: Keep your hands nice and relaxed. Imagine that you are holding a potato chip in your fist and you can’t let it fall out, but you don’t want it to break either.

Leg swing: This one is more complicated. A lot of people have a high back kick. That means their leg swings really far behind them (think butt kickers). This is very inefficient. Don’t let your leg swing too far back. You also don’t want to be doing high knees either. Find a good balance between front and back swing. Try to make sure you are picking your feet up off the ground and not shuffling.

Push-off: DO NOT HEEL STRIKE. This is a very very common mistake many runners, even experienced runners make. When you land on your heels you are braking because it stops your forward motion. This also is a huge contributor to shin splints. With all that force going directly from your heel up through your leg, it causes a lot of stress to your shins. Try to land mid-foot. This will take a lot of practice, but eventually will become second nature.

Listen: Listen to your feet as they hit the ground. Does it sound like a pack of elephants or someone wearing flip-flops? Bad! This is usually fixed by not heel-striking (as mentioned above). Also think about running “light”. It sounds funny, but if you try to make your steps quieter, your body will usually adjust.

Try these tips out on your next run and I hope you will be amazed at the difference! Good lucky, keep running!