The more efficient your run, the more energy you save, and the stronger your run will be. Running more economically means you can run more efficiently with the energy you have – without the need to take a gel for more energy. Here are 5 tips for a stronger run!
#1 Pull With Your Hamstring
Once your foot strikes the ground, pull your ankle and foot up with your hamstring as opposed to pushing off the ground. Pulling your leg up uses your hamstring muscles as compared to pushing which uses more of your quadricep muscles.
#2 Heads Up, Stand Tall
Always maintain proper form. Keep your head up and eyes focused on the road. Remember to always engage your core muscles to keep your body in an upright position. If you are engaging your core muscles, this takes the stress and pressure off from your knees. And always keep your upper body relaxed. Don’t tense your shoulders.
#3 A Hush Stride
Don’t run like an elephant! A quiet stride means your leg is spending less contact with the ground, and the less time your foot spends on the ground, the better. Your foot will have lesser time and lesser chances of rolling inwards hence creating injuries.
#4 180 Cadence
We have all heard this magic number – 180. Having a 180 cadence reduces the risk of you overstriding. Stride rate is the number of steps you take in a minute. The goal is to hit 180 strides per minute. You want to spend your energy pushing forward, not upwards. If your stride rate is less than 180, it is likely that your energy is being used to propel yourself upwards instead of forward.
#5 Develop A Forward Lean
A slight forward lean, from your ankles not waist, can help improve your running efficiency. Remember to engage your core muscles to ensure you are leaning from your ankles and not waist! Remember, your body should be in a straight alignment from you ankles up, all the way to your shoulders!
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and so isn’t optimal running efficiency. Don’t rush it. If you go against your natural running form too sudden, you may end up injuring yourself instead. So remember, take it slow. Slow and steady wins the race!
