Swing your arms parallel to the running direction
Swinging your arms in front of your body leads to twisting in the upper body, which not only costs energy but also causes shoulder pain in the long term. Instead, the slightly bent arms are moved past the sides of the body and the hands are relaxed.

Let your shoulders drop
Many runners have their shoulders raised and tense. Make a conscious effort to ensure that your shoulders hang down in a relaxed position even when you are running.

Make yourself tall
Straighten your upper body completely. Only then is the spine relieved and can swing easily and completely relaxed above the body's center of gravity. The hips play an important role in the running stride. It is brought forward with every step. Many runners neglect this. As a result, they "sit" in their stride, which can lead to overuse injuries.

Gentle foot strike
If you hear your feet slapping loudly on the ground with every step, this means that you are wasting too much energy on the up and down of the running movement instead of gliding forward gently. The greater the difference between the highest and lowest point of the body, the more energy is used for the ups and downs. It is better to use this energy for the forward movement.

You can find more valuable running tips on Runners World.

Text: © Martin Grüning