Running does not have to be hard and it does not have to hurt. Everyone can learn good running form.
- Your arms should swing mostly forward and back (not across your body) between waist and lower-chest level.
- Your elbows should be bent at about a 90-degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out for a few seconds to release the tension. Hands should be loose.
- With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment–pointing you straight ahead.
- Efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover, and a short stride. Knees should be slightly bent.
- When you take deeper breaths it allows you to take in more oxygen to feed your muscles. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.
- When running uphill, lean forward and take smaller strides.
- When running downhill, lean forward slightly and run on your toes. Lengthen your stride.