How to Run the Right Way?

People worry too much about running form. Some books get so detailed in telling you how to run that you’d almost have to carry them with you when you run to make sure you’re getting it right. How your feet should land, where they should land, how long your stride should be, what to do with your hands, how to hold your arms—I’d trip after a few hundred yards if I spent my runs thinking about this stuff. I’m not saying that good running form isn’t important or that you can’t or shouldn’t try to improve yours. But running isn’t a technique sport like golf. It’s a lot easier to tell people how to have as sweet a stroke as Tiger Woods’ than it is to say that all runners should run in one precise way.

We all run like we do for a reason, namely, according to how our bodies are put together. Look around, and you’ll notice that no two bodies are put together the same. Some people’s legs are bowed. Some people’s feet are flatter than others. Some people have wider hips than others, or leg muscles that are stronger, or back muscles that are weaker. All of these factors determine what kind of running form you have.
Remember, each runner is an experiment of one. One of my legs is longer than the other. As a result, I land on the extreme outside edge of my left forefoot, and my right arm often swings across my body. This is not textbook form, but it’s what works for me and what feels comfortable.

That last point is crucial. The best running form for you is the one that you feel most comfortable with. As you become fitter, your running form is going to become more natural to you, and you’ll think about it less. Remember when you started driving a car? You were so concerned with how you were holding the wheel, the position of your feet, and so forth that you could barely pay attention to the road. Now, driving is second nature to you. Same thing for long-time runners. They just get out there and run and don’t really think about how they’re doing it all that much. That’s not to say that you should ignore your running form. Some basic points can help make running feel smoother and make you less susceptible to injury. Here are the most important ones:

• Upright posture, with your head, shoulders, torso, and pelvis aligned and your head held up and looking ahead, not down
• Arms carried low, with your shoulders relaxed
• Hands relaxed, cupped loosely, and passing your body at about waist level
• Arms moving in sync with your legs, driving forward, rather than from side to side
• Feet landing gently under your center of gravity And that’s just for starters. I told you it was a lot to think about.

Is it worth it to try to improve your form? It can be if running doesn’t feel comfortable once you attain a basic level of fitness. If you notice that you’re often straining one body part, or that a certain body part, such as your shoulders, tires as you run, then it can be worth it to try to make a few adjustments.

But again, don’t make too much out of comparing your form to others. As you become fitter, your form is going to get better because the muscles throughout your body that
support you when you run are going to get more used to their new task.