In addition to helping you run more smoothly, a strong upper body will help you to avoid injury. Ron Clarke, who set several world records in the 1960s, used to say that a distance runner couldn’t be too strong in the middle. What he meant was that when you run, the shock that comes every time that your feet hit the ground is transmitted throughout your body if your midsection is strong. Strong stomach and back muscles absorb some of that shock, rather than confining it to your legs. The result is that your legs have to put up with less impact force and won’t get as overloaded with potential wear and tear.
If you doubt this statement, think of trying to run if your body were like an accordion. With every step, you’d send shock from your feet up your legs to your middle, where, if you’re like an accordion, you’d then sag over or almost crumple. That’s not how to run smoothly or comfortably!
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