Health running: technique and common mistakes

Author: Konstantin Vorontsov - athletic coach.
2017-07-23

First of all, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this material is intended for those who are taking their first independent steps in running, would like to get acquainted with the basics of running technique, or have little experience in running. In other words, for beginners (regular running experience of less than 3 years). Please recall or watch on any video hosting platform the running of participants in the Olympic Games and other major athletics competitions in the world. At first glance, it seems that they are not running at all but rather gliding through the air. All their movements are light and free, and running does not seem to cause them any difficulties. But in reality, this is not the case.

Running is an extremely challenging activity even for athletes of this caliber. Often, during races, athletes experience intense emotional and physical strain. As a rule, this occurs in the final meters of races. Each step during these moments is taken with great effort, but the spectator in the stands does not notice this. They see a graceful, aesthetically impressive run.

So why does the external appearance of running remain at such a high level? How do elite athletes manage to keep running like this while experiencing severe fatigue? Such mastery is achieved through years of preparation, during which every movement is polished and perfected. There should be no unnecessary movements during the race. Otherwise, muscle groups not involved in moving the athlete forward come into play. This leads to unnecessary energy expenditure, reducing the efficiency of running. How can one master the technique of high-level athletes? How can one learn to run beautifully and effortlessly?

Let me say right away that there is no universal recipe for everyone. If you are young, full of energy, have time for regular running and proper rest between sessions, eat rationally, and exercise outdoors away from noisy, polluted highways and roads, then you are more likely to succeed. If you start running at a mature age (30 years and older), when work, daily routines take up most of your time, and you are limited in time for exercising, reaching a high level will be very difficult. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you should give up running. You just need to understand that learning to run beautifully and quickly is challenging, and you will need a lot of perseverance to overcome all difficulties.

Parameters of an Athlete That Affect Running Technique

In my opinion, the main parameters that influence the formation of running technique for beginners are: age, body weight, and regular physical activity before starting to run.

1. Age

Let’s take a closer look at the first point. After the age of 20-25, the active growth of the body ends, and its functional systems stabilize: the digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and others. The human body stops growing actively; the skeleton and internal organs fully form, and neuromuscular connections are established, among other things. After 35-40 years, involutional processes gradually begin in the body. This process is uneven, gradually affecting all the functions and systems of the body. Simply put, the body starts to age slowly. Ignoring this process and trying to prove to yourself or others that you are as active as in your youth will lead to injuries and the end of running activities. Keep this in mind. Age-related characteristics must be accepted at the beginning stages of training as an important condition that cannot be altered. As for body weight and your physical activity, these are the parameters that you can influence and change.

2. Body Weight

Let’s return to our elite runners. If you look at runners on medium and long distances, you’ll notice that they are usually lean, practically without any body fat, but possess high levels of strength. Therefore, if you are overweight, the first thing you need to do in the early days and months of training is to gradually reduce the fat component in your body while increasing muscle. Running in your routine should complement your weight loss program but not be its main focus. Running won’t help you lose weight if you eat irrationally. Start by changing your diet and your eating habits.

I won’t delve into this large topic here, but I will say that the basis of your diet should primarily consist of carbohydrates that can fuel your body with essential energy for an extended period. These carbohydrates include cereals, potatoes, spaghetti, vegetables, fruits, but not sweet pastries, candy, or desserts. Once you’ve worked on reducing excess weight, you will find it easier to progress in running. Training will become safer and more enjoyable for you.

3. Regular Training Before Running

The third parameter. If you regularly engaged in physical exercises or led an active lifestyle before starting to run—for example, walking 10-15 km a day, swimming, cycling, playing sports, or working out in a fitness center three to four times a week—it will be much easier for you to master running techniques. Your musculoskeletal system is adapted to physical stress and will be capable of learning and reinforcing new movements.

Try to adequately assess your age-related characteristics, body weight, and your recent physical activity to understand how best to plan your running sessions and avoid rushing to increase your workload. Let me tell you right away that running independently is injury-prone. Without the necessary knowledge and experience, it will be difficult to plan training loads, recovery activities, ensure proper rest, and enrich your workouts with a variety of exercises that will keep you from injuries and help you progress. That’s why learning to run cannot rely solely on the three parameters listed above. But it’s not as hopeless as it might seem if you start listening to your body from the very first days and pay attention to the recommendations described here.

The running of elite athletes is sports running. And as we’ve discovered, it’s the result of years of systematic training. It’s a benchmark you can strive for if you plan to run fast and aim for high results. Any attempts to copy such running at the initial stages of training will inevitably lead to injuries. As they say among coaches, “It’s not running that kills, but its pace.” So don’t rush and be patient if you’re just starting, have excess weight, and haven’t exercised in a long time.

The type of running you will be doing is called health running. What is this type of running? It’s light, warm-up running with completely relaxed muscles. During such running, the practitioner slightly raises their thighs, taking small, quick steps, with arms half-lowered. In Western countries, it is sometimes also called jogging, and in the USA, it is known as jogging (from the English word “jog” – shaking or bouncing). Jogging is running at a speed of about 7-9 km/h, typical for beginners. As training progresses and the musculoskeletal system and all bodily systems strengthen, “shuffling” jogging gradually transitions into light and springy “footing” (from the word “foot”), where speed increases to 10-11 km/h. Footing is the transitional stage to sports running.

Key Technical Aspects of Healthy Running

1. During healthy running, the foot should land flat, with its entire sole touching the surface at once. The movement of the leg should descend, as though you were climbing stairs. At the moment of touching the ground, the foot should be tense. The foot relaxes only after pushing off the surface.

2. The running step is performed due to the active movement of the thighs. The shin swings relaxed under the pelvis. A free pendulum-like motion of the shin provides active but soft placement of the foot on the ground.

3. Feet should touch the ground along a straight line, with no turning of the toes outward to the left or right. The step length is approximately 50-100 cm or equivalent to 2-3 foot lengths. As your fitness improves, the step length will gradually increase.

4. Running rhythm (combination of step length and frequency) will develop gradually depending on your condition and fitness level. As your fitness improves, try to maintain a step rhythm of about 180 steps/min. This metric was experimentally derived by researchers when assessing the efficiency of running technique.

5. Shoulders should remain lowered and relaxed during running. Arms should be bent at the elbow joints at a 90-degree angle. Hands should be semi-relaxed. The head remains still. The gaze is fixed forward 10-15 meters ahead. Tilting the head to the left or right while running is not allowed. The torso should lean forward slightly at an angle of 3-5 degrees.

Main Mistakes Beginners Make

1. Placing the foot on the heel with an active forward swing of the shin hinders forward movement, reduces running speed, and increases the risk of injury.

2. Similarly, running with the foot landing on the toes, rather than the heel, is also injury-prone and biomechanically inefficient.

3. Tilting the head back, to the right, or to the left causes unnecessary tension in the shoulder muscles.

4. Excessive leaning of the torso forward or backward reduces the runner’s speed, preventing the leg muscles from performing the main forward-moving work.

5. If the arms make additional side-to-side movements during running, causing the torso to sway, such movements also reduce speed.

I recommend conducting your sessions outdoors, in park or forest zones, using dirt or grass surfaces. Take care of yourself and run for your health!