Strictly speaking, running posture is the mechanical relationship between various parts of the body, including: feet and ankle joints, legs and knee joints, hips, arms and elbow joints, and hands, head and neck.
It can be said that there are a thousand running styles for a thousand people.
Correct running posture plays a decisive role in running ability. How to judge whether your running posture is correct? What kind of running posture is more economical and effective? It’s the peak marathon season of the year again. Friends who are preparing for marathons, hurry up and find out~
How to judge whether running form is correct?
When you really get into the sport of running, you will find that running is no longer as simple and casual as it was in the beginning. Since there are thousands of people with different running styles, judging whether the running posture is correct and effective must require more scientific and accurate parameters to measure:
- Cadence
Cadence refers to the number of times your feet touch the ground per minute. The cadence multiplied by the stride length equals the distance. The distance per unit time is also the speed. It can be understood that when the speed is slow, the cadence is slow and the stride length is small, and when the speed is fast, the cadence is fast and the stride length is large.
The relatively fast pace reduces the flying height and brings the contact point closer to the center of gravity, which can effectively reduce ground impact force and braking shear force, thus protecting the human body.
(Garmin uses different colors to distinguish the fastest cadence in purple, faster in blue, and green in the middle. Runners can intuitively understand their own cadence.)
- Touchdown time
The indicator of ground contact time is easy to understand. It refers to the total time from the time when the foot touches the ground to the time when the foot leaves the ground. This time is very short, only a few hundred milliseconds. The ground contact is the landing buffer, elastic potential energy reserve, and the force obtained by pushing and extending to obtain the ground reaction. important period of strength.
If the ground contact time is too long, it not only indicates that your speed is slower, but also indicates that your pace is slower, your stride length is larger, and your airborne time is longer. This means that you have to take longer to cushion and push off the ground when you land, which can lead to braking effect.
- Balance on left and right ground contact
Symmetry in running can be measured by understanding the balance of left and right foot contact time. Under ideal conditions, the left and right feet are completely balanced (50%-50%), and your body is maintained in a stable state.
The balance difference between the left and right feet is more than 4%. Long-term running causes the body to be in an imbalanced state, which is likely to cause pain in knees, feet, etc., and eventually injuries.
If you find that the left and right feet are unbalanced, it means that the running movement is sloppy and one foot will touch the ground for a longer time. You can make corresponding adjustments by understanding the balance value of both feet.
- Vertical Amplitude and Vertical Ratio
Vertical amplitude is actually the flying height during running. If the flying height is too high, it will cause excessive loss of strength. Because running is a horizontal movement, if the center of gravity fluctuates too much, overcoming gravity during running will increase physical exertion. Therefore, as a basis for judging running posture, the smaller the vertical amplitude parameter, the better.
Vertical amplitude is also related to cadence. If your cadence is slow when running, it means that your stride length is larger. When you take long strides, your body’s center of gravity fluctuates greatly, which is uneconomical. You need to reduce your stride length and speed up your cadence to improve it. Running form.
(According to Garmin’s parameters, the vertical amplitude range is less than 6.1 cm for elite runners, between 6.1-7.4 cm for excellent runners, and most amateur runners are between 7.5-8.6 cm.)
The vertical stride ratio reflects running efficiency. Based on the effect of each stride to move yourself forward, a lower vertical stride ratio means that you can obtain greater benefits at a smaller cost, which means more efficient running.
(Garmin uses color to represent amplitude parameters. Red or orange indicates the need to speed up the pace, blue-green indicates normal, and purple indicates better.)
It can be seen that running form indicators are by no means isolated, and these parameters are related to each other. For example, if the cadence is slower, the ground contact time is likely to be longer, the vertical amplitude will be larger, and the vertical ratio will be larger. A runner may fail to meet the standard for one indicator or multiple indicators. After uploading data after each run, you can see the color display of each indicator in the Connect APP.
● If they are all green, it means basically qualified;
● If everything is purple or blue, it means you are a high-level runner and have good running form;
● If multiple indicators are red or orange, it means you need to improve your running form.
*The above high-end running dynamic data requires a compatible Garmin watch, such as Enduro, fenix 6, Forerunner245, etc., which can be monitored and calculated by pairing with an RDP running dynamic sensor or a compatible heart rate belt.
Common mistakes in running posture
Now that we understand the data reference standards for running posture, the following is a more direct and vivid explanation of running posture judgment.
When running, the center of gravity of the body falls on the buttocks after the feet are in the air, as if running on a seat. This is a common wrong running posture, commonly known as “sitting running”. If it’s not easy to understand, just look at the picture.
What are the dangers of “sitting and running”?
This kind of running posture is very common among amateur runners. The cost of maintaining wrong running posture for a long time is so painful:
First, it causes an increase in ground contact time, thereby increasing pressure on the knees and ankles;
Secondly, this running method will cause the vertical amplitude to increase, the center of gravity of the body to move up and down, and the running will be slow and tiring;
In addition, since you are unable to use gravity to move forward, you will naturally make up for it by pushing hard and over-stepping, resulting in excessive stride length, reduced stride frequency, and the feeling of pins and needles in the soles of the feet for a long time, which is the trigger for plantar tendons. The culprit of inflammation.
How to tell if you are “sitting and running”?
3 ways to test yourself:
When running, you can place your hands naturally on your hips. If you feel extra resistance, it means that your hips are left behind and there is a problem with your posture. If the hand just feels “placed” on the hip and there is no additional force, the posture is OK.
You can ask other people to help you take videos while running, and observe to see if your center of gravity is in the same straight line as your body.
Look for over-striding, which usually means incorrect posture.
The reason for “sitting and running”?
Sitting for long periods of time is, yes, this well-known “pollution”. It causes the muscles of the buttocks and hamstrings to lack strength, and they are accustomed to using other parts to compensate for strength.
In addition, many running shoe soles have good cushioning capabilities, allowing people to “sit and run” without restraint. However, the cushioning of running shoes cannot completely eliminate the impact force, and the impact force will still be transmitted to the ankles and knees.
To sum up, running with wrong posture is equivalent to constantly punishing the body.
Correct running posture suitable for modern people
Although elite runners each have their own excellence in running form, what is introduced here is a running form method that is suitable for more runners.
Using your own weight to gain momentum for running forward, that is, “gravity running”, is a running style that has generally good adaptability among mass runners. “Gravity running” uses the muscles of the hamstrings and buttocks to pull up the legs; when touching the ground, the whole foot or forefoot touches the ground first, and the landing point of the foot falls under the buttocks, with appropriate stride frequency and stride length. , you can fly forward easily.
What are the advantages of “gravity running”?
It saves effort. The leg action of “gravity running” is to pull up instead of pushing hard on the ground with each step. Therefore, if you run the same distance, you will feel soreness in the muscles of the front thigh in “sitting running”, while in “gravity running” it is basically There will be no soreness.
To shape your body, “gravity running” involves constantly lifting your legs with the muscles on the back of your thighs, which can effectively activate your buttocks muscles, raise your buttocks, and slim down your legs at the same time.
It is less prone to injury because it reduces the body’s airborne process and increases the step frequency. The impact on the ankles and knees is greatly reduced, and the soles of the feet land below the body’s center of gravity, which will not cause additional damage to the joints.
How to evolve “sitting running” into “gravity running”?
Step One: Center of Gravity Control Training
First, practice a flexible stance. This position is critical in running, because when you land, your knees are slightly bent instead of straight, acting like springs to help share the impact of landing.
During the exercise, the degree to which the knees are slightly bent varies from person to person, but you can look for such a feeling. If you bend more, you will feel more pressure on your legs, and if you straighten more, you will feel more pressure on your legs. This most comfortable position in the middle is also more relaxing for the knee joints and ankle joints.
Then, practice shifting your weight forward and backward. Try it first. Move your center of gravity backward (the center of gravity of your body is approximately under your belly button) to a position where you won’t fall. Hold for 10 seconds. Try to keep your entire body in a straight line. Don’t just lean your upper body back. Also keep your knees and ankles relaxed. . Then follow the same requirements and try to focus forward.
After you finish your running warm-up, you can start doing this kind of center-of-gravity training, allowing your body to feel the changes in the center of gravity, strengthening the feeling of the center of gravity on the front of your feet, and trying to remember and maintain this feeling. The more you run, the easier it will be. .
Step 2: Pull up the legs for training
When most people run, they use their legs to dominate the movement, causing their legs to step in front of the body, just like raising their legs high, resulting in over-steering. This is why people have the misconception that running hurts their knees. The sin is caused by wrong posture.
Stand in front of a wall in a flexible stance, then support the wall with your hands, lift one foot closer to your buttocks, and look for the feeling of force on the back of your thigh (if you can’t find the feeling, your calf muscles may be too tight, so relax your ankle first) and calves again), do 10 sets for each leg, and alternate 3 sets with both legs.
Once you learn how to pull up your legs, it will naturally lead you to “gravity running” forward. You will find that running in a new way will make you feel more relaxed, the sound of your feet hitting the ground will be softer, and your legs will feel like they are spinning like wheels when you run. stand up.
I would like to emphasize here that the landing of the forefoot and the whole foot is the natural result of “gravity running”. If the running posture is incorrect and the landing of the foot is deliberately adjusted, it can easily turn into tiptoe running. Not only the foot is still pushing on the ground, but also Pulling the muscles or tendons around the ankle joint closer makes you more susceptible to injury.
Tips for training to prepare for a marathon
Whether you are preparing for a marathon or cultivating the habit of running for a long time, running training requires goals and methods. If you want to improve endurance, long distance is an inevitable choice.
Long-distance running usually refers to training of more than 26 kilometers. Its purpose is very clear, which is to improve your endurance and prepare for half marathon, full marathon or longer distance races.
In order to get the most benefit from training for long distance running, you need to train within the correct intensity range. In other words, long-distance running is not just jogging. Long-distance jogging just accumulates more mileage on your feet and will not improve your running much.
Then the most effective training intensity range for long-distance running is 10% to 20% slower than the target marathon pace or 74% to 84% of the maximum heart rate.
At this intensity, runners will be at a balance point – they can simulate the state of movement (muscles, running form, etc.) at marathon pace, but also be able to recover relatively quickly so that they can devote themselves to other training.
However, it should be noted that if other training is scheduled the day before a long-distance run, it is recommended to complete it at a relatively relaxed pace (not exceeding 76% of the maximum heart rate) and focus on recovery.
Ideally, a perfect long-distance running training should look like this. Start at a slower pace, slowly increase the speed, and increase the speed to 10% slower than the target marathon pace in the second half (8 to 16 kilometers).
In addition, you can run at your expected marathon pace some time before the race. This can simulate the start time, pace, clothing and equipment on race day, as well as conditions that may occur during the process.
