{"id":6509,"date":"2023-08-14T20:49:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T13:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6509"},"modified":"2023-08-14T20:49:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T13:49:49","slug":"can-you-and-should-you-change-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6509","title":{"rendered":"Can You\u2014and Should You\u2014Change It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">S<\/span>croll through enough runfluencers\u2019 reels on Instagram, and it\u2019s easy to think that becoming a better, faster runner is as easy as remembering to drive your elbows back and knees up, land on your forefoot, increase your cadence, and lean forward just slightly.<\/p>\n<p>Simple enough, right? Not exactly. Not only is that <em>a lot<\/em> of cues to think about while on the run, but as it turns out, making just one change to your running form takes much more than just deciding to do it in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLearning something new with our body is neuromuscular,\u201d says running coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ericorton.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ericorton.com\/\">Eric Orton<\/a>. \u201cThat means our brain needs to learn it first, and then send those signals to our body to be able to make that change, and that takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>In a social media\u2013driven culture that prioritizes life hacks, fast results, and optimization, the idea that improving your running form takes months, not days, may be a hard pill to swallow, especially since implementing a form tweak in your running is much less straightforward than in, say, a squat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s different than standing in front of the mirror and doing squats and being like, I\u2019m going to perfect these eight reps of squats,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hss.edu\/rehab-staff_baird-kate.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hss.edu\/rehab-staff_baird-kate.asp\">Kate Baird, MA, ACSM-CEP, CSCS,<\/a> an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. \u201cBecause running is repetitive, it\u2019s environmental, it\u2019s interactive, you\u2019re usually doing other things when you\u2019re running. And it\u2019s an intrinsic human motion we learn when we\u2019re really young. So for all those reasons, it\u2019s really hard to change your running form, especially in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-form\/\" current-title=\"Is It Actually Possible To Improve Your Running Form?\" current-image=\"GettyImages-running-form-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-14\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-form\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-form\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-form\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Hard, but not impossible. But if changing your running form isn\u2019t as easy as just\u2026.doing it, how <em>do<\/em> you improve it? And what is good running form, anyway?<\/p>\n<h2>Why it\u2019s so hard to change your running form<\/h2>\n<p>If you go out on a run and decide you want to focus on forefoot striking, you\u2019ll probably be able to do it for a while. But because you\u2019re having to actively think about doing it\u2014rather than having it just be programmed into your form\u2014it\u2019s pretty likely that you\u2019re going to forget about it after a few minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you are able to maintain a form cue over the course of a run, your body might not be able to handle multiple miles with a new technique. \u201cIf you go from a heel strike to a mid-foot strike in the moment, chances are your body\u2019s not developed in a way to tolerate this change in the repetitive loading,\u201d says Baird. \u201cYou\u2019ll end up stressing a different area that you\u2019re not used to stressing. We are a linked chain of movement, so you can\u2019t just change one link and expect the other links to stay the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Orton says trying to change your running form is like attempting to write with your non-dominant hand\u2014you know how to do it in theory, but it\u2019s going to be very difficult at first. Baird uses the example of running up a hill, which naturally forces you to change your running form: If you\u2019ve never run hills before, and then do an entire run uphill, you\u2019re going to be in some pain.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor: Running form is hard to measure. Aside from cadence, which you can track with most running watches, other form tweaks will require an outside expert to monitor. (Though, of course, runs that feel easier and\/or faster are a good sign that your form is improving.)<\/p>\n<h2>Does your running form even <em>need<\/em> to change?<\/h2>\n<p>Whether runners should be actively working on their form to become more efficient is a slightly complicated question. When it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-rules-to-break\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-rules-to-break\/\">foot strike<\/a> in particular\u2014perhaps the most hotly debated of all the running form questions\u2014Baird says she would never suggest a runner change their foot strike except for injury-related issues, and that there\u2019s no good research suggesting that any one type of foot strike leads to fewer injuries than another. (In fact <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.wku.edu\/ijes\/vol10\/iss3\/13\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.wku.edu\/ijes\/vol10\/iss3\/13\/\">this one<\/a> found that runners\u2019 natural stride is typically most optimal, and that there\u2019s no need to try and change it.)<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, we do know what typically makes for efficient running (high cadence, landing underneath your hips, strong push-off), and working towards this can benefit any runner, says Orton. \u201cI hear a lot of times, I\u2019m not competitive, therefore I don\u2019t need to learn to change my form,\u201d he says. \u201cBut those are the most important people that do need to change it because they\u2019re maybe on the slower side, and they\u2019re spending more time on the ground, so they\u2019re going to benefit from the health standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And, says Orton, a more efficient form can help with what he calls muscle equilibrium. \u201cWhen we use our body how it\u2019s meant to be used, we take away the dominance of one muscle and dormancy of another muscle,\u201d he says. \u201cWe take away that tug and pull and the tightness we\u2019ve been conditioned to think is normal for runners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Baird, the answer is helping runners develop not <em>the<\/em> best running form, but <em>their<\/em> best running form, based on their goals and their body. \u201cGood running form is unique to the person,\u201d she says. \u201cEach person is a unique kinetic chain with unique tightness, weakness, strength, stability issues, loading issues, so all of these things have to be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it does make sense for Baird to work with a runner on a specific form goal, she says it usually comes down to making sure they aren\u2019t overstriding (which, in turn, usually leads to less heel striking, but that\u2019s not the focus), and increasing their turnover, which go hand-in-hand and can increase overall performance while also reducing injury risk.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line: It is worth working toward better running (with the right guidance!) as long as you have a reason for doing so\u2014like a performance goal, or to reduce an injury risk. But even with <em>your <\/em>best form, you may not look like the runners you see on Instagram, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<h2>How to actually do it<\/h2>\n<p>Tempted to give your running technique a tweak? Follow these guidelines from Baird and Orton.<\/p>\n<h3>Strength train<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cHaving a solid cross-training program is the best \u2018hack,\u2019\u201d says Baird. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-train-for-power\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-train-for-power\">Strength work<\/a> should be a part of any runner\u2019s routine, whether you\u2019re specifically working on your form or not. \u201cStrength training is going to improve muscle stiffness, which is going to help you better absorb and spring from the ground,\u201d says Baird. \u201cIt\u2019s also going to improve your force development, so it\u2019s going to feel easier to run and you\u2019re going to have better economy. And the idea is when you do this type of cross-training, it just seeps into your running\u2014it\u2019s just there, your frame is stronger, and that\u2019s going to show up in your running.\u201d If you have specific form goals, a coach or personal trainer can help you zero in on the exercises that will support you when you\u2019re on the run.<\/p>\n<h3>Be strategic with your timing<\/h3>\n<p>While it may be tempting to try to optimize your form leading up to a big race, Orton warns against this, since increasing mileage while also placing new demands on the body can be too much. \u201cDon\u2019t put your muscles through that transformation while you\u2019re doing high volume,\u201d he says. The ideal time to work on your form is actually in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-losing-fitness\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-losing-fitness\/\">off season between training cycles<\/a>, when you can be more focused on strength training and run a lower volume. But, says Baird, the beginning of a long marathon training cycle (while mileage is still moderate) is an okay time to work on one or two new form cues.<\/p>\n<h3>Remember that less is more<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIf we\u2019re starting to think about too much, we\u2019re just confusing the brain,\u201d says Orton. Pick one form cue to work on at a time, and tackle it in small doses, like during your warm-up mile. Orton suggests that, just like you dedicate certain days to hills, speedwork, or tempo miles, one day a week could be your \u201cform day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Baird has runners do form intervals: \u201cLet\u2019s say it\u2019s a three-mile run. I\u2019ll say, you\u2019re gonna spend one minute at the beginning of each mile thinking about this toe-off cue we practiced, and then you\u2019re going to let it go,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd if you keep doing it, great, but we\u2019re going to dose it into your run, and then after weeks and weeks, maybe months, it should start to become part of your form.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When working on turnover, she\u2019ll have a runner make a playlist that includes three songs with their goal cadence. \u201cWhen they come on, try to run that cadence,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen they go away, try to maintain it, but don\u2019t think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Work on speed<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cTypically, the faster we run, the better cadence we have, and the stiffer our legs,\u201d says Orton. He recommends incorporating short <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sprinting-builds-muscle\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/sprinting-builds-muscle\/\">sprints<\/a> (or strides) into your runs focused on maintaining your best form.<\/p>\n<h3>Be patient<\/h3>\n<p>Orton wishes more runners saw the sport more like a martial art, where you slowly and gradually earn more belts. \u201cWe\u2019re so obsessed with hacking, with quickly hijacking something,\u201d says Baird. \u201cThat will never work, because your body is made of cells that change over time.\u201d As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race\u2014by becoming faster, eventually.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scroll through enough runfluencers\u2019 reels on Instagram, and it\u2019s easy to think that becoming a better, faster runner is as easy as remembering to drive your elbows back and knees up, land on your forefoot, increase your cadence, and lean forward just slightly. Simple enough, right? Not exactly. Not only is that a lot of &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}