Perfect Running Form

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Running form has been the root of debate since humans started running. Countless studies have been done to determine what constitutes the “perfect running form”, but no answer has been found as of yet. Everyone has their own idea about what proper form should look like, and most people are neither right nor wrong. So what should good running form look like? Well, that depends on the runner. Every person’s body is different, so no two people will look exactly the same when running. Things like height, build, and leg and arm length can drastically affect how we run. However, there are general trends that can be found in every good distance runner’s form. First, we’ll start low by looking at the feet. The foot strike is probably the most heavily …show more content…
There are a few things to consider when looking at the foot while running. First on the list is the area of initial impact. The three options we have are the forefoot, midfoot, and heel strike. The names of these foot strikes pretty much give away what they are. In the forefoot strike, contact is first made on the very front of the foot. While the forefoot strike is efficient in the short term, it is not as much so in the long term. Forefoot striking puts a lot of stress on the Achilles tendon and the calves, which can lead to Achilles tendonitis, which is an overuse injury that is caused by excess strain on the Achilles tendon. When it comes to heel striking, the majority of runners who know what they are talking about will say that it is the worst type of foot strike. Heel striking is the motion of landing with the heel impacting the ground first. When a heel strike occurs, it can act as a brake to the momentum of the runner. Heel striking also puts a heavy load on the leg itself, and, if left unchecked, can result in injuries such as stress fractures. The impact, as described in a research study done on foot striking biomechanics by Harvard University students, is “equivalent …show more content…
The foot "rolls" inward about fifteen percent, comes in complete contact with the ground, and can support your body weight without any problem. The rolling in of the foot optimally distributes the forces of impact. This movement is called "pronation," and it's critical to proper shock absorption. At the end of the gait cycle, you push off evenly from the front of the foot.
Pronation is not something that is typically high on peoples list of things to think about when running, but it should be. When the foot pronates normally, this action reduces impact on the foot and lower leg. If a person over pronates, meaning their foot rolls inward more than it should, or under pronates, meaning their foot rolls inward less than it should, this does not effectively dissipate the forces on the leg and can lead to overuse injuries such as shin splints or tendonitis. We do not have much control over the amount we pronate, but the type of shoe we wear can help stabilize pronation and minimize impact on our
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