Welcome back to another week of Tuesday Tips with Running Rachel (Running Edition).
If you are new to my Tuesday Tips Running Edition, welcome!
Check out the links below to see what you missed!
1. Proper Form While Running
Moving right on down the body… this week, I will be focusing on your ARMS (with a bit of shoulders mixed in) and HANDS and their proper form while running!
Arms:
Use them! Simple enough, right?
Swing them! Need more info? Okay.
Keep your arms low and loose. Keep your arms at a 90 degree angle.
Some runners have a tendency to hold their arms/hands up by their chest – flinging them back and forth – when they are tired. This actually makes you MORE tired because you are not using your arms to help propel you forward.
Proper positioning of your arms can actually reduce tightness and tension in your shoulders and neck.
Rotate/Swing your arms from the shoulder (not your elbow).
Keep your arms at your side, don’t swing your arms from side to side (across your chest). Instead, pump them back and forth in the direction you are running.
When your arms cross in front of your chest, you are more likely to have poor posture while running, which means you are not breathing as effectively as you should.
If you find your arms swinging across your body or beginning to creep up to your chest… shake it out and refocus on lowering and loosening those arms/shoulders!
We will revisit proper arm/shouder form when I discuss proper form while hill running! Fun times!
I find that when my arms are low and loose I am able to breathe easier, have better running form, a longer running stride, and feel confident about my running appearance.
Hands:
Keep your hands at your waist (remember above comment about arm form), right at where they would brush your hip.
Keep your hands relaxed! You can gently cup your hands, as if you are holding an egg… or I love to pretend that I am holding a penny between my thumb and pointer finger.
The key is to keep your hands loose (see the pattern here? LOOSE).Again, if you clench your fists it can lead to tightness in the arms, shoulders, and neck.
Stay tuned next week for tips on proper running form: LEGS!!
Disclaimer: I am not a fitness professional. The opinions on my blog are written and based solely from my personal experience and what works for me.)
I always have to remind myself to keep my hands loose. I tend to clench them when running. Shoulders & arms are pretty good though.
Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Thank you!! If you could see me reading that, you’d laugh because as I was reading, I was practicing! I wish you lived closer so you could watch me run and critique!!
LOL! You should see ME write then. I type… then I move my arms (or certain body part that I am focusing on) and try to put that motion into words. I think this Tuesday tips would be a great vLog… although I am sure it would be really goofy! 😛
Great tips! I’ve seen a video where they try to get you to pretend you are holding a serving tray just to get the motion down. That one helped out a lot.