Professional runners often have different strides than amateurs.
From misaligned knees to lower back problems, a poor running stride can result in a number of physical problems either immediately or over the course of several years. You may have tried to change your stride in the past, but found you quickly forgot and reverted back to your natural stride. If you're a regular runner or jogger, a new stride will not only address physical problems, but also help you run faster and for longer.
Instructions
1. Shorten your stride. Intuitively, you may think a longer stride will make you travel faster, but when you run with long strides, your knees absorb a greater impact with each step. The increased pressure will cause damage to your knees and slow you down. You can shorten your stride by leaning forward slightly.
2. Avoid hitting the ground with the heel of your foot first. This can cause you to lean backward slightly while running, slowing you down and harming your legs. Try to land on the ball of your foot instead.
3. Keep your feet in the air for as much time as possible. You will travel faster if you remind yourself to pick up your feet while running. Try to raise your back foot as soon as the front foot touches the ground.
4. Practice running at a high rate of speed, even if you are just an amateur runner. Competitive speed running requires better posture and a different running stride than casual running. Try timing yourself and striving to beat your record. This will help make you a better runner and improve your overall stride. Pushing yourself will keep you from reverting to a comfortable but incorrect stride.
5. Do not bounce up and down while running. If you find yourself bounding while running, you are wasting unnecessary energy moving up and down rather than forward.
6. Hire a personal trainer. Although you may be able to overcome difficulties with your stride on your own, a personal trainer can monitor your running and tell you improve further. Trainers can also remind you to correct your stride whenever you forget.
Tags: your stride, while running, personal trainer, physical problems, stride will, travel faster, your feet