Many runners focus on how to run correctly when they first come into contact with the sport of running

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In fact, how to run gracefully is also a required course

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So what aspects should we pay attention to and correct? Learning how to swing arm sprinters and middle and long distance runners can improve their running posture, but many long distance runners and coaches can’t be forgiven for neglecting this work

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We observe the slow motion of sprinters, their arms swinging to the edge of their heads

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Sprinters use their arms consciously and forcefully, so they also optimize their arm movements during running

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Middle and long distance runners learn to use their arms to bring a forward force when sprinting, and at the same time help their tired legs improve their speed, or at least keep their legs at their current speed

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What about long distance runners? At least they have lean upper arms, and they swing back and forth on either side or body

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They wasted energy that could be better used as thrust in this wrong swing

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Of course, long distance runners don’t need muscles like sprinters, but how to swing their arms is not so casual! The correct way to relax is to swing arms forward on both sides of the body and slightly inward

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But the arm must never cross the midline of the body

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The upper and lower arms are almost at right angles

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You might think, “that’s what I did.” Maybe you’ve never seen yourself run! You will be surprised: in your opinion, almost all amateur runners (and some elite long-distance runners) have very unscientific arm movements

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In this respect, only the video used to analyze the running posture can further help

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If you’re running with your arms too far in or your shoulders swinging back and forth violently, there are a number of reasons

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02 muscle reasons for nonstandard arm movements there must be muscle tension and imbalance behind nonstandard arm movements: shortening of chest muscles and weakness of muscles in the upper shoulder, that is, between the scapulae

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The contracted pectorals pull the shoulders forward so the arms are inward, but the muscles in the upper back are too weak to control the arms

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Muscle imbalance will become more and more serious because of daily posture (such as sitting with a bow)

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The stiffer the upper body is, the more shoulders will swing back and forth instead of swinging arms easily

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The axis of the swing is shifted from the arm joint to the center of the body

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This is very unscientific, but also means unnecessary power consumption, so we constantly correct the body swing

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Excessive twisting of the body creates a reverse natural resistance to the cross swing of the thighs

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How to improve the arm movement? The contracted chest muscles must be stretched, and the weak muscles in the upper back must be strengthened (all of which can be achieved through strength training), which makes the back straight and the arms can be extended forward

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You can only change and relax tight muscles by constantly doing the opposite

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According to the results of running posture analysis, show your own movement mode in your mind, and then compare it with the ideal movement mode, constantly recall the correct practice and make corresponding changes

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04 specific arm swing problems other errors in arm swing are: too high bending position, too low arm position or asymmetry of two arms

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If the position of the arm is too low, it may be the wrong action of the arm, such as swinging inward, which will lead to serious imbalance according to the lever principle

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In areas where traffic is not smooth, such as cross-country running and on steep slopes, it is certainly right to swing your arms wide in order to maintain balance

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Usually the arm should be slightly forward close to the body

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If you wear a too loose sportswear coat, your arms are easy to be too open during training, so you should take it off or tie it to your hips, otherwise your forearms will be too open, too high and inward, and your elbows will be far away from your body

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Asymmetric arm movements are very common, and more or less lead to uneven running and no effort

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Ethiopia’s former world record holder and Olympic champion Hale gebresilasier is actually an expert on running posture

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He explained that his arm movements were uncoordinated because he used to keep his schoolbag under his arm, and the effects of this exercise habit were usually far-reaching

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05 the posture of both hands, running posture analysis can not ignore the hands

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Clench the fist to rush forward of person, the muscle is tight (mentally also very nervous)

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Do a simple test: clench one hand into a fist, touch the lower arm and upper arm with the other hand until the upper muscles, and you will find how tight the muscles from the arm to the shoulder are

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If you’re running with a key or a heavy object in your hand, the same thing happens

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Hands easily swing together, thumbs up, fingers gently bend, imagine the hands of a butterfly, can’t let it escape, can’t squeeze it

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The above content is from the running Bible (2nd Edition) published by Beijing Science and Technology Press

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Long press to identify or scan the QR code above, and buy it immediately-

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