Top Tips to improve your running

Many people enjoy running on a weekly and/or daily basis. Our question to you, here at the Primal Movement Clinic is:

‘Are you training intelligently and correctly for your specific skeletal frame?’

Far too many people or trainers are copying very generic exercise programs without actually assessing the runners needs. There is a huge misconception that to run a marathon or a distance, all you need to do is get out and simply run and run alone for training.  Strength training, a very important aspect of any runners training programme is often overlooked.

Strength training is very important to ensure that forces traveling up the foot, ankle and knee converge within the core muscles as the weight of the head upper limbs and upper spine travels down. This energy needs to be dispersed within the core muscles as this is the bridge between the two areas of the body. If there are muscle imbalances within the body, injuries are inevitable. When jogging, there is around 4 - 8 times body weight going through a single leg. Consider if you have flat feet - where is the spring in your step absorbing these forces coming from?

An efficient body is designed to move and to not break down, so it is important to closely look at runners who suffer from knee pain, shin splints, ankle pain, hip pain or back pain. The simple answer is everyone is structurally different. Just like some diets work for some people and not for others; chemically, physically and mentally, we are all different.

At the Primal Movement Clinic we have seen and treated many clients with running complaints. An efficient running technique is very important, but this can be forgotten, as like walking, running is simply a ‘do’ exercise, you just decide you want to run and you just do it. Whilst all other exercises and sports require an adequate technique to succeed, running seems to be exempt from that rule. When running technique is applied in conjunction with strength training there is only one outcome: Healthy movement, the sparing of joint wear and tear, and avoiding the dreaded injury that is so commonly associated with running.

The next time you go training in the gym by yourself or with your trainer, ask yourself why are you doing this particular exercise and if your running will benefit from it. Will the exercises you are doing slow you down or knock time off your personal best? Does the exercise simulate running? Is the speed of the exercise inhibiting your movement? Are you a 5k, 10k or marathon runner? Is this exercise correct for my skeletal shape? Is my trainer considering my old or current injury?

At the Primal Movement Clinic, we have the ability to assess the client as an individual. We ensure proper clinical testing that ensures any subclinical injuries waiting to happen are picked up,  and other joint restrictions and skeletal deviations will be found and corrected. 

Consider this; If any joint whether the ankle, knee or spine is malaligned and you go for a run just three times per week. That particular joint will be taking 4 - 8 times its body weight at each step, the cartilage will be taking a beating, the nerve structures compressed or stretched. This is a fantastic way to getting closer to injury and in the long term having an arthritic joint.

Posture plays an essential part also. If you have a healthy upright posture then breathing won’t be a problem, but a slightly forward bent upper spine can decrease your ability to inhale and exhale correctly and optimally. That is the last thing you’d want when you’re running...! Poor breathing also overloads the neck muscles which creates tension and tightness, which then creates poor posture. Its a never ending battle... At the Primal Movement Clinic, we can assess faulty breathing and correct poor posture that will enhance not only running but your lifestyle too.

Next time you go running, try these simple pointers and see what difference it can make:

1. Relax your shoulders and arms

2. Keep your head steady

3. Shorten your stride or step, but maintain the same speed. Think of your pelvis gliding rather than your hip dipping on each side with each heavy step.

4. Keep your chest lifted for optimal breathing and lung capacity 

5. Try to land softly, gently and quietly on your feet!

Good luck and thanks for reading.

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