6 Steps To Efficient Running

1. Run Tall

Gravity and weak core muscles cause many runners to “fold” in the middle when their feet land.

2. Relax

Tension in your arms, shoulders, neck, and face reduces efficiency.

3. Breathe right

Your breathing should be rhythmic and deep, and you should feel your diaphragm, not your chest, doing the work.

4. Land on

A heel-first landing is a brake. It means you’re extending your leg out too far in front of your center of gravity, so it takes more energy to move forward. And it’s shaky, so your muscles are working on stabilization instead of forward motion.

5. Run softly

The louder your footfalls, the less efficiently you’re running. Try running more quietly; you’ll be unconsciously switching to a midfoot strike and a shorter, quicker stride.

6. Swing

Check your form on a treadmill in front of a mirror. If one arm is bent more than the other or swings more, you have a musculoskeletal imbalance that can slow you down.

Source: OC Health