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Overstriding (Landing in Front of Your Center of Gravity)
Solution: Shorten your stride
Seek a light, rapid cadence
Pretend you are stepping over little things on the road or trail, or running on hot coals.
Imagine that your feet are like brush stokes over the ground.
Periodically count your strides for 30 seconds. Look to approach 180 times per minute at your normal running pace.
Lean forward slightly at the ankles
As running tempo increases, you may land more forward on feet
Do Feet Shuffles – Stay on the balls of your feet and shuffle forward as quickly as you can while skimming over the ground. Knee lift at a minimum. Arms loose and bent at 90 degrees. Torso upright and relaxed. Do 2 x 20 meter segments and walk back between.
Low Stride Cadence and Splayed Feet (possibly resulting in spending too much time on the ground
Solution: Do G Drill; Stand with one foot flat and the other leg bent at a 90-degree angle, with your arms in the appropriate corresponding position. As quickly as possible, do an “exchange” of getting into the same position on the other foot. Focus on doing 10 exchanges with the best balance possible. As you become better at the drill, see how many you can do with good balance in 15 seconds.
Excessive Shoulder and Hip Lateral Rotation
Solution: Don’t cross your centerline with your hands
Don’t hold your hands close to your chest
Rotate wrists outwardly with thumbs up to bring elbows closer to the torso
Check that the swing range of the arms is the same
Leaning Forward at Waist (Butt sticking out in the back. Pelvis tipped forward)
Solution: Reset exercise with hands above head
Push grocery cart without using hands.
Core exercises to help maintain proper position
www.runningtimes.com/gsvideos
Be tall
Pilates
Use Exerstriding Poles to complement running or walking
Tightness and/or Fatigue Around Head and Neck
Solution: Keep head straight, still, focused, chin tucked, eyes forward looking about 20 yards ahead. Don’t let your head tilt sideways, back or forward. Remember the example of the person holding the sledgehammer, tilted and straight up.
Shrug shoulders to relax
Relax neck, jaw, and forehead.
Rotate neck
Seek optimum space between ear lobes and shoulder
Limited or Improper Arm Swing
Solution: Swing freely from the shoulders; bent at the elbows (about a 90 degree angle). They should swing evenly from front to rear (from elbow near hip to hand near hip). The speed of movement change with your running pace.
Clenched Hands and/or Flapping Hands and Wrists
Solution: Fingers slightly curled and relaxed, palms slightly turned up, thumbs on top of index fingers and wrists firm
Wrists and hands in line with the forearm
Slapping Feet
Solution: Play with stride - length and cadence.
Splayed Feet, Uneven Pelvis, Excessive Rotation, Forward Lean at the Waist
Solution: Clams to strengthen weak glutes and hip rotators
Lie on your right side with your legs together and bent at a 90-degree angle. Hold your arms together straight in front of you. While keeping your feet together and you right leg on the ground, lift your left knee as if your legs were a clamshell. Do 10 reps on that side, then switch sides and do 10 on the other leg. Over time you can make the exercise more challenging by attaching a Theraband around your legs near the knees.
Weak Lower Abs and Back Muscles
Solution: V Sits
Sit with your legs straight on the ground. Raise them together while extending your arms in front of you. Don’t let your back sag. Hold for 30 seconds. Gradually work up to holding the position for a minute while maintaining good form the whole time.
Tight Lower Back and Hip Flexors
Solution: Scorpions
Lying face down with your chest on the ground, pull your left leg up and across the right leg to the opposite side of your body. Switch sides continuously until you have done 10 on each side. Scorpions are especially helpful before running if you’ve been sitting for a long time.
Not Using Glutes (Butt Muscles) - legs don’t straighten behind you
Solution: Glute Activators
Lie face down and bend your right leg about 90 degrees. Squeeze your right butt cheek and raise your foot at the same time. Do 10 with the right leg, then 10 on the left leg. Best done right before running.
Excessive Up and Down Movement
Solution: Involve glutes to get a forward rather than upward pushoff
Slight forward lean at ankles
Lift heels during pushoff
Increase the ankle joint extension so heels maintain contact with the ground longer
Limited Knee Lift or Weak/Tight Hip Flexors
Solution: Flat-Foot Marching
March flat-footed, focusing on lifting your knees high, working your quads and hip flexors, and maintaining upright posture. Imagine you are a puppet on a string with one string pulling your head straight up and two others working your knees. Do three 30-meter marches with a walk back to the starting point between
Head Thrust Forward
Solution: Neck Tuck
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Raise your head a few inches parallel to the ground, and then tuck your chin to your chest. You should soon feel the muscles along the front of your neck tiring. Start with 10 tucks and build to 15, then 20 as your neck muscles get stronger. Do neck tucks when your first wake up and a t least one other time during the day.
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