Running Posture

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annabell82
annabell82 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I just started running (well running and walking) and find afterwards my upper back hurts for days after! I think I must be tensing up my shoulders when I run but how can I stop this? I only just got up the courage to start running don't want to stop now!

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  • rhondaredhead
    rhondaredhead Posts: 135 Member
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    Have you paid attention to the way you're breathing? A good friend of mine—and a marathon runner—gave me great advice when I started. She said to always concentrate on making sure you breathe in from the bottom up—make sure you're bringing the air down so that you're using your abs/stomach to help with pulling it in and pushing it out and *not* to let your shoulders hunch up and down with each breath. When I jog, I concentrate on my breathing rhythm and on relaxing my arms/shoulders, doing my best to let them be loose. To me this type of breathing is exactly like the breathing needed for singing.

    Hope this helps—and keep it up! I started in April and I'm addicted now!
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
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    That is not unlikely. It is common. The best thing to do is when you run, have a checklist going through your mind.

    Shoulders down and relaxed.
    Back straight (this gives your lungs more expansion)
    Abs tight
    Head Forward
    Arms up (so that your hands are around the level of your heart

    Great start. :smile:
  • Bremengal
    Bremengal Posts: 4
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    My husband runs and cycles quite a bit. He says to roll your shoulder blades back and down while slowly breathing out if you feel that you are getting too tight. It relaxes your shoulders and also opens up the chest. Hope that helps.
  • bigdawg62
    bigdawg62 Posts: 127 Member
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    Arm Circles Help Your Shoulders Relax
    The muscles in the upper back often become tense while running, especially when running long distances. You can reduce this tension by adding arm circles to your stretching routine.


    •Stand with your arms pointing straight out to either side.

    •Use both arms simultaneously and make 10 circles in one direction, then 10 circles in the other direction.

    This simple exercise does help to relieve tension in the upper back, which can be especially tight for people who, when they are not training for a marathon, spend much of their time working at a computer.
  • czar1978
    czar1978 Posts: 83
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    This may sounds strange, but...

    Do you clench your fists when you run? I had this problem when I first started running; find that I still do it. The clenching actually takes a lot of energy and can cause extra tightness in the shoulders/upper body.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    I had this same issue, but found it was my Sports bras! I had to go out and get a whole new style!
  • hummingbird314
    hummingbird314 Posts: 78 Member
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    This could mean you have a weak core. You may be substituting muscles in the upper back to make up for weak abdominals and back extensors. Make sure you add in some core strengthening to your routine.
    Teresa
  • annabell82
    annabell82 Posts: 2
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    Thank you everyone! Lots of really great suggestions, I'll try them out and hopefully all will be well! :)

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