I run incorrectly?

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holly55555
holly55555 Posts: 307 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have never run, especially not since they made us in school. I do the elliptical or bike for cardio.

Anyway, today, I had to run a little bit and a trainer told me that I ran incorrectly. I tried to get them to clarify what exactly was wrong - as I, again, have never really run in my life, and they were super vague and said it was obvious I've never run. Thanks?

What exactly is the correct way to run? I'm assuming I probably run "like a girl" or something, but I'm not even really sure what that means either.

Replies

  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
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    I was told once in school I ran like a 'Flintstones' character....

    If you've never run before and all the advice this 'trainer' could give you was that you could tell, I'd tell him to jog on :bigsmile:

    Have you never seen the Friends episode where Phoebe lets loose running, just think like her !! Yeh once you get into running, if you get into it you can research more into form etc but its good that you're just getting out there.
  • dantonn9
    dantonn9 Posts: 13
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    Maybe how you're landing on your feet? With shoes, we tend to land more on our heels, then round forward onto the pads of our feet to take off with the next step. If you run barefoot, you'll notice a change in how you land very quickly, as landing on the heel like that will feel uncomfortable. We are meant to land on the pads of our feet, allowing the foot (especially the arch) and leg to absorb the shock, and then push off with the pad. The heels may or may not touch, I guess depending on the person. I've noticed that the faster I go, the less my heels touch the ground.
  • learnerdriver
    learnerdriver Posts: 298 Member
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    hmm. i thought you were supposed to run on the front of your foot ie more towards the toes to reduce injury.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Google-Pose, good form & chi running. That should help
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Go to a running store that analyzes your gait and see what they say...

    I'd be annoyed at that trainer...
    Super helpful bro...

    Also if you dont want to run, you dont have to. You can achieve your goals without it.
  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,678 Member
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    I know that people get really weird about corrected on form for lifts and whatnot. And yes, that does get annoying. Having said that, poor running form is a recipe for all sorts of disasters. You can do pretty well for a while with poor form, but sooner or later you will either plonk yourself to injury or reach a point where you simply cannot improve and give up entirely. Running mechanics are just so important. You don't have to be perfect, but avoiding the common mistakes can make all the difference in the world. Not just in terms of speed and endurance, but in how enjoyable running can be. When I first started running someone told me that I looked like villagers were chasing me with torches. I hated running. It was a painful, jarring workout. I worked on my form and as my form got better my love of running increased dramatically. It's such an easy, effortless thing if you do it properly.
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    Go to a running store that analyzes your gait and see what they say...
    Concur.

    Don't go running without getting professionally fitted. That's Rule #1
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    There are actually Youtube videos on how to run with proper form. Might be worth a watch.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    1) sounds like your trainer doesn't know what the eff he is talking about, otherwise he would give you specifics, but... if you are worried about it, you can get your gait analyzed.

    -Forefoot striking is very vogue right now, but there are all kinds of strikers, including heel and midfoot.
    - Overall, you should make sure that your foot is landing under, or slightly in front of your center of mass. If you land under your knee, you are over-striding
    -Your arms should go forward, not across your body, which can torque your back
    - keep your chest up and shoulders back/relaxed. if your biceps are sore after you run, you're too tight
  • Daisyisacat
    Daisyisacat Posts: 47
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    Maybe you were nervous about running in front of an alleged expert and, as such, stress impacted your form. There is nothing wrong with running like a girl - a strong, fit, powerful girl.

    Regardless of your form, you still made the first important step and actually ran. Good for you.

    I admit it is a personal pet peeve of mine when a less then stellar performance is equated with being like a girl. It sends a poor message to our daughters - that they are some how deficient because of their sex.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 307 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the advice! It was a self defense drill that involved a little sprinting.

    These are definitely helpful tips and thank you for telling me where to find information - everything I googled didn't have exactly what I was looking for!

    I'm not really expecting to become a runner but I don't want to be doing it wrong either! It's so hard getting in shape when you've never been athletic - everyone is a critic!
  • roanokejoe49
    roanokejoe49 Posts: 820 Member
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    hmm. i thought you were supposed to run on the front of your foot ie more towards the toes to reduce injury.

    NO! NO! NO! Heel-toe for running. ALWAYS!
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    hmm. i thought you were supposed to run on the front of your foot ie more towards the toes to reduce injury.

    NO! NO! NO! Heel-toe for running. ALWAYS!

    Always?? I can't heel strike, killed my legs, had to switch to midfoot, helped a ton with my stride, mechanics and pain. With that said, some can be proficient with heel striking, some aren't. The same with midfoot, or forefoot.
  • DrJanet98
    DrJanet98 Posts: 138 Member
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    Check out the book "Born to Run," which goes into the mechanics and evolution of the bipedal runner. There's also some fascinating info on ultramarathons and other people who run for extremely long distances.

    I was amused to learn that a typical "ultramarathon" of fifty miles is about ten miles *shorter* than the Breast Cancer 3-Day....
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    hmm. i thought you were supposed to run on the front of your foot ie more towards the toes to reduce injury.

    NO! NO! NO! Heel-toe for running. ALWAYS!

    NO NO NO worst advice ever.
    Heel to toe is NOT proper form. Yes some people do it, but that doesn't mean it's correct.
  • Hozman121
    Hozman121 Posts: 76 Member
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    I was certainly running incorrectly because that is what I was taught. Never figure out why my shins hurt so bad so I decided to figure it out on my own. Started doing a lot of reading and watching videos.

    This one really helped me. I just have to really concentrate on toe heel vs heel toe until it becomes more natural to me. Hope this may help.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-7beA-daw
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
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    I personally did a LOT of reading online about form. Arms, shoulders, legs, foot strike, etc. I remember on my first long run (6 miles) I spent over an HOUR focused exclusively on my form and which muscles were being engaged. I had awful form in the beginning and i was recently told that I have great form. so I think just doing research and reading on my own really helped. I also got some books, but found that the internet blogs, youtube videos and articles from runnersworld were just as good or better. Good luck!!
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
    Options
    1) sounds like your trainer doesn't know what the eff he is talking about, otherwise he would give you specifics, but... if you are worried about it, you can get your gait analyzed.

    -Forefoot striking is very vogue right now, but there are all kinds of strikers, including heel and midfoot.
    - Overall, you should make sure that your foot is landing under, or slightly in front of your center of mass. If you land under your knee, you are over-striding
    -Your arms should go forward, not across your body, which can torque your back
    - keep your chest up and shoulders back/relaxed. if your biceps are sore after you run, you're too tight
    AND keep your hands relaxed. Don't run with fists. Coach told me one "pretend your hands are hammers"

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