How I Stopped Forcing My Running Form

Proper running form, and a gentler way to find it

For many years I believed good running form was a set of rules. Shoulders back, lean forward, shorten the stride, land on the forefoot. I thought our job as runners was to make the body follow those rules, and to keep checking that it did. This page used to read that way.

The parts of proper running form have not changed for me. I still believe in an upright posture, relaxed shoulders, a lean from the ankles and feet that land beneath the hips. What has changed is how I think we get there.

Woman running with relaxed, upright proper running form beside a field of yellow flowers

Notice, Then Let the Body Adapt

Learning what good form looks like is still the first step. It gives us something to compare against. But instead of trying to put each part in place, I now notice what my body is doing and how that compares with what might feel better and easier.

In the noticing, the body adapts on its own toward what feels better. The movement becomes more fluid, and over time it takes the shape of good running form. It is the same lesson the Feldenkrais Method taught me years ago: gentle attention releases what restricts our movement.

Our shoulders are a good example. Proper running form has the shoulders down and back, so the chest is open and relaxed. Many of us let our shoulders come forward as we run, and the back hunches and the chest caves in.

When we learn that shoulders down and back is an easier way to run, we start to notice how ours compare. We don't pull them into place. We keep giving that area our attention, and the shoulders begin to relax. We feel less tension across the top of the back, and breathing becomes easier.

Seeing all the parts together makes this easier. The Running Form Template is free when you join the Peaceful Runner VIP Club.

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One page that lays out the components of good running form in plain language, so you have something clear to compare against on your runs.

The Components of Proper Running Form

Each part below has two halves: what good form looks like, and what to notice. The first gives us the picture. The second is where the change happens.

Posture

Good posture is upright, with the head high and the hips, shoulders and ankles in a straight line. As you run, notice whether your head drifts forward or your hips sit back behind you. A deep breath often lifts and opens the chest without any effort. For a simple way to feel this standing still, try this one simple movement. Backwards running is another way to feel an upright spine.

Arms

The arms swing relaxed and close to the body, around the height of the heart, with the hands moving toward the centre of the chest but not crossing it. The elbows sit at about 90 degrees or a little less, and the swing comes from the elbows moving back rather than the hands reaching forward. Notice whether your fists are clenched, whether your hands cross in front of you, and whether your shoulders lift when you speed up.

Lean from the Ankles

A slight lean from the ankles, not the waist, lets gravity help carry us forward so the legs are not doing all the work. It also brings the foot down beneath us instead of out in front. Notice whether you are bending at the waist, and where your foot lands in relation to your hips.

Hips and Shoulders

When the right leg and hip move forward, the left shoulder moves forward with them, and then the other side. The hips and shoulders work together, and the shoulder movement opens the chest so breathing comes more easily. Try it in an exaggerated way while walking to feel the connection, then notice it gently on your next run. You can learn more about breathing efficiently with the Buteyko Breathing Method.

Foot Strike

The feet stay about hip-width apart and land beneath the hips, with the knees slightly bent. Contact with the ground is brief, and the steps feel soft and springy. When the foot lands beneath us, many runners find they land on the forefoot or midfoot. If you land on your heels, What Heel Strikers Should Know looks at whether it is worth changing. Notice how your feet sound and feel as they meet the ground.

Cadence

Cadence or turnover rate is the number of steps we take each minute. The often-quoted figure of 180 steps per minute comes from coach Jack Daniels and his observations of elite runners. Rather than chasing a number, notice whether your steps feel long and heavy, and what happens when you let them become a little quicker and lighter. Improve Your Running Cadence goes into this more fully.

Relaxation

This is the part that holds all the others together. Good running form is a relaxed body, free of tension, moving easily over the ground. While you run, scan your body for anywhere you are holding on: your shoulders, your jaw, your hands, your face. Give that place your attention and let it soften. Learning how to relax while running makes a real difference to how we feel during and after a run.

Quote by Jackie Linehan: “In the noticing, the body adapts on its own toward what feels better.”

One Area at a Time

Trying to change everything at once brings back the checklist, and the tension that comes with it. Choose one area for a run, perhaps your shoulders or your arms. Give it your attention for a few minutes, then let it go and run normally. On another run, choose another.

Over time the parts stop feeling separate and become one easy movement. If you would like to feel a good stride before you head out, the 100-Up Exercise is a simple drill to try at home.

Other Approaches

Chi Running, developed by Danny Dreyer, takes a mind-body approach to running form based on the principles of Tai Chi. You can read more about it on my Chi Running Method page.

Visualization can help too. When we see ourselves running with ease in the mind, the body has a picture to move toward.

Our bodies already know how to move with less effort. When we give them a clear picture and our gentle attention, they find their own way there, one run at a time.