How to improve your running?

 

5 Ways to Improve Your Running

1. Don't Use a Long Stride

Leaping forward while you run is inefficient and an energy loss Instead, stand tall and lean forward, and when you feel like you are going to fall, step forward just enough to catch yourself.  This should be the length of your stride. It takes less energy to fall than to reach your foot in front of you.

2. Do Take Short Effective Strides

Less motion through the joint means less wear and tear and improved efficiency during your runs, says Figueroa. Using a shorter stride reduces the movement within any joint (for running, this means the joints of the ankles, knees, and hips), and less movement means a longer, healthier life for these joints.

3. Do Invest In Barefoot Running Shoes

“When it comes to support, less is more," says Figueroa. Build up to wearing shoes with minimal support, like NIKE free or vibram five fingers, to help strengthen and develop the natural muscular support in your foot and ankle. But don’t toss your sneakers just yet – slowly begin by running, one block at a time, with less support to gradually strengthen the muscles in your feet. Developing foot strength can help make everything stronger, including your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back, says Figueroa.

4. Do Work Up to Running Farther, Faster

Build your run one block, or one minute at a time, says Figueroa. Walk between running intervals and recover actively. You can work on speed or form and technique during your “work intervals" and then recover with an easy jog or power walk in between. Interval training can provide you with faster results in the same amount of time.

5. Do Run for Time

Try to improve covering the same distance in less time. For example, set your workout to run for 30 minutes and see how much distance you can cover instead of running for four miles harder than you can safely run, suggests Figueroa. The more you train, the easier your runs will become. You can either cover the same distance with greater ease, or maintain the same intensity and run farther in the same amount of time.