When your mom told you stand up straight, you probably had no idea that she was also helping your running technique. Running efficiently and pain free has a lot to do with your posture. Keep your head in line with your spine, your shoulders relaxed, and your torso over your hips. A simple way to stack all these body parts one on top of the other is to gaze naturally at the horizon as you move forward. Adjust your eyes and chin so they are parallel with your body. It's tempting to look down at the ground or gaze at the peak of an upcoming hill, but this can overstretch your neck and cause your shoulders to hunch up toward your ears. Not only will gazing at the horizon prevent pain during and after your run, but it'll also make your workout easier.
Featured
Running Tip: Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon
Source: Getty
8 Comments Post a Comment
More on FitSugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Tabitha
Koodos
Calida
I usually look farther down the path... I will try this tonight and see how it works.... may be a little hard in Manhattan with the horizon being frequently blocked by architecture
1I usually look as far as I can down the trail I am running. Not much horizon on my running route... =)
2Ugh, I am such a huncher. I used to think I was doing pretty well posture-wise, but then those pesky finish-line photos show up in my e-mail after races to mock me. Granted, I'd imagine/hope that my form is better at mile 5 than when I'm lurching across the finish line at mile 13.1, but still. It ain't pretty.
3i'm guilty of running and looking down at the path . . i know it's bad for breathing too! i will try harder now with this post as my inspiration to learn to look up . . probably i look really silly looking down too!
4I try to look up but I find that if I dont look at the ground, I tend to roll my ankle or step in a dent in the ground!
5Fit, I went running last night after I read this post and oh my goodness what a difference it made, i felt like i was gliding as I ran. I usually look down when I run. But yesterday, I felt like my body was perfectly aligned and its amazing how long I could keep running, not to mention I avoided collisions with other runner/cyclists. Thanks so much for this tip
6I hvae to consciously not look down, mainly because I'm afraid i'm going to step on something, but looking in front of me is also great motivation to just keep on going
7if i look at the horizon when i run, it always makes the run go by faster, which is an added perk!
8Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.