WNY MMA & FITNESS. Improve your running technique.

Improve Your Form

This is to help fighters and fitness freaks here at WNY MMA & Fitness avoid injury by teaching efficient, low-impact running technique. Just like MMA, you take lessons to get the most out of it. Running is no different.  Whether you are just beginning to incorporate running into your workout or you have been reaping its benefits for a while, You can always improve to form to keep your body in a healthy condition. Stay injury free for MMA. 

BALANCED FORWARD POSTURE

• ‹ Stand tall, gaze forward
• ‹ Keep chest forward and shoulders back and relaxed
• ‹ Don't bend at the waist
• 
  

COMPACT ARMS

• ‹ Short, compact, relaxed arm movement
• ‹ Pump back and recover forward, don't sway side to side
• ‹ Elbows should not extend in front of the waist unless sprinting
•  

PROPER FOOT STRIKE

• ‹ Land softly underneath a bent knee
• ‹ Avoid overstriding and excessive heel striking
• 
  

HIGH CADENCE

• ‹ Maintain approximately 170-180 steps per minute
• ‹ Count 30 steps per leg in 20 seconds for a 180 cadence
• ‹ Light, soft & quick foot placement
• 
  

PROUD POSTURE

Stand tall, gaze forward

Keep chest forward and shoulders back and relaxed

Don't bend at the waist

Run tall, run proud! Straighten your back and push your chest and hips forward. This allows gravity to help ease you into your next step. Keep your shoulders back and relaxed and never bend at the waist. Lock your eyes on the horizon and avoid looking down at your feet or up into the sky.
Quick Tip: To reset your posture, quickly pump your arms forward and backward at a 45-degree angle. This brings your hips and chest forward and keeps your back straight.

COMPACT ARMS

Short, compact, relaxed arm movement

Pump back and recover forward, don't sway side to side

Elbows should not extend in front of the waist unless sprinting

Elite runners have very little arm movement when running. They quickly pop their elbows back and let them passively recover while the other elbow is popping back. They also keep their arms moving in a front-to-back motion instead of a side-to-side motion.

To increase efficiency, keep your arms compact and close to your chest at less than a 90-degree angle. Don't allow your elbows to come forward past your hips or your fists to cross the midline of your chest.

Quick Tip: Use heavyhands or 1–2 pound hand weights on easy runs to find your most efficient arm movement and angle.

LOW IMPACT LANDING

Land softly underneath a bent knee

Avoid overstriding and excessive heel striking

A proper, low-impact foot strike is the result of proud posture, compact arms, and quick steps. Thinking about your foot strike can cause lower leg fatigue, cramps, or other problems, and should be avoided. Each runner has their own unique foot strike, molded by genetics, running surface, and speed of running.

Most runners should land close to midfoot with their foot parallel to the ground. A slight heel landing or forefoot strike is acceptable as long as the foot hits the ground underneath your body. Overstriding, excessive heel striking and running on your toes should be avoided as they cause excessive stress and impact.

Quick Tip: As you run, consciously remember to slightly bend your knees and run a little bit quieter.

HIGH CADENCE

Maintain approximately 170–180 steps per minute

Count 30 steps per leg in 20 seconds for a 180 cadence

Light, soft and quick foot placement

Spend several weeks gradually increasing cadence

A high cadence, or quick steps, is proven to reduce impact and improve foot strike and running efficiency. Studies have shown that recreational, chronically injured runners run with a slow cadence, whereas elite and efficient runners have a cadence of above 170 steps per minute. Running barefoot can quickly improve cadence and help you master proper running technique. Start by increasing your cadence by 10–15 steps per minute (2–3 steps per leg in a 20 second period.) Once you've adapted to that, increase it again by another 10–15 steps per minute until you settle on a comfortable, efficient cadence between 170–180 steps per minute. Cadence changes very little with speed, so you can practice cadence on all types of workouts—even while running in place!

Quick Tip: Count the steps one foot takes in a twenty-second time period. An ideal cadence of 174–180 steps per minute consists of 29–30 steps in a twenty seconds.

Injury Prevention Tip:

Aim to run at least 1/3 of your mileage on natural or uneven surfaces such as grass, cobblestones, or dirt trails-this will balance your muscle structure & strengthen your stabilizing muscles. For more personal help, talk to Ted at the front desk.