With the arrival of good weather, some people are encouraged to do more libre sports activities. If this is your case, and you are thinking about taking up running, we recommend that you continue reading these lines about running technique in beginner runners.
We interviewed our Sports Director of RUNNEA and RUNNEA ACADEMY and Doctor in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, Iker Muñoz, who will give us the keys that will help you to be more efficient in your first days.
If I could give only one piece of advice to a novice runner it would be to invest time and effort in learning to run.
It should be added that, in addition to the importance of choosing the right Running shoes, it is highly recommended that if you are considering becoming a runner, you do so under the guidance of sports professionals .
At RUNNEA ACADEMY, the app that offers personalized training plans, nutrition guidelines and virtual races , we have helped more than 30,000 athletes reach their goals.
The keys that will help you to be more efficient in the race
We ask Iker Muñoz the most frequently asked questions we get when we talk about running technique for beginner runners. Let's get going!
Is it necessary for beginner runners to pay attention to running technique from the very beginning?
It's not necessary, it's mandatory. If I could give only one piece of advice to a novice runner it would be to invest time and effort in learning how to run, especially mid-foot entry and the application of strength, it will be key to achieving good records in the future and minimizing the risk of injury.
Although the goal of any popular runner is always to compete, it will be necessary to lay the foundations so that our running technique does not limit our performance, especially running economy.
What are the elements of running technique?
Everything, absolutely every part of the body, to a greater or lesser extent, plays an important role in running technique.
Sometimes we pay a lot of attention to foot contact with the ground, but we have to be aware that the body must be coordinated as a whole. For example, a perfect foot contact with the ground can be worsened by poor quality of the swinging motion or excessive tension in the shoulders.
Therefore, the coordination between the different body segments, the ability to generate a high frequency of movement, being aware of the situation of our body in space and being able to execute a high quality of movement in fatigue will be key aspects in the development of a correct technique.
What is the goal of good running technique?
The main objective is to reduce energy expenditure during running. In other words, to improve the economy or efficiency of movement. This will bring us greater performance.
- You may beinterested in: Vertical oscillation when running, learn how to be more efficient in running.
To what extent does braking influence our running technique?
The brachus comes to compensate for the action of the legs, the imbalance of the pelvis and the rotation of the trunk. It is of utmost importance to work on your swing, as it will minimize unwanted movements that influence your running economy.
How can running technique be improved?
This will be difficult if we have been training for years, our body is used to run in a certain way and drastically changing the way we run will be detrimental to our performance.
Introducing running technique into our training will be important, but more important will be to focus our attention on each support when doing these technique drills. We cannot repeat drills systematically without being aware of each support and focusing our attention on the aspect we need to improve.
Therefore, the improvement of technique, in any sport, will be important, but it will require the investment of time, where quality is more important than quality.
What types of running technique exercises are the most effective?
There is no right answer here, it will depend on what we need to improve. The inclusion of certain exercises that focus on the correct contact of the foot with the ground and that work on impulsion, making the support phase short (minimizing the contact time of the foot with the ground) will be fundamental. However, we can focus certain exercises on the action of the arms or work the abdominal muscles.
- You may beinterested in: Start running to lose weight
Read more news about: Running Training
