Anyone with running experience knows that their running posture affects their performance. But what is the right running posture? Simply put, the correct running posture should be "running tall" (RUN TALL), which means you should stretch every part of your body, especially keeping your back straight. In fact, everyone has a running posture that suits them. To find the posture that works best for you, the running movement guidance described in the following text can help you understand what proper running form looks like.
[Head]
A perfect running form starts with the position of your head. You should look ahead, focusing on the horizon—neither looking up nor down at the ground. This helps keep your neck and back upright. This posture also relaxes your jaw and neck; your chin shouldn’t jut forward while running. Looking down at the ground and your feet causes you to unconsciously hunch your back, constrict your chest, collapse your shoulders, and lean slightly forward, making you prone to falls and injuries. Tilting your head too far back and facing slightly upward causes your chest to expand outward, pulling your lower back inward, making running more strenuous.
[Shoulders]
Relax your shoulders and keep them balanced left and right, letting them hang as low as possible. While running, your shoulders should remain square and level. They shouldn’t swing side to side or flail about. Don’t shrug your shoulders, as this tenses them, wastes unnecessary energy, and affects power from your lower body.
[Torso]
Proper head and shoulder posture allows your torso to maintain the right angle while running. Your body should be almost straight, with your upper body slightly leaning forward. Of course, leaning too far forward puts excessive strain on your knees and back, affecting your stride and hindering forward momentum. At the same time, never lean backward—this leads to overstriding and shifts your center of gravity to your heels. Keeping your shoulders and back upright and opening your chest allows your lungs to take in the maximum amount of air. Also, avoid swaying your body side to side.
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[Arms]The movement of your arms while running helps propel you forward and minimizes torso rotation. Keep your elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle. Try to relax your arms as much as possible during running, while maintaining coordination with your leg stride. Swing your arms upward or downward during running, bringing your hands up to the level of your sternum on the upward swing and down to belt level on the downward swing. Maintain this range of motion—don’t swing too high or too low. While running, naturally bend your arms at the elbows, keep them relaxed at your sides, with your ring and pinky fingers gently curled, and your thumb, index, and middle fingers naturally spread. There’s no need to deliberately swing your arms.
[Hands]
Keep your hands and wrists relaxed while running. Your hands should remain in a loose fist, with your fingers lightly touching your palms.
[Hips]
For beginners, positioning your hips correctly during running isn’t easy. If your head, shoulders, and torso movements are correct, your hips will naturally maintain the right posture. At this point, your hips should also stay straight. If your torso tilts too far forward or backward, your pelvis will tilt as well.
[Knees and Legs]
For endurance runners, not lifting your knees too high and reducing your stride can make your steps more efficient. During sprints, when greater forward propulsion, power, and speed are needed, you can lift your knees higher. Additionally, keeping your knees slightly bent helps absorb impact upon landing. While running, control your stride length to avoid overstriding—the goal is to land with your foot directly beneath your body. If your lower leg extends out in front of your body when landing, your stride is too long. Controlling how high you lift your knees can also help regulate your running speed.
[Feet]
Your feet should land as lightly as possible on the ground, with the forefoot striking first and quickly transferring the impact through the arch to your toes and heels. Keep your feet as soft, springy, and relaxed as possible while running. Relax your legs during running—if you focus too much on taking large strides and exert too much effort with your legs, you’ll waste excess energy, become very tired, and fail to make the most of your time and energy for weight loss.
[Detailed Explanation of Correct Running Posture]
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