How to run the right way: tips and tricks to run like a pro

Since I learned to walk, I like to run. Friedrich Nietzsche

It could be 6, 12 or 18 months - the age at which you generally take your first steps and learn to walk. The next step is running and then it’s about running in the correct way.  There are the right and wrong ways to go about a run. So let's find out what to do and what to avoid in order to start running well and...not to stop anymore .First of all, we need to distinguish between running technique and gait: not everyone picks this up naturally and knows how to do it properly.

What's worse, most runners are either unaware of the damage caused by an incorrect running technique or notice it years later when the effects of the load on cartilage and inflammation in the tissues are starting to be felt. Running "bad" causes excessive stress on your back and knees.

How to run: mini guide

• Keep your centre of gravity in line
• Adopt an upright posture
• Use short and fast strikes
• The forefoot rests on the ground, not the heel

So how do I recognize when I run incorrectly? A good tip is to start listening to your body: if you experience pain or tension in your arms, shoulders or back when you train, then you need to make some corrections to the way you run.

Running is a linear sport in which the aim is to push forward along a straight line, keeping the centre of gravity of the body constantly aligned with the leg in contact with the ground. A common error among the runners is that they move their arms too much with negative consequences on the stability of the trunk. The exaggerated oscillation of the arms leads us to rotate the bust laterally, thus shifting our centre of gravity.

To acquire the correct alignment let's imagine that our body is crossed by a central line and every 30-50 steps it’s worth to check the position of the hands during the oscillation of the arms: if we can see thumb and forefinger, this means that the hands cross the imaginary central line. So let's keep our hands slightly further from our hips and think we have to reach an imaginary back pocket every time we carry each arm back. In this way we will prolong the movement along a straight trajectory and reduce the oscillations of the trunk.

Another common mistake in running is the assumption of a "hunched" posture, due to the excessive stretching forward of the torso with respect to the pelvis. Incorrect posture can lead to many common injuries and also cause a loss of energy that could be used to improve the race over speed or distance. As we run we try to hold our heads up, thinking that they are pulled upwards by an imaginary rope that crosses our whole body and escapes from the highest point of the skull. The nape of the neck will thus tend to align itself correctly with the spine.

Then let's hold the head, the chin parallel to the chest and the eyes firmly fixed forwards with our gaze turned to the ground at a distance corresponding to our height, instead of fixed on the feet. Once the correct vertical posture has been found, it will be sufficient to stretch forward acting on the ankles, without bending at pelvis level, keeping the weight slightly forward.

Technically, stride means the distance travelled by one foot from the moment of detachment to the moment of the next support. The first suggestion is to avoid excessively long strides which are usually caused by the tendency to carry the foot too far forward: the best stride is short and fast.  The most important thing is to keep your knee in line with your ankles, so that your foot resting on the ground is further back than your knee. Misalignment of knee and ankles is a major cause of injury in running.

Sustained pace (number of steps per minute) also facilitates short and fast strides, as well as support on the central part of the foot. So let's run at a pace of 180 steps per minute.
The increase in stride must be feasible and also gradual so as not to create injuries and to follow a regular increase in the strength of our legs. In addition, a too large increase in the stride could decrease the frequency and not make us any faster. The goal is to have a more effective stride to be faster by working on the strength and efficiency of the stride itself, with the same pace frequency. You therefore need to make any changes gradually, allowing your body to get used to it: by shortening training times, reducing your running speed and shortening the distance you travel.

Another important word of advice is to run lightly, without "jumping" on the ground but as if we were landing on fresh snow without leaving footprints. Beyond the poetic image we must remember to support the forefoot while we run and not the heel. However, this does not mean that we should lean on the top because we would damage the calves and the Achilles tendon. Basically the foot has to land flat, which means that it is simply falling under us by gravity, without any effort. If, on the other hand, the toe of the foot looks upwards at the moment of support, this means that we are leaning against the heel.

We know that running, at the beginning, will seem like a huge effort, especially if we are starting out for the first time or after a long break. But this will not be the case forever. Our body is designed to run, to take pleasure from this activity, you just have to remember it and learn to do it the right way. Once we give our bodies the time they need to get used to running and once we have adopted the correct running technique for us, nothing will stop us.