Running and Athletic Walking Form

Image from iRunnerBlog.com

By using proper form for walking you can become more efficient in your stride and confident in your ability to achieve your goals.  The technique will help you safely cover more ground in less time, with less effort, and with greater consistency.

When you practice your technique, break each component down to an individual motion and focus on one at a time.  Eventually it will all come together.  Be patient.  It takes time and practice to have this new form come naturally.  

Heads Up!
Your head should be level, eyes looking forward, and the chin parallel to the ground.  A protruding chin or tilting the head down to look at the ground is a common mistake.  If your head is allowed to tilt forward, excess strain is put on the neck and shoulders and will lead to undue fatigue.  Focus on looking forward to about 12-20 feet in front of you.  If you need to look closer to where you are stepping, lower your eyes, not your whole head.

Arm Swing
Your shoulders should be relaxed, not drawn up towards your ears.  Arms should swing naturally with each step, and should be bent at the elbow at a 90 degree angle.  This is important.  Straight arms during long walks and runs wastes energy and can lead to problems with swelling, tingling, and numbness of the fingers or hands.
Your arms should swing comfortably and naturally at about waist level.  When you are running focus a little more on the front part of the swing.  When you are walking focus on the back swing.  Do not pump your arms, but allow them to swing like a pendulum.  Your hands should be relaxed and loosely closed.  Any excess tension in the arms or hands should be avoided -- it wastes energy.  The elbows should be close to the torso, with the hands going no higher than the center of the chest on the forward swing, or past the back of the hip on the back swing.

Posture
Think about having a nice, straight body position (as opposed to being hunched over) with a slight forward lean. Imagine having a rope tied to your chest pulling you forward and up. Keep your chest out, your head up, and your vision scanning the path approximately 15-20 feet in front of you. The straight body position will keep your muscles relaxed and in balance while opening your lungs for maximum oxygen intake. Remember to keep the slight forward lean as this will help with your foot turnover and allow you to move down the path lightly and efficiently.

Turnover
Turnover is how quickly you step.  Most people, when they try to go faster increase the length of their strides.  This is inefficient, and will waste energy.  It will also set you up for injury as it increases the impact of every stride. We will get more into turnover rate later, but for now practice shortening your stride and taking very quick steps, whether you are walking or running.  Pretend you are walking or running over hot coals and want to get your feet off the ground as quickly as possible.