Improve your running style - how to find your perfect running technique

If you have ever watched a professional run, e.g. at the Berlin Marathon or running competitions within the framework of championships, you will have discovered many different running styles. Therefore, first of all: There is no such thing as THE right running technique. Rather, training is about finding the right style for your physique and ambitions. If your main goal is to become faster, running efficiency and economy play a central role.

If you use the correct running technique, your foot will touch down close to your body's centre of gravity when you take a step. This is important because it reduces the impact forces on muscles, tendons and joints. At the same time, it creates a flowing running movement that is not slowed down by each new step.Here is an overview of the foot strike and the movements involved:

• Heel walking: In this running form you land with your feet on the heel and then roll over the entire foot. Then push off again with the forefoot and toes. 
• Midfoot running: Here you land on the midfoot and push off again via the forefoot and toes.
• Forefoot running: In this variation you land on the forefoot, have very short contact with the ground and push off again with the forefoot and toes. This rather prancing running style is very stressful, especially for the Achilles tendons and calves. Therefore, you should only approach this variation with appropriate training and practice.

How exactly the foot lands on the ground depends on various factors. In general, you will land more on the forefoot when you increase your running speed. Also, when running uphill, you will usually land on the front of your foot. In addition, the posture of your body while running plays an important role in the so-called "foot strike". In fact, there are no studies that clearly show that one or the other foot strike has a demonstrably lower or higher risk of injury or is generally better or less suitable for runners.Regardless of which foot strike you want to optimise: When pushing off, your hips should always be maximally extended. Tighten your gluteal muscles. Your arms should always swing parallel to your body and very close to your body. The angle of your elbows should be less than 90 degrees and your hands should form a loose fist. Do you also want to optimise your equipment for perfect running technique? Then you can design your own running shirt here.

There are many different exercises to optimise your running technique while jogging. We have compiled the exercises for you here that we think are best for effectively improving your running style.

Running ABC Exercises

Running ABC exercises improve the coordination of your running movement. The principle behind it: You break down the entire running movement into small individual parts and perform these "micro" movements at high frequency and with high concentration. In this way, all muscle parts involved in your running movement are targeted and intensively trained. We recommend that you do the running ABC regularly after a short run-in. For example, you can do it before a tempo session.

You can do these running ABC exercises:

Ankle work:

Stand on your toes and alternately roll one foot from toe to heel. During this movement the tips of the toes should hardly leave the floor. If you are doing ankle work for the first time, you can also do the exercise on the spot. It is important that the whole movement is fluid. It is best to start very slowly and concentrate on each individual part of the movement. Then you can increase the speed of the movement bit by bit.

Skippings

Raise your knees until they form an angle of about 70 degrees. Then land on the front foot while tightening the toes. Try to achieve as high a frequency as possible. But again, it's not about being as fast as possible in the beginning. Internalise the movement exactly before you increase the speed. Accurate execution comes before speed.

Kniehebelauf

The knee lift works similarly to skipping, except that you raise your knees to a 90 degree angle. Make sure that your upper body remains upright and that you do not fall backwards.

Heels

Alternately pull one leg back towards the buttocks. The tips of your toes are tucked in. Make sure your posture is upright. The aim is to achieve the highest possible frequency. However, if you notice that the correct execution suffers and the body tension decreases, reduce the frequency again.

To improve your running technique, it is advisable to run at different speeds. Especially at higher speeds, you will almost automatically achieve a stronger footprint and a better knee lift because the foot strike shifts towards the forefoot.When you vary your running speed, new movement patterns are consolidated. At the same time, coordination is improved, which in turn has a positive effect on running economy.Our tip is to do incline runs: You can always integrate these into your training after a relaxed endurance run. Increase the speed over a distance of 60 to 100 metres from the endurance run to the sprint. However, make sure that you execute your running technique cleanly even at high speed.

When you improve your speed, you optimise your footprint. But which running technique exercises should I use? The best way to achieve your goals is through so-called "plyometric training". With plyometric training, you train the stretch-shortening cycle of the muscles. The best way to achieve this is through jump training. The landing represents the stretching of the muscles and tendons, which then contract, i.e. shorten, during the push-off. The stretch-shorten cycle is mainly about tensing muscles and releasing the muscle tension quickly. In this way, the impression becomes faster.Jumps make your Achilles tendon stronger and optimise intermuscular coordination. In addition, the so-called "stretch-shortening cycle" is trained, which takes place between landing and pushing off with every running step. At the same time, jumping exercises improve your running economy. They are therefore an important factor in your running technique exercises.

As we have shown you, there is no one way to achieve the right running style for jogging. However, it is more a matter of starting to optimise individual elements of your running movements with targeted exercises, not overnight, but through constant practice. Every runner's running style is different and the need for optimisation also depends on the individual goals. You can run injury-free with your current running style and are satisfied with your times? Then you don't need any optimisation. If you want to become faster or suffer from running injuries again and again, then invest a little time in your training to improve your running style.