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Are you running properly?

Poor running technique can lead tounnecessary injury risks if they arenot picked up early.

Many recreational runners are placingundue strain on their bodies, as well ascompromising their speed, by usingthe wrong technique.

Conditioning coach Mike Antoniades has developed a unique methodologyfor teaching the correct and most efficient running technique to athletes andrecreational users of all levels.

The application of Biomechanical, ait and Movement Analysis and videodocumentation helps him to identify any weaknesses and the underlyingcauses for abnormalities in running, walking, sprinting and motor control.

Mike Antoniades!peed, conditioning " rehabilitation coach

#hether you run to keep fit, compete at the $lympics or participate at anylevel in a multidirectional ball sport you can always improve your runningand sprinting technique.

%unning well and running fast is a skill, not something you were born with.And &ust like any other skill it can be taught.

Are you running efficiently?

!ome of the most obvious weaknesses ' see in runners and &oggers are(

1. Bouncing up and down too much

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2. $ver striding3. )ot using their hamstrings enough4. *anding on feet too heavily5. Breaking action on landing

. )ot using arms

!. Twist midriff side to side while running". The head and upper body are bent forward#. +ogging slower than you could walk

Most &oggers and runners are biomechanically inefficient because theirrunning technique is poor.

They don-t use the necessary body parts efficiently so when they aresupposed to be en&oying themselves they are instead suffering pain.

$%& '()&*(&

!o how can you run faster, moreefficiently and avoid in&ury

The nervous, muscular, skeletal andcardiovascular systems of our bodyare all involved when we run.

They all combine to create theneuromuscular and neuromechanicalsystems.

#e can improve the biomechanical movements for runners by teaching the body and the mind the correct motor patterns.

#hen you want to change a movement in your body it needs to be stored inyour muscle memory so you can repeat without thinking, particularly whenyou are tired.

#hen you perform a motion the body sends messages to the brain in a certainsequence.

To create a permanent map in your brain and nervous system you need torepeat this motion many times until it is ingrained in your muscles and your

brain.

/. The primary ob&ective of motor learning is to train the Movementrather than the Muscle.

0. $nce we have taught the movement then improving the athletic performance of a runner is imperative in the pursuit of e1cellence and inin&ury prevention.

2. The neuromuscular system then has to be stimulated to recruit andcontract motor units simultaneously and to increase the strength of thecontraction.(+,,&($)*- +/, $&(%*)0/&

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Although this may be hard to pick3up off the written page ' will e1plain whatchanges you may need to make to your current running style.

All accomplished and elite runners run on the balls of their feet.

The foot should strike the surface with the ball of the foot, in a dorsifle1ed position 4with toes pointing forward not downwards5 otherwise this creates a6 breaking6 motion.

The heel doesn-t touch the ground.

The foot on landing on the surface should be 6light6 not heavy, it then 6gripsand scrapes6 the surface.

The knee is slightly bent on contact with the surface and the foot lands belowthe centre of gravity 3 &ust below the hips.

Think of your leg working in acircular motion from the hip &oint.

This brings the heel of the foot behind the body. The hamstrings andgluteus ma1imus 4backside muscles5

play a very big part in thismovement.

The thigh moves forward with theaction of the quads and hip3fle1ors,the leg is e1tended and the foot dropsagain, landing on the ball of the foot as above.

#e call this cycling the leg

The hips and waist should be steady without a lot of side to side movement.

o you jog or run?Mike-s definition of &ogging is simple( 'fyou are 6moving6 slower than 7 miles perhour you are &ogging, and quite frankly youwould be better off walking#alking at 8 mph or faster is

biomechanically more efficient and far more beneficial to you than 6&ogging6 slowly#hen we walk fast we tend to use our legsand our arms together and this burns morecalories, plus &ogging or running put far

more potentially damaging forces throughour hip, knee and ankle &oints.

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The back should be straight and rela1ed, not bent at the waist.

The shoulders should be rela1ed, The arms should be bent at appro1imately9: degrees and the motion should be from the shoulder not the forearms.

As the arm moves back it should continue to stay in 9: degree fle1ion.

The hands should be held with the palm facing inwards not down. 'f you prefer to hold your hands in a fist, the thumb should rest on the forefinger.

The head should be up with your eyes looking ahead not down.

Try not to think about the movement too much. 'nstead try to feel the cyclingmotion, and visualise it in your mind while you-re running. ;ou will knowwhen you have got it right, you will be able you feel it.