Running In Style (the way you look with your running outfit & gadgets) is different from Running With Style.

Every runner has its own individual style or his/her “running signature”. Some would sway their shoulders while running, some would be always looking downward while running, some would be erect, some would be leaning forward and some would flap their palms from their wrists. Running does not have to look right but it should feel right on the individual runner.

In order to minimize these unnecessary bad habits in running, one should have a coach or an advance runner who would observe and give critiques while he/she is running, or get a video or camera to record your movements while running. The following are the four points to consider in improving one’s running style.

1)  Rhythmic Flow—Developing a rhythmic flow to your running style means you have to learn to run with a certain “beat” or cadence. If you can silently chant, following a rhythm, that would greatly improve your running style. Soldiers running in a group would always chant to encourage everybody to follow a certain “beat” or rhythm and this will encourage them to run farther distance without much effort. Most often, runners would resort to music and they carry with them MP3 & Ipods during runs. The beat of the music would go with the cadence or “beat” of the feet while pounding on the ground or on the breathing of the runner.

2)  Light Feet—It is encouraged to run “lightly” with your running shoes, hearing no sound at all while your running shoes hit the ground. You have the feeling that you are “floating” in the air while running if you don’t hear any sounds from your running shoes. You can practice for a 3-5 minutes jumping rope everyday or try jumping without the rope just to emphasize “tip-toe” landing with your feet. To improve on this, you can have your running workouts without any noise made by your running shoes.

3)  Relaxation—Relaxation means that your chin should be loosely hanging, mouth slightly open with the jaws loose. The shoulders should be down and relaxed. The hands & fingers are not held tighly together to form a fist but the fingers should loosely cupped. The wrists should be loose and not tense.

4)  Breathing—Develop a cadence in breathing. Breathing should be relaxed. Runners should develop “belly breathing”, expanding the stomach when you breath in and flattening your stomach when you breath out.

As most of the famous coaches in running and elite runners would say, runners should follow strictly the tested 3 Rs in running—Run tall; Run relaxed; and Run naturally.

Good luck. It needs so much practice and awareness to be able to develop your distinct “running style”.