| Most experienced runners can tell when other | | | | Experienced runners have consistent stride length |
| runners are in shape just by watching them run. | | | | and form. This study shows that with fatigue, |
| They look for efficiency, a measure of how much | | | | their stride length decreases and, more |
| energy is lost by wasteful movements during | | | | importantly, they start to lose form by adding a |
| running. You run with your legs and all of your | | | | significant amount of side-to-side movement that |
| other movements are used just to balance your | | | | wastes energy and does not drive them forward. |
| body. The main reason you don't fall when you | | | | Running slowly does not teach your brain how to |
| are walking or running is that your brain | | | | balance your body when you run fast. Good form |
| constructs a "center of gravity", a point around | | | | comes from practicing running very fast in |
| which all movements on one side are balanced by | | | | training. People who run slowly all the time usually |
| equal movements on the other side. For example, | | | | have poor running form. They waste movements |
| when your right leg goes forward, your left arm | | | | that do not help them move forward. For |
| goes forward and your right arm goes backward. | | | | example, their feet often move to the side after |
| You do this without thinking and your movements | | | | they raise their feet from the ground. Their arms |
| are automatically calculated in your brain. | | | | do not move loosely and comfortably to balance |
| A study from The Hospital of Laval in France | | | | their bodies. They may run with toes pointed |
| shows that even the best runners lose their | | | | outward, which is a sign of weak shin muscles. If |
| efficiency when they become fatigued (Journal of | | | | you want to improve your running form, run |
| Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, June 2006). | | | | faster a few times every week. |