To gain a better understanding of what good running form is, first let’s examine what is best to avoid. Poor running form is the root cause of many injuries. Many runners attribute their injuries to overuse, when in fact a good portion such as hip and knee injuries are caused by over-rotation. These are especially prevalent with runners that have strong upper bodies. They use this upper body power to help drive the body forward.
Many runners not only swing their arms back and forth, but they also swing them side to side. This common mistake can lead you to turn at the waist. This adds an extra rotation at the hip that is echoed all the way down through the knees and the foot strike.
Your body is designed to go forward in a smooth motion. When people use the side to side arm motion, they introduce a rotation in the hip. Yes, this can generate speed but at a cost. It is also less efficient. More energy is used to generate that speed. Over rotation of the hips can be a source for many hip and knee injuries.
The problem is this doesn’t happen overnight, so many runners never make the connection to their poor form and their injury.
To prevent this from happening, take a note of the center-line that runs down your body. The easiest way to stop the over rotation is to make sure your hands or arms to do not cross this center-line.