When you step out of your front door for a run, you may not think too much about what is actually happening as you place one foot in front of the other.

Although running itself is a natural, “second nature” movement, there are ways to improve efficiency and thereby your performance. As well as these technique tweaks, there are also several alternative styles you can adopt to help improve your running form.

ChiRunning

Based on the principle of energy flow through the body, ChiRunning focuses on teaching bio-mechanically sound running principles, while combining core stability with mind and body. Followers of this form of running claim it significantly reduces the risk of injuries, and leads to more efficient running. Irish marathon record-holder Catherina McKiernan is a ChiRunning master trainer, evidence that this style of running has some first-rate merit.

Alexander Technique

By extending the principles of Alexander Technique to running, you strip the process right back to the basic movement patterns. Consideration is given to all the muscles in the body involved in the process of running, looking at which muscles need to relax, which need to engage and how to lengthen the spine as you propel yourself forward.

Pose Technique

By considering the movement of running as a sequence of positions, or poses, it is possible to simplify this down to just one core pose, which is repeated over and over again. This, it is argued, is the most efficient way of running, using gravity to do most of the work.

What all three of these running techniques have in common is that they all strive to improve running efficiency. This isn’t a bad thing. If you imagine running 10 miles and burning 1,000Cals in the process, then improving your efficiency so that the 10 miles cost only 900Cals, can only be of benefit.

Learning to run efficiently isn’t simply a case of changing things over night. It is likely that you have been running the way you run for your whole life; your brain and body have got used to your particular style and it is not going to be easy to change it.

That said, it is possible. With a few minor alterations you can improve your running efficiency significantly.

1. Run tall

If you find yourself stooping over as you run, try to imagine the top of your head is being lifted upwards with a piece of string. This will lengthen your spine and automatically engage your core stabilisers.

2. Keep your focus forward

Allow your gaze to fall about 50m in the distance, keeping your head up. Looking down at the ground usually leads to your shoulders stooping, restricting your breathing and reducing efficiency.

3. Relax your shoulders

Tension in the shoulders is the number-one cause of headaches when running. Try to relax your shoulders; every few minutes completely relax your arms by your sides for two or three strides to remind yourself to release the tension. Keep your wrists slightly toned too, as running with “floppy” wrists can lead to the slack being taken up in the shoulders.

4. Arms straight ahead

Try not to let your arms move across your body too much. You want to be travelling forwards, not side to side.

5. Create a lean

Lean forwards slightly from the ankle as this can lead to gravity helping to propel you forward rather than slowing you down. If your foot strike is in front of your centre of gravity, every time you put your foot on the ground you create a braking effect. By leaning in slightly you reduce this significantly.

6. Focus on your foot strike

Although several running techniques involve either a forefoot strike (pose technique) or an almost flat foot strike (ChiRunning), the generally recognised running technique is to strike the ground with your heel then roll around the outside of the foot and toe off from the second toe. Trying to run on the balls of your feet without being taught this technique by an expert can lead to injury as greater stresses are placed on the calf muscles.

This Saturday George Anderson is holding a Training Day workshop at Castleknock Hotel (see www.dublintrainingday.com for full details) and will be presenting a session on structuring your programme around your goals at the Concern training seminar on Sunday. Visit www.concernchallenge.org/ for details of this free seminar.

- George Anderson