All runners have their particularities, and no two will run exactly the same with the same posture, foot strike, and cadence. The “ideal” or proper running form for one runner can vary from another’s, which is why finding your most efficient form and technique is individualized.
However, there are some fundamental pillars of proper form that can be helpful to all runners, such as keeping your shoulders back and relaxed, landing under your center of mass, and keeping your elbows at 90 degrees.
There are also clear signs of poor running form to watch out for, such as hunching your shoulders, overstriding, or overrotating your hips. Poor running form can lead to inefficient running technique or, worse, overuse injuries.
But don’t worry. Having correct running form is something anyone can work to achieve, and it’s never too late.
Today, we will examine the components of proper running form and discuss how you can improve yours to lower your risk of overuse running injuries and improve running economy and efficiency.
What Is Proper Running Form?
Although it may look slightly different for everyone, proper running form is about aligning your body systems in a straight line.1Collins, C. K., Johnson, V. S., Godwin, E. M., & Pappas, E. (2016). The reliability and validity of the Saliba Postural Classification System. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 24(3), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2016.1138599
What does this mean?
This means that your lower leg, thigh, pelvis, trunk, neck, and head are stacked in a straight line, one on top of the other.
It is also important for each of these ‘body systems’ to be neutrally tilted. So, for example, if you had bad running form, your hips might be tilted sideways, or your head could be tilted backward.
In other words, good running form is when your body is aligned, and you lean slightly forward (not bending at the waist, but your entire body leaning forward as if it were a wooden plank).
How Do I Know If I Am Running Correctly?
Like most things, it’s easier to recognize proper running form in someone else than to notice it in your own running.
But don’t fret; we have tools to help us become a more self-aware runner.
You have two options;
- Hire a running coach. A coach could expertly observe your biomechanics and running posture and provide one-on-one guidance to fix common mistakes and achieve proper running form.
- Film yourself running. Set up a camera first to the side of you, then behind you, as you run on a treadmill at a steady pace. Then you can analyze your running form to identify areas you could improve.
If you don’t have access to a treadmill, you can have a friend film you as you run by.
And with the following list in mind, you’ll be able to spot areas that may need readjusting.
What Are The Key Elements Of Running Form?
#1: Keep your eyes up and chin down
The first thing to do when running is to get your head right.
Many runners tend to raise their chins when they’re tired or crane their necks up and out.
Leading with the neck is not only an inefficient use of energy, but it can also restrict breathing and strain the neck muscles and joints.
In fact, according to Sports Injury Physio, not aligning your head with your neck and shoulders adds about 5kg of strain to your neck muscles and joints.2Neck Pain While Running – Quick Fix Guide. (2016, July 20). Sports Injury Physio. https://www.sports-injury-physio.com/post/neck-pain-while-running
But it goes beyond that.
Looking upwards as you run will shift your center of mass backward. This shift actually increases your likelihood of overstriding (Tip #8—discussed soon).
This means adjusting your gaze so that you aren’t looking down at your feet or up at the sky.
You should look directly ahead or at the ground about 10 – 20 feet in front of you, especially when running up or downhill.
Keeping your gaze ahead helps your chin stay in a neutral position. This allows you to breathe more easily and avoid unnecessary neck pain and strain.
#2: Keep your shoulders down and back
It’s easy to tighten our shoulders and hunch them whenever we exercise.
It’s a common stress reaction and a familiar position for most. After all, hunching over at a desk for most of the day is the standard for many people.
Hunching your shoulders puts extra pressure on the respiratory system, making it much harder to get enough oxygen.
Tightening your shoulders forward also contributes to improper hip extension. When your upper body collapses, your center of gravity shifts forward, so you won’t be able to achieve a neutral spine.
This means you won’t be able to fully extend your hips; instead, you will have to bring your legs forward to support yourself.
When we run, we want our shoulders down, back, and free of any tension. This means we can open our chest, allowing for big, deep breaths.
Throughout your run, check in and see how your shoulders feel. Give them a periodic shrug and make sure they are nice and loose.
#3: Swing your arms forward to back
Many runners swing their arms from side to side, elbows pointed left and right, rotating their arms around their bodies.
Doing this constantly shifts your center of gravity from left to right, and in turn, your torso will compensate by rotating to maintain balance. You don’t want your arms to cross in front of your body while running.
Instead, ensure that your arm swing is forward-to-backward, with your elbows tucked into your sides.
This way, your energy output is used to propel you forward, not to sway you from side to side.
Don’t worry about pumping your arms; instead, drive your elbows backwards and let your arms naturally swing forward.
#4: Relax your hands
Keep your hands nice and loose.
It is common for runners to hold tension in their hands, balling them into tight fists. This is an automatic stress reaction, and we tend to grip as we become tired.
So trick your brain into thinking you aren’t tired by keeping your hands tension-free.
I tell my runners to imagine holding baby chicks in their hands. You don’t want to squeeze them too hard, but you don’t want them to fall out of your hand either.
#5: Straighten your spine and tighten your core
Keeping your spine straight and your core tight is key to good posture and proper running form.
This is an incredibly powerful area of your body, and core strength is where much of your running strength comes from. (So don’t forget to get those strength training sessions in.)
A tall spine will help you breathe easily and use energy more efficiently. It also enables you to keep your core tight and secure.
Keeping your abdominals in check will support your spine and better absorb the energy when your foot strikes the ground.
#6: Lean slightly
While you want your back and core tall and straight with your neck and shoulders in line, you want to lean forward a little when you run.
The secret is not to bend at the waist but to lean your entire body forward in one solid piece.
You don’t need to tilt forward too much, but keeping your body with a slight forward lean will give you some momentum to propel you forward.
It’s an efficient use of energy that will not cause neck, shoulder, or lower back pain,
This recommendation is backed by The National Academy of Sports Medicine, saying that your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex should have a “slight lean during acceleration.”3Get Certified! Nutrition & Personal Training Certifications, NASM. (n.d.). Www.nasm.org. https://www.nasm.org/
#7: Bend your knees slightly
You don’t actually need to bend your knee that much to lift your foot off the ground and strike.
In fact, bending it too much and lifting your knees high in front of you is a very inefficient use of energy.
Instead, bend your knee while keeping it lower to the ground so that your hips don’t waste energy picking up your entire leg. It will also cushion your foot strike.
#8: Keep your legs underneath you
When you bring your foot down to strike, try to keep your shin perpendicular to the ground.
For proper running form, you also want to ensure your knee stays in line with your foot as it strikes the ground.
So, knees are directly over your feet as you strike, not forward or behind. Each foot lands directly underneath your center of mass. As we mentioned, your body should be aligned, with your lower body falling right under your center of mass.
Doing this will reduce your risk of injury, as the impact shock will be absorbed more efficiently.
#9: Keep your strides short
But how do you keep your legs underneath you and in line with your feet as you strike?
The secret is in proper cadence. Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute of running. This is different from stride length, which is how long your actual steps are.
There is no one-size-fits-all number for running cadence, but taking shorter, faster steps makes you a more efficient runner and reduces joint impact.
Over-striding is a common issue among runners and will eventually affect otherwise proper running form as you fatigue. This is when you stretch your leg further out than is necessary and, in turn, land heavily on your heel.
While heel striking is not necessarily bad, over-striding needlessly amplifies the impact forces with each step.
Is there a perfect footstrike for running?
The research is a mixed bag on this one.
Each runner will have a foot-strike pattern that works best for them and their biomechanics, whether a forefoot, midfoot, or heel strike. The secret to proper running form is not overstriding, no matter which foot strike pattern is most comfortable and efficient for you.
Shortening your stride can reduce your risk of overuse injuries such as shin splints or runner’s knee, and perhaps even save you a trip to the physical therapist!
If you would like to practice your cadence, you can download a playlist of high-BPM songs to get those feet moving. Just run along with the beat of the music.
Why Is Proper Running Form Important?
If you’re a runner, you probably want to keep at it for as long as possible.
This means staying injury-free. And guess what? Having proper running form is one of the best ways to do that and enjoy all of your run experiences.
Proper running form also means you’ll run faster and have more energy.
Remember, whether you are a beginner runner or have years of experience, you should consistently check in on maintaining proper running form.
We hope our running tips on proper running have helped you. We also have a YouTube video that goes into these points in more detail if you are interested in checking it out:
References
Running Form Drills to Practice
Improving your running form takes deliberate practice. These drills, performed 2–3 times per week before your runs, help reinforce proper movement patterns:
High knees: Drive your knees up to hip height while maintaining an upright posture and quick ground contact. This drill improves hip flexor strength and encourages a higher knee lift during running. Perform 2×30 meters.
Butt kicks: Jog forward while flicking your heels up toward your glutes. This builds hamstring engagement and promotes a compact leg swing. Perform 2×30 meters.
A-skips: Combine a skipping motion with a high knee drive. Focus on driving your foot down directly beneath your center of mass. This is one of the most effective drills for reinforcing proper foot placement and reducing overstriding.
Strides: After an easy run, perform 4–6 accelerations of 80–100 meters, building to about 90% effort and then decelerating. Strides reinforce efficient fast-running mechanics without the fatigue of a full speed workout.
Incorporating these drills into your routine alongside strength training for runners creates a well-rounded approach to form improvement.
Common Running Form Mistakes
Even experienced runners develop form habits that waste energy or increase injury risk. Here are the most common mistakes to watch for:
Overstriding — Landing with your foot well ahead of your center of mass acts as a brake with every step and sends excessive impact force through your knees and hips. The fix is to increase your cadence slightly and focus on landing with your foot beneath your body.
Bouncing too much — Excessive vertical oscillation means you are spending energy going up and down rather than forward. Focus on a slight forward lean and imagine running “close to the ground” with smooth, gliding strides.
Tensing your upper body — Clenched fists, hunched shoulders, and a tight jaw all waste energy. Periodically do a body scan during your runs: drop your shoulders, unclench your hands, and relax your face.
Crossing your arms over your midline — Swinging your arms across your body creates rotational forces that your core has to counteract. Keep your arm swing forward and back, not side to side.
Running Form FAQ
Should I land on my heel or forefoot when running?
Most recreational runners are heel strikers, and research shows this is perfectly fine at easy paces — it doesn’t increase injury risk when combined with a moderate cadence (170+ steps per minute). Forefoot striking reduces knee load but increases calf and Achilles strain. Rather than forcing a foot strike change, focus on landing with your foot beneath your center of mass and maintaining a quick cadence. For more on this, see our guide to forefoot running pros and cons.
What cadence should I run at?
Most running coaches recommend a cadence of 170-180 steps per minute for easy running, increasing to 180-190+ during faster efforts. Higher cadence generally correlates with shorter ground contact time and reduced impact forces. If your cadence is below 160, increasing it by 5-10% can meaningfully improve your efficiency and reduce injury risk.
How do I stop overstriding?
Overstriding — landing with your foot well ahead of your hips — is the most common form error and a leading cause of shin splints and knee pain. To fix it: increase your cadence by 5-10%, lean slightly forward from the ankles (not the waist), and focus on “pulling” your foot back underneath you rather than reaching forward. Running track drills before your runs reinforces these patterns.
Does running form matter for slow runners?
Yes — proper form matters at every pace. Poor form at slow speeds creates repetitive stress that accumulates over thousands of strides. Slower runners actually spend more time on the ground per step, so inefficient mechanics have more time to cause problems. Even small improvements in posture, arm swing, and cadence can reduce injury risk and make running feel easier.
How long does it take to improve running form?
Most runners notice improvements within 4–6 weeks of focused form work, including drills and conscious attention during runs. However, fully ingraining new movement patterns can take several months of consistent practice. Be patient and focus on one or two form cues at a time rather than trying to change everything at once.
Should I change my running form if I am not injured?
If you are running injury-free and performing well, major form changes may not be necessary. However, most runners can benefit from small refinements that improve efficiency, even if they are not injured. Focus on the fundamentals — relaxed upper body, appropriate cadence, and landing beneath your center of mass — rather than overhauling your entire stride.
Dude !! just post a video on proper running form. I am a visual learner and I am sure, other folks would appreciate a demo too . Just saying.
Hey Gavin, cheers for the comment – working on this exact video soon!
Video demo might be nice, but kudos to your written instructions. I felt them easy to understand. (Not always the case for me) Thank you!
Imho, one of the best instructions I’ve ever read. I’m saying from my experiences and own research with my 41 marathons in 12 years including 10 Boston marathons. We all tries to save knees and hips joints which is bottom line. Along with these great instructions finding your own body efficiency is key, but it’s easy to say. Thank you for great article.