Running Form: The Dancer

When I run, I have two forms that I believe minimize impact on my knees. I can’t prove it, but so far, my knees don’t hurt. One uses my calves, and one uses my thighs, I use one until I get tired, then I switch to the other form. These are just generally the forms I try to do. What I look like and what I’m actually doing may be completely different, but this is how I think.

The first form is what I call The Dancer. Many of you may understand why. The main focus of the form is to be lower to the ground and take heal leads.

There are two nuances to understand. The first one is that your quad is doing most of the work, so make sure you strech. Its job is to basically pull you through the step. Using both forms, it uses the heck out of your Achilles’s heal, so stretch that if you want to walk the next day.

The lower stance makes the motion more of a forward motion instead of an up and down motion, and that is the main thing that will help save your knees.

I also think about the step, and this is an impact absorber.

In marching band, the first thing the instructors taught is how to walk without mashing your teeth against the mouth piece. Basically, you have to make your lower body absorb all the impact. They taught how to use your foot.

Rather than clapping your foot in a 1-2 motion, you should round it off. You start with a heal lead, and then make your foot curve around the outside of your foot. In this way, the step will never clap against the ground.

In general. this form is easiest to pace yourself and has great endurance. If you want to go on a run and think about things and not concentrate on your run, this is the form for you.