Spring has arrived and there are simply no excuses for not getting out and running. However, there are many schools of thought on gait, foot strike and posture, most of which can be very confusing for the uncoached amateur, without access to external feedback and analysis.

This, therefore, is offered a brief review of the basics, some elemental pointers to quickly consider when moving.

Firstly, stop overthinking forefoot, midfoot or heel strike. This is more dependant on your shoes, personal mechanics, injury history and current mobility than idealised positioning. The impact point should be where your centre of gravity is about to be (given that inertia will carry your centre of mass over that point with no extra effort). Too far forward, most commonly due to overstriding, and the foot will act as a brake, whether you are landing on your forefoot or heel. This optimum positioning can be best achieved by allowing the leg and ankle to relax before landing and feeling the ground push up as you drive forward. The overall feeling should be that of an inverted pendulum with the mass at the top, such that your foot acts as the pivot, supporting and carrying you effortlessly over the top.

Secondly, spinal posture. Too many runners can be seen slumped forward and collapsing into their centre. This happens for a number of reasons (avoiding injured areas, poor soft tissue mobility, short hips…) but is a huge waste of energy, since it saps the natural rhythm from the elastic properties of the connective tissues. Again, this is a complex issue which cannot be corrected instantly, but checking that your pelvis is level, and your chest is open are nice simple cues with positive outcomes.

By correcting and cleaning these up, you should find that your running is smoother, requires less effort and in the end, is more enjoyable.