Move with less effort!

​Running is a great activity to stay in shape and keep your bones strong and healthy – just as long as you run with good technique. A poor running style can be counter-productive and lead to injury that could prevent you from running for months.  Here are two exercises which will help you to appreciate how to reduce effort in your style so, you can keep running and enjoy the benefits for years.
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Activity 1: Pendulums

1. Sit on the edge of a table and let your lower legs hang free over the edge.
2. Bring back your left leg back until it is underneath the table and then let it go so it will swing forward. It is important to let it go and not to swing it forward yourself. 
3. Let alternate legs swing with minimal effort (just give them a little ‘nudge’) and think of each leg as a pendulum.

Now try a similar experiment with your arms. 

1. Stand and think of a line from the tip of your shoulders through the biceps, down the arm to your thumbs. Or just think ‘long arms’. 
2. As with the legs, see if you can get your arms swinging straight and by your side with a minimal effort without lifting your shoulders. 
3. Now let your arms bend at the elbow, place your thumb lightly on your index finger, keep your fingers relaxed and again swing your arms without the shoulders lifting. Your hands should be relaxed, nether clenched into a fist or fingers held straight. 

​Activity 2: Walk to run

1. Start with an easy walk with your lower legs swinging as in the table exercise, and the arm swinging straight. Keep your shoulders relaxed and let your arms swing a little quicker and notice that your legs will also move quicker without adding extra effort.
2. Let your arms to bend at the elbow and raise your knees a little higher and let the lower leg swing through as you release into a relaxed run.
3. Keep your ankles free and notice you’ll now be landing towards the ball of the foot and imagine you can just stroke the ground away beneath you.
4. Imagine a thread pulling you up from the top of the head so you ‘run tall’ but don’t tighten your back to do this.
5. Run for a minute or until you feel you’re having to make an effort to keep moving, then return to the relaxed walk.
6. Alternate between the walk and run while checking you don’t lift your shoulders or tighten your lower back.

These exercises can be done by any age or ability and if you practise them you will soon improve your technique and the more you experience moving with less effort, the more you’ll enjoy it. For more information and tips please see our page on the Alexander Technique

By Roy Palmer, Alexander Technique Teacher

Don’t forget the Hunts 10k race on 19 June still time to enter!

Let your limbs swing!