Correct running form is necessary to understand so that you start your jogging routine off, well, correctly. You want to eliminate any bad habits you may have developed before learning the correct running form.
The below article from Runner's World is a great introduction to understanding the proper running form. These explanations are useful when applied to the proper jogging form as well since jogging is a slower form of running.
You may not perfect the guideline below, but keep the correct running form concepts in the back of your mind. While you're jogging along you can begin to consider whether or not your form is good or bad and where you need to change it. Maintaining the correct running form will help reduce joint injuries.
I am reminded of a time when I was visiting family back east in Vermont one summer. I decided to go for a morning jog. It was a lovely day with warm weather and a beautiful green landscape to enjoy. One thing about Vermont is it's quite hilly. It's a terrific opportunity to do as many hill sprints as you can stand. Hill
runs
are excellent endurance building exercises and very good at building muscles in the legs and buttocks. Of course, they're also exhausting, but well worth it.
I didn't realize when I was doing my down hill portion of the jog how absolutely critical it is to keep your knees soft and lightly land on your feet.
I didn't do this. I landed hard each time on my feet with the striking point primarily on the balls of my feet and mid-foot resulting in a lot of pain afterward. I incorrectly tried to apply what I thought was the correct running form and made a mistake. I regretted not keeping my knees soft and landing softly on the balls of my feet. My knees especially ached for months, but had I practiced the correct running form it would have saved me the pain and discomfort.
Scroll Down to Watch the Correct Running Form Video.
The Perfect Form
Running better, From Head to Toe. By Jane Unger Hahn (From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World)
How you hold your head is key to overall posture, which determines how efficiently you run. Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet, and scan the horizon. This will straighten your neck and back, and bring them into alignment. Don't allow your chin to jut out.
Shoulders
Shoulders play an important role in keeping your upper body relaxed while you run, which is critical to maintaining efficient running posture. For optimum performance, your shoulders should be low and loose, not high and tight. As you tire on a run, don't let them creep up toward your ears. If they do, shake them out to release the tension. Your shoulders also need to remain level and shouldn't dip from side to side with each stride.
Arms
Even though running is primarily a lower-body activity, your arms aren't just along for the ride. Your hands control the tension in your upper body, while your arm swing works in conjunction with your leg stride to drive you forward. Keep your hands in an unclenched fist, with your fingers lightly touching your palms. Imagine yourself trying to carry a potato chip in each hand without crushing it. Your arms should swing mostly forward and back, not across your body,between waist and lower-chest level. Your elbows should be bent at about a 90-degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out for a few seconds to release the tension.
Torso
The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. Many track coaches describe this ideal torso position as "running tall" and it means you need to stretch yourself up to your full height with your back comfortably straight. If you start to slouch during a run take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale simply maintain that upright position.
Hips
Your hips are your center of gravity, so they're key to good running posture. The proper position of your torso while running helps to ensure your hips will also be in the ideal position. With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment--pointing you straight ahead. If you allow your torso to hunch over or lean too far forward during a run, your pelvis will tilt forward as well, which can put pressure on your lower back and throw the rest of your lower body out of alignment. When trying to gauge the position of your hips, think of your pelvis as a bowl filled with marbles, then try not to spill the marbles by tilting the bowl.
Legs/Stride
While sprinters need to lift their knees high to achieve maximum leg power, distance runners don't need such an exaggerated knee lift--it's simply too hard to sustain for any length of time. Instead, efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover, and a short stride. Together, these will facilitate fluid forward movement instead of diverting (and wasting) energy. When running with the proper stride length, your feet should land directly underneath your body. As your foot strikes the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. If your lower leg (below the knee) extends out in front of your body, your stride is too long.
Ankles/Feet
To run well, you need to push off the ground with maximum force. With each step, your foot should hit the ground lightly--landing between your heel and mid-foot--then quickly roll forward. Keep your ankle flexed as your foot rolls forward to create more force for push-off. As you roll onto your toes, try to spring off the ground. You should feel your calf muscles propelling you forward on each step. Your feet should not slap loudly as they hit the ground. Good running is springy and quiet.
