Arm Swing in Running - Being Intentional

In Chi Running we ask our upper body to do 50% of the work (on the flats) - it's not all about the legs! An intentional, but relaxed, arm swing in running is a key part of being efficient with our energy. So what are some elements of an effective arm swing?

* Elbows bent at 90 degrees. Avoid letting the arms drop below the waist.

* Avoid pumping the arms up and down. We want to be moving forward, not up and down.

* Imagine a center line from your chin to your navel. Avoid crossing that line with your arms. That can lead to a rotation of your shoulders and so takes away from the steady forward movement we want with Chi Running. We want to be efficient with how we use our energy.

* Instead of thinking of punching the person ahead of you with your fists, think about elbowing the person behind you. Be intentional about swinging backwards, while your shoulders remain down and relaxed. After your elbow reaches back, let the arm relax and it will swing forward on its own. No energy needed there.

* A good rule of thumb as to how far we reach back, is to only go back as far as our 'wrist to ribs' and then on the way back it's the 'elbow to ribs'. This minimizes shoulder rotation and potential over striding.

*We don't need to use our shoulders during a run. Just allow the arm to swing from the socket - as if there's a pin there on which the arm swings back and forth.

* Relax the shoulders, arms and hands. Yes they are doing work, but in a relaxed way. Think of holding a butterfly in your hand that you will release at the end of your run.

* When we constantly check our watch, or are holding a bottle in our hands, we lose some of the efficiency of having relaxed arms that are moving back and forth in a steady rhythm. Try and minimize the extra energy that we are asking our arms and hands to use.

In our Chi Running workshops we cover this in detail, as we look at the whole body from our toes to our crown. How can we run pain free with less effort? Check out one of our workshops and bring the smile back into running.