It’s easy to run, but it takes practice to run using the right techniques. It takes time and repetition to get better. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a beginner, refining your running form is something that can always be improved.

Running relaxed is a fundamental component of proper running form. Extra tension makes you exert more energy, and it wears you down quicker. Your posture, how your feet land, the role of your shoulders and arms, and the proper breathing technique are areas you should master.

Posture: Running tall with good posture is a key for efficient runners. Holding your head high, opening your shoulders, and contracting your abdominal muscles while making your strides is important. For new runners, this can be uncomfortable. It’s a skill that you must learn and focus on until it becomes ingrained. Imagine a straight line from your ankles to your head. That’s what a runner should look like mid-stride, except there will be a slight lean at their chest.

Knees & Feet: When you walk, your knees straighten out with each step. Because there’s more force during running, your knees should be slightly bent upon landing on the ground. Softer knees help absorb the extra impact. Focus on landing on the middle part of your foot. This aids in keeping your posture straight from your feet to your head.

Shoulders: Relax your shoulders. Extra tension wastes energy. Your shoulders should help you propel forward, but they don’t move on their own. They move when you pump your arms. Avoid hunching your shoulders or pushing them out too high. Find their natural position during your gait and keep them there.

Arms: Keep your arms close to your torso with a slight bend as you swing them back and forth. Aside from your lower body, your arms are the biggest factor in propelling you forward. You should feel like your shoulders, arms, and torso are connected, but your shoulders need to be relaxed. Your arms shouldn’t cross your body. Keep them moving forward and backwards. Your hands should be relaxed with your fingers rolled up into a half ball.

Head: Your head should rest on your shoulders in a neutral position. It shouldn’t be tilted backwards or forward but in line with the rest of your body. In a good running position, you are looking straight forward about 10 to 15 feet in front of you. Don’t look down at the ground and don’t move your head side-to-side. If you are looking down, you won’t be able to get your knees up high enough, and if you tilt your head back, it’s possible to overstride.

Breathing: Proper breathing helps you preserve energy. It’s critical to focus on your breathing for long runs, which will push your cardiovascular limits. Taking long, deliberate, evenly paced breaths is the best form. To understand how you are supposed to breathe for racing, lie flat on your back and put your right hand over your stomach just below your rib cage. Inhale as slowly and as deeply as possible. You should feel your hand rising and falling as you breathe. You can also do this drill standing up. Follow this form for your runs.

Cadence refers to the number of steps a runner takes per minute. Elite runners have a cadence over 180, which is a 7-minute mile or lower pace. A 10-minute mile cadence or lower is 165. Your cadence is measured when you are doing an easy run. Overstriding leads to a lower cadence, which slows you down. Overstriding is when your foot lands outside your knee. Your leg straightens out when you overstride, which means it absorbs most of the force of the impact. Overstriding also causes your feet to spend more time on the ground, which slows you down. Optimal running form has your foot landing inside of your knee. There are drills runners can do to increase their cadence:

• Treadmill: Running on a treadmill for short bursts at a targeted cadence can help you feel what it’s like to increase your cadence. You can start with 1-minute runs and work up to a mile. Do this several times a week.
• Metronome: A metronome is a device that produces sounds at regular intervals. Download a metronome app on your smartphone and run for a minute at your normal cadence. Put  a higher cadence into your metronome and see how far you can run comfortably at the increased cadence. Try to increase the distance to the elevated cadence each time you run.
• Jump Rope: Jump rope for 30 seconds keeping your legs low while moving fast. Increase the amount of time for every session.

Foot strike refers to the part of your foot that hits the ground first when running. Foot strikes fall into 3 categories: forefoot strike, midfoot strike, and heel strike. There isn’t one correct way to hit the ground with your foot. Below is an explanation for the 3 types of foot strikes.

• Forefoot Strike: Forefoot strikers land on the front of their foot and they push up with their toes and the balls of their feet. Their heels never touch the ground. This is sometimes called toe running.
• Midfoot Strike: Midfoot strikers land in the center of their foot, roll forward, and push off their toes. It’s a neutral landing position.
• Heel Strike: Heel strikers hit the ground first with their heels and then roll through the middle and front of their foot to push off the ground.

There isn’t one right way for runners to land. Around 60% of experienced road racers are heel strikers. What’s important is to find shoes that fit your foot strike. For heel strikers, a shoe with extra cushion in the heel is beneficial. It’ll absorb more impact. That’s called a high-drop shoe because the toe rests higher from the ground. For midfoot strikers and forefoot strikers, the cushioning in the shoes tends to be evenly distributed and there is only a small space between the toe and the ground. A zero-drop shoe is when there isn’t space between the toe and the ground. Those are for runners who prefer minimalist running shoes.

Running isn’t as simple as putting on a pair of shorts and shoes and going for a jog. It might look simple, but to do it well, you must consider everything from the type of shoes that work best for your running style, to your cadence, to proper breathing and posture. It might seem overwhelming to learn how to train properly, but with consistent practice, you’ll figure it out quickly.