Running Arms
3 August 2018
Are you running with your arms? You should be!
Do you think about your arms when running? What are they even
meant to do?
We always see sprinters use their arms to generate momentum and
power off the starting blocks and then through the race to maximise
speed, but we often see recreational runners holding their arms
still, across their chest, by their side, holding drink bottles,
phones, etc.
There's a strong link between the latissimus dorsi muscle (your
'lats'), thoraco-lumbar fascia and opposite glute and hamstring
muscles. The activation and use of these muscles and fascia are
required to generate hip and leg extension, to propel the body
forward.
Not using your arms to help contract and pull the hip and leg
into extension, will reduce the potential power generated, making
your running less efficient. It's not possible to run like a
sprinter for more than a few minutes, but your arms can be used as
a focal point when getting tired, in need of a burst of
acceleration, going up an incline, doing intervals or pushing to
the finish.
Here's the cue to focus on during your next run - to engage
latissimus dorsi you need to actively pull the upper arm (humerus)
back behind the trunk focussing on your elbow. It's easy to
increase tension in the neck, shoulders and arms when trying this
so be mindful to keep the hands soft and relaxed and the elbows
down by your side when moving your arms forward and backward.
Next time you're feeling heavy in the legs, or need to beat your
running buddy, increase your arm's swing, focussing on the pull
back through the elbows and feel the power.


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