Leaning from the ankles, not the waist when running…

Leaning from the ankles, not the waist when running…

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Leaning from the waist and not the ankles is one of the biggest mistakes runners make when they’re getting out there. Like you can see from the image above, it doesn’t seem that major until you realize that the small changes make a big difference after thousands of steps every week.

When you lean from your ankles you’re trying to engage gravity. You’re also more prone to using your core to keep you upright and keep your lower back healthy when you’re nice and tall.

At first you might feel like you’re ski jumping but like everything in life, you get used to it pretty quickly. It’s all about telling yourself you won’t fall flat on your face and rebuilding the habits. And you barely need to lean to go anywhere if you’re doing it correctly,

This principle is never as apparent as when you walk submerged in water. Try to grab ground by simply getting your leg in front of you and see how far you go. Trust me, I tried it this morning in the hotel pool, doesn’t really work…

You don’t want to feel the lean as much as feel the effects of the lean. This is what we talk about walking or running with the pull of gravity. We’re referring to your centre of gravity being ahead of where your foot strikes the ground. This is a major part of the efficiency in ChiRunning…

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My teaching is basically done for the year but I’m looking forward to having another busy year in 2015. I’m in the planning stage of return trips to BC, Halifax and many other destination. And obviously some workshops in Ottawa and the Valley. Stay tuned!

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