Let’s assume you regularly do the 5-Point Running Form Check explained in that blog post. That’s great, but if you discover that your form isn’t perfect – and whose form is perfect – then you may be wondering if there is a way to target different elements of your form to improve because, of course, the goal is to run with good form all the time, even when you’re not concentrating on it.
Well, that’s the whole idea of running drills. As a rule, they exaggerate some movement. I encourage you to check out Mojo for Running Podcast Episode #90: Running Drills.
Benefits of Running Form Drills
- It strengthens the necessary muscles to make that movement easier and more natural.
- It trains the body in that motion/movement.
- It gives you a chance to mentally focus on that movement pattern.
A quick YouTube search will reveal, easily, 30 different running drills. So, any time you want to add to your repertoire, that’s a good place to go. Sometimes different coaches will have different names for the same drill, but you’ll get the idea. I have my favorites, and I’ve made up a few of my own that have really been successful with my runners over the years.
Running Form Drills
- Streetlight form check drill: Find a street with street lights, and use them to determine running segments. For the first mile of your run, stop at every street light and do a head to toe form check. Then run in place for ten steps, focusing on perfect form, before resuming running.
- Airborne drill: We’ve all played with helium-filled balloons. Run as if your body is a small helium balloon, and you want to keep your weight to ever come to rest on a foot when it’s on the ground. You only touch the ground briefly, just to keep your bodyweight in the air. Concentrate on avoiding sinking into your steps. This visualization will help you to be light on your feet.
- Beauty and the beast drill: Run five steps, heavily, loudly. Then run ten steps soundlessly. Repeat several times.
- Isolated arm drill: Without moving your legs, pump your arms as if running. Do this to a 180 beat per minute cadence. Pull your arms back from the elbow. So, you’re only pumping them back and letting each arm swing naturally, forward, as the opposite arm pumps back. Your legs will do what your arms do when you run, but it’s difficult to focus on your arms and legs at the same time. This drill allows you to focus on your arms.
Give those a try and when you get tired of those, just go to YouTube and you’ll find an endless supply to always keep your running form training fresh and fun.
How often do you think about your form when you’re running? How often do you do a running form check?
Do you cross-train? If you don’t, you’re missing out. Check out 
. These look like a rope ladder, except instead of ropes they’re made of heavy duty nylon straps. You can buy these online for around $20. You don’t climb them. You stretch them out on the ground and run through them stepping in and out of each section in different patterns. This is harder than it sounds and will really get your heart rate up. These have been used by running coaches as part of running workouts for years. Greater agility will certainly improve your running form, help to prevent injuries, and reduce ground contact time when you run, resulting in faster running. Every agility ladder will come with suggestions of different agility exercises, plus you can find plenty of You Tube videos with examples, but you don’t even have to buy an agility ladder. It’s easy to actually draw an agility ladder on the driveway with chalk. This is another activity that the kids will love doing right alongside of you. Be prepared, though. They may be much better at it.
Last time we discussed the importance of balance for runners of all levels and at all speeds. It’s critical to virtually every element of running, and perhaps most important of all, because it is at the root of good running form. 
An integral but often overlooked element of running form is foot strike. Whether beginner or advanced, any runner should take care to be sure to utilize an efficient and stable foot plant and it makes perfect sense for new runners to work on this from the very beginning, from day one, rather than try to break bad habits later on.
Improving your running form will mean avoiding injury and running more comfortably, two worthwhile pursuits for any runner, and there is no better time to master it than at the very beginning of your running career when you’re only running a few steps at a time. In this podcast, I explain correct form in the first of two episodes on this topic.
Do you ever listen while you run? No, I don’t mean listen to music or conversation or podcasts. Do you listen for the sound of your feet hitting the ground? Try it. If your feet make a loud pounding noise, that means you’re hitting the ground with more force than necessary, and there is room for improvement. 
Of all types of cross training for runners, it is my opinion that spinning classes – or cycling – is the most beneficial, providing the best payoff for runners. 
