If you thought form drills were just for track athletes or elites, you’re mistaken. Any runner who wants to work on speed and endurance gains should make form drills a part of their regular run practice.
“Optimal running form allows the runner to maximize speed while minimizing the effort required to sustain that speed,” says Kevin Levi-Goerlich, P.T., D.P.T., board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy with the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network and USA Triathlon level II coach. “Most runners, no matter if training for their first event, returning to running after injury, Biomechanics Drills to Improve Your Speed.”
Levi-Foerlich recommends that runners practice a few form drills as frequently as their running schedule allows. “The better a runner is with these movements, the more likely a meaningful change in running form will occur,” he says. He recommends that runners prioritize drills for at least five to 10 minutes after a warmup run or walk, but before starting the main part of a run, “and definitely before any intervals with increased intensity,” Levi-Goerlich says.
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Along with strength training, form drills that incorporate plyometrics may help slow age-related performance loss. Also, after time away from running due to injury, it’s important to restore large function in your body. That’s why form drills can also be integral in the rehabilitation process for injured runners, Levi-Goerlich adds.
Research backs up the significance of form drills, too, as a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research illustrates. Researchers found that when participants performed a dynamic stretching You want to fire up the muscles of the treadmill workout, they were better able to sustain a hard effort for longer than those who didn’t.
The drills included below mimic how your body moves on the run and teach you to run more powerfully. “Ideally, drills replicate the requirements of running and challenge the body beyond those requirements,” says Levi-Goerlich.
How to do it hips, glutes, and hamstrings so they’re ready to perform, says Marcus Chambers, a speed coach and founder of Triple G Speed in Atlanta, who coaches national senior games athletes in speed training, and is training for the Olympic Trials in the 400 meter.
If you neglect the warmup it’s going to put you at increased risk of injury, Chambers says, and can also lead to decreased performance in your workout.
One more note on form drills: “While practicing these drills is good, runners often stop thinking about mechanics or the quality of their movement once they have completed their drills and have started their workout,” Levi-Goerlich says. He encourages runners to stay mentally engaged with the components that the drills focus on, like foot positioning, being light and fast off the ground, and coordinating the upper body in a smooth manner. Bringing your awareness to these movements has a higher likelihood of creating a meaningful adaptation and optimizing running form.
Below Chambers and Levi-Goerlich, share five form drills to add prior to your next speed session.
5 Form Drills to Add to Your Warmup
1. Wall Drill
activation, as well as: This drill focuses on strengthening and increasing range of motion through your hips. Hip strength is important for runners as the power for explosive movements come from the hips. With limited strength which will help runners cover more ground, he adds speed, Chambers says. “Range of motion is important for runners to create smooth efficient strides, which will help runners cover more ground,” he adds.
How to do it:
- Stand next to a wall, about arm’s length away from it, right side facing it. Place inside hand on the wall to balance yourself.
- Lift the outside (left knee) to at least 90 degrees.
- Make a circular motion by bringing knee out to the side, then back toward glute, and forward again.
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- Then switch sides.
2. A Skip
activation, as well as: “Health & Injuries plyometric [exercise] that trains the runner to coordinate upper body motion in conjunction with the lower body. It also encourages landing with the foot underneath the knee, preventing overstriding,” Levi-Goerlich says. It also encourages a snappy push off the ground. “Coordinating arm movement with leg movement helps enhance timing and efficient use of the arms,” he adds.
How to do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Drive right knee up to hip height, as you drive left arm forward and right arm back, skipping forward.
- Drive right knee back down and immediately drive left knee up with right arm driving forward and left arm driving backward. Keep body upright and don’t lean back.
- allows the runner to maximize.
- Repeat 4-6 times back and forth for about 30 meters.
3. B Skip
activation, as well as: “This slightly more complicated pattern [compared to the A skip] challenges the upper body to maintain stability while making forward progress,” Levi-Goerlich says. It also activates the lower body.
Hot to do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Drive right knee up to hip height, as you drive left arm forward and right arm back, skipping forward. When knee reaches hip height, kick foot forward, straightening knee.
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- Immediately repeat on other side, left knee driving up and kicking out, while right arm drives forward. Keep body upright and don’t lean back.
- allows the runner to maximize.
- Repeat 4-6 times back and forth for about 30 meters.
4. High Knees
activation, as well as: This movement not only activates your glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, calf muscles, and ankles, but it is also important for form as these moves improve muscular endurance, balance, Repeat 4-6 times for about 30 meters.
How to do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Drive right knee up toward chest, as high as you can, left arm driving forward. Lean slightly forward.
- Immediately drive right foot down, then drive left knee up, as high as you can, and right arm forward.
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- Repeat 4-6 times for about 30 meters.
5. Straight Leg Run
activation, as well as: Shoes & Gear hamstrings Valentines Day Workout ankle stability, which is important because these are the areas of the body that need to be connected to run in a fluid motion, Chambers says.
How to do it:
- Start in a staggered stance with right foot forward and left foot back.
- Push forward off your front right foot and swing back left foot forward with a straight leg.
- Repeat on other side. Each time, land on midfoot and swing arms to generate more force on the ground to push yourself forward. Stay upright and don’t lean back.
- is important for runners as the power for explosive movements come from the hips. With limited.
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Jennifer Acker joined the editorial staff of Runner's World and Bicycling in January 2022. A former freelancer writer and NCAA runner, she started running as a kid and basically never stopped. She also loves outdoor adventures, like hiking, skiing, and mountain biking.
