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Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine: Up in Arms
By Dr. Neil McLaughlin November/December 2009 For the Washington Running Report
Try this experiment next time you are out on a run. Just stop moving your arms and attempt to run with them at your side. You will notice immediately how awkward and out of sync your gait becomes and your stride will most certainly shorten and become choppy. You will also be lucky to maintain your balance for any length of time.
Your arms play a significant role in your running, not only to enhance performance but also for staying healthy. Your arm carriage is important because it helps coordinate your leg motion while running as one arm moves forward with the opposite leg. The more efficient and smooth the arm motion is translates to the same for the legs. So, as go the arms, so go the legs!
Running is primarily a bilateral pursuit in a straight line from point A to point B; therefore, your arm motion should also be straight forward and back, helping to propel your legs down the road. The optimal arm position is with the hands relaxed and elbows bent to a level that allows your hands to pass forward and back near waist level. Your shoulders should also maintain a relaxed status as your arms swing straight forward and back.
Two common deficiencies we see in arm carriage are the "shoulder shrugger" and the "cross-over."
The shoulder shrugger may have a fairly straight forward and back motion but appears to wear their shoulders as earrings as they carry them high and tight. These runners tend to have a tense, almost robotic gait and the more fatigued they become the higher the shoulders appear to go.
The "cross-over" runner swings one or both arms across the front of the body. This is very inefficient as the excess rotation translates to the legs causing a waste of energy to forward motion and alters the biomechanics of the lower body leading to increased chances of injury over time.
To improve your upper body form and attain a more efficient arm swing, it's not enough to consciously think about it. You have to retrain your mind-body connection (proprioception from our earlier articles) over time with repetition. A great way to accomplish this is by doing what we call the "form drill."
Form Drill
1. Stand in front of a mirror holding two lightweight dumbbells (light enough to do 20 to 30 repetitions).
2. Have your elbows flexed so that the weights pass near waist level.
3. Mimic proper running form, bringing your arms forward and back. (It's okay to bring the arms a little farther forward and back than usual to accentuate the motion.)
4. Start with 20 repetitions and work up to 30. Over time increase the weights for more resistance as necessary.
5. Take a little break and then do the drill with one arm at a time holding the weight to isolate and concentrate on the motion. The other arm should still be used for motion as well, and then switch arms. You should do 20 repetitions on each arm for this part.
If you do this drill several times a week you will start to notice a more fluid and strong upper body driving your motion, particularly on uphill sections. The more efficient and strong the upper body gets, the faster you will go with much less risk for injury as well.
Dr. Neil P. McLaughlin, Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, has been evaluating and treating runners for 17 years. He can be reached at the Commonwealth Chiropractic Center of Reston 703-742-7856 or www.cccreton.com.