Improving your technical running isn't just about running faster. The real goal is to run more efficiently — using less energy while drastically reducing the risk of injury. A controlled stride lets you string sessions together and find durable enjoyment on roads or trails.
Here are 9 concrete levers to transform your running style.
1. Look towards the horizon
Your eyes direct your posture. Fix your gaze on a spot 4 to 10 metres ahead of you. Looking at your feet is a classic mistake that breaks your stride, rounds your back and harms your focus. By looking further ahead, you naturally keep your airways clear and anticipate uneven terrain.
2. Straighten your posture (the invisible thread)
Imagine an invisible thread pulling the top of your head towards the sky. Your posture should be upright and proud. Avoid slumping forward or arching back, even under the effects of fatigue. To correct poor posture, fix your gaze on the horizon and lightweight chest expansion: your upper body will realign instantly.
3. Relax your shoulders to breathe better
Tense or raised shoulders are energy-hungry. Keep them low and relaxed. Don't round them forward: this compresses your ribcage and limits your lung capacity. Your lungs need space to oxygenate your muscles effectively.
4. Follow the 90° rule for your arms
For maximum energy efficiency, keep your elbows bent at an angle of around 90 degrees. Your hands should not rise to shoulder height (a common beginner's mistake) but remain just above your hips. The movement should be a smooth pendulum swing from the shoulder, not the elbow.
5. Keep your arms to the sides (no crossing)
Your arms act as a pendulum for your balance. Make sure they never cross the centreline of your torso. Arms that cross in front of your chest create unnecessary rotational movements of the upper body, wasting energy and limiting your breathing capacity.
6. Relax your hands (the technical egg method)
Tension in your hands often travels up through the whole arm to the neck. Keep your hands lightweight closed but not clenched, as if holding something fragile inside (an egg or a butterfly). Your wrists should remain flexible to avoid any unwanted stiffness.
7. Increase your running cadence
This is the secret of efficient runners. Instead of trying to take big strides that slow your momentum, focus on cadence. The ideal is to aim for a cadence of 180 steps per minute. A higher cadence reduces ground contact time and joint impact. To explore this key point further, check out our guide on optimal running cadence.
8. Favour a "midfoot" strike
Landing heavily on the heel (overstriding) acts as a brake and sends a significant shockwave through your knees and hips. Conversely, running purely on the balls of your feet tires your calves. The healthiest technical running approach is to land on the midfoot, just beneath your centre of gravity, then roll through to the toes.
9. Work on a low, skimming stride
Unless you're sprinting, there's no need to drive your knees up high. A stride that's too airborne consumes a huge amount of energy fighting gravity. By working on a lower, skimming stride, you minimise unnecessary vertical bounce. Short, low, quick steps are the key to endurance.
How to apply these tips?
Don't try to correct everything at once. On your next run, practise the Body Scan: every 10 minutes, do a mental check starting from the head (gaze, shoulders, arms, hands) down to the feet (cadence, foot strike). If you feel any tension, correct it immediately.
A great exercise is also to have a friend film you at the end of a session. Fatigue often reveals our bad postural habits. Remember that no perfect universal technique exists: what matters is staying in tune with your own sensations to build the running style that suits you.
