It’s a beautiful morning, you lace up your running shoes, step out and feel the sun energise you, and there you are, ready to conquer the outdoors and fitness goals, one stride at a time. There is a spring in your step, naturally reflecting in your pace. It is going to be a great run today, or so you thought, till you felt that sudden twinge in your shoulder. Catches and cramps in the upper body, leading to injuries at times, is common among runners. This brings to light the need for upper body flexibility and mobility, even though your run is primarily driven by the middle and lower part of your body.
Many runners make the mistake of ignoring mobility and flexibility of the upper body. The focus falls squarely on building endurance, speed and strength in the lower body, overlooking the crucial role of upper body in the biomechanical chain that manifests into the running stride.
Role of upper body in running
The visual perception of running is of the legs propelling us forward. Lower body strength and endurance play an important role in a runner’s performance. However, there’s another underappreciated factor – the upper body.
“The upper body makes up roughly 40 percent of the efforts by a runner,” says Pramod Deshpande, coach at Jayanagar Jaguars running club, Bengaluru. “The arm movements are very important for running. Optimal arm movement gives the runner the required speed, impacting stride length and cadence as well.”
Upper body mobility plays a crucial role in enhancing a runner’s efficiency, form and overall performance. It’s not just about a strong core and sculpted arms; it’s about achieving a balance between stability and mobility.
A mobile upper body allows for a smooth and coordinated running motion. As the legs push off the ground, the arms act as a counterbalance, maintaining the body’s equilibrium.
“The arms should swing to their optimal position. If they reach the maximum position, it can disturb the movement of the legs,” says Deshpande. “Synchronisation between the legs and arms provides optimal mobility, which is very important for running.”
With proper mobility, your arms can effortlessly swing forward and backward, syncing with the rhythm of your stride, helping in conserving energy and improving forward momentum.
Upper body mobility helps in maintaining proper posture and alignment.
“Keeping your body upright is very important while running, as it maintains the centre of gravity. If you start hunching, the leg movements start becoming wavy and that’s not good,” says Deshpande.
A mobile upper body enables you to keep your torso upright, preventing unnecessary slouching. This optimal alignment promotes efficient breathing, maximising oxygen intake and ultimately enhancing your endurance.
In addition to form and alignment, upper body mobility plays a significant role in injury prevention. As a runner, you are susceptible to a variety of injuries, including strains, sprains and muscle imbalances.
“The rotation and mobility of the spine is important,” says Deshpande. “Mobility of the arms and shoulders is vital. The rotation around the spine will keep the body straight. Our pelvis turns when we run, and keeping the shoulders steady and straight with the least amount of rotation is very important.”
Enhancing upper body mobility for running
The idea of performing static stretches before running has been ingrained into us. However, muscle activation, which increases mobility, makes more sense.
“Static stretching is counterproductive because what we need is blood circulation across muscles,” says Deshpande. “Instead of stretching, some warm-up exercises can be performed. If the body is not fully warmed up, stretching would become counterproductive.”
One can perform a light jog followed by dynamic stretching and exercises focusing on mobility. “Besides warm-up exercises which can enhance the mobility of important parts like the glutes, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbow and neck, those which work on rotating these joints through the angle of rotation can also be done,” says Deshpande.
“What the upper body needs more than flexibility is strength to keep the body straight and upright. So, as a runner, you should spend more time improving upper body strength in terms of your core,” adds Deshpande.
Takeaways
- Upper body mobility increases efficiency while running by allowing the arms and legs to coordinate and balance motion.
- Improving upper body mobility helps to maintain better posture and alignment while running, thereby reducing strain on muscles and joints.
- Upper body mobility increases the range of motion, resulting in a better arm swing, longer stride length and improved speed.
- Mobility exercises targeting the shoulders, chest and back can help improve upper body mobility.
