Use Running Drills to Improve Your Form
Running is a great exercise but it can be easy to plateau if you don't push yourself enough. Besides increasing the pace and intensity of your runs you can also incorporate running drills into your workouts to improve your running form. You can include running drills in your warm up or as a cool down exercises. Either way they are easy and quick and you will start to see a difference in your running once you start to use running drills.
Running Drills
One of the easiest running drills is sideways running, it is almost like skipping as your legs shouldn't cross over. Do this as many times as you like. Another relatively easy running drill is backwards running. Run backwards and then from time to time accelerate into a forward run, over time you can build up your speed.
It may sound simple but running with your head on your hands is also a good running drill to perform. It can actually be quite challenging to perform when there is some form of resistance involved, whether a slight incline or sandy terrain. Your hands are totally out of the equation and are not being used to propel your body.
Butt kicks are a good way to tone and warm up the hamstring muscles. Keep your legs straight and kick your legs backwards as if trying to touch your butt. The movement should be smooth and you should aim to increase the speed of your kicks. Try and keep still but some movement forwards is alright.
You can really tone and warm up your quad muscles with some low walking. Crouch on the ground with your thighs parallel to the ground and fold your arms across your chest. Walk around in this position and you will start to feel your quads burn and really start to work.
Running drills can also improve your agility and the quick feet running drill is one to do this. Take baby steps as fast as you can using the balls of your feet, your knees should be used as little as possible. Speed is important here so try and be as fast as you can.
You can also improve balance with running drills. Stand straight and put your weight on the ball of your left foot before lifting your right knee up high. Hold onto your right knee before lowering to the ground. Alternate with weight on the right leg and lifting up the left leg. If you can't manage to balance on the ball of your foot start by keeping your foot flat and gradually balancing on the ball of your foot.
